Pillowcase Workshops

Children have strength and capacity

Children may be vulnerable in an emergency, but they also have unique strength and capacity to prepare, cope and help their families.

Children are positive change agents

Disaster resilience is the ability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, adapt to and recover from the impact of emergencies. Practical skills that contribute to disaster resilience can be learned and practised. Children who participate in disaster resilience building activities have been shown to be better equipped to deal with an emergency.

Research also suggests that educating children in disaster preparedness plays a part in creating a culture of preparedness and resilience in the community as a whole. Children are positive change agents within their families and their communities. If given the opportunity to participate, they can make a very real and positive difference before, during and after an emergency.

Pillowcase

Pillowcase was originally inspired by events during Hurricane Katrina in the US. While evacuating campus, students of a local University used pillowcases to carry their cherished and basic possessions. After hearing this, American Red Cross staff developed the concept of using a pillowcase as an emergency kit. The program quickly grew into a global preparedness education program that has since become known as Pillowcase.

Delivered by Red Cross volunteers and staff, the workshop encourages children to be active participants in their own emergency preparedness. The content is useful for all kinds of emergencies and includes activities to highlight the importance of being prepared. Pillowcase helps to reduce real and imagined fears and has successfully built children’s stress management skills.

Aimed at students in Years 3 and 4 (ages 8-10), the one hour workshop involves engaging discussions and interactive activities to help students:

• Understand and discuss the importance of being prepared
• Prepare their mind for the thoughts and feelings that may arise before, during and after an emergency
• know what to pack in an emergency kit

Each student is then given a pillowcase to decorate and take home, to start their own personal emergency kit.

Links to the Australian Curriculum

Complementing other disaster resilience programs

The content of Pillowcase workshops complements that of hazard-specific programs run by fire and SES.

Register your interest

To enquire about booking a workshop, find out more, or become a volunteer with the disaster resilience program, please complete the form below.

If you are interested in booking a workshop, a member of our disaster resilience team will be in touch to discuss.