Towards a culture of prevention: disaster risk reduction begins at school - good practices and lessons learned

The World Disaster Reduction Campaign for 2006-2007 "Disaster Risk Reduction Begins at School" has resulted in various initiatives worldwide to make school buildings safer and have disaster risk reduction taught in school. This report highlights best practices of disaster risk reduction in the school community.

The discussion report highlights activities on three different objectives:

• Raising awareness within school communities. Activities include training of teachers; organising disaster quiz competitions; school contests on disaster risk reduction knowledge; campaigning for disaster safety; and turning school students into catalysts and initiators 
• Building a culture of prevention. Initiatives include developing disaster education materials; mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into school curricula or national education systems; using alternative or innovative ways to educate children, youth, teachers and parents about disaster risk reduction issues; and initiatives where children play a part in various activities on the ground
• Making school building safer. Good practices include assessing the vulnerability of school facilities; retrofitting school buildings; building earthquake-resistant schools; relocating schools which are in high-risk areas; building new schools in low-risk areas.