Free School Programs

The Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan is committed to raising awareness of epilepsy in the school setting. The following FREE school programs enable us to accomplish this:

Seizure Smart

Sometimes the only symptoms of epilepsy are frequent episodes of blank staring and unresponsiveness. Teachers are often the first adults to notice them. Can you?

Many children are diagnosed and successfully treated because of an alert teacher. Seizure Smart educates teachers, bus drivers, and other school personnel on how to recognize different types of seizures and respond appropriately.

The 45 to 60-minute Seizure Smart program will help teachers and other school personnel to do the following:

• Recognize different types of seizures
• Provide appropriate first aid
• Make necessary accommodations for students with epilepsy
• Promote acceptance and understanding among peers
• Access current knowledge regarding seizures
• Dispel any myths and misconceptions regarding epilepsy

If you are ready to become Seizure Smart, call our Director of Education at (800) 377-6226 option 1, ext. 302 or send an e-mail.

Seizure Smart for Kids

For a child, witnessing a seizure can be a frightening and confusing experience. Without appropriate education following the seizure, students' fear and confusion can lead to misconceptions, teasing, or avoidance of the child with epilepsy. Seizure Smart for Kids is a 30 to 45-minute presentation that explains, in clear and simple terms, what epilepsy is, what different seizures look like, how to help a person who has epilepsy, and what it's like to live with epilepsy.

The program is particularly useful for classrooms with a student who has recently been diagnosed with epilepsy or special education classrooms in which a significant percentage of students have seizures; however, any classroom can benefit from this presentation. If a child with epilepsy is in the classroom, the child and his or her parents are invited to participate in giving the presentation if they wish to be involved.

To schedule a Seizure Smart for Kids presentation, call our Director of Education at (800) 377-6226 option 1, ext. 302 or send an e-mail.

Seizures and You: Take Charge of the Facts
An Epilepsy Awareness Program for Teens

A recent nationwide survey showed a startling lack of knowledge about epilepsy in the general teen population. This lack of knowledge creates stigma, which adds to the difficulty of living with epilepsy. Seizures and You: Take Charge of the Facts is a national initiative to promote epilepsy awareness among teens. The 45-minute presentation for junior high and high school students can serve as an appropriate component of or supplement to your school's health education, biology, or social studies curriculum.

To schedule a presentation, call our Education Specialist at (800) 377-6226 option 1, ext. 234 or send an e-mail.