The knowRISK action for schools: A case study in Italy

Abstract

“Know your school: be safe!” is a risk communication campaign, within the KnowRISK (Know your city, Reduce seISmic risK through non-structural elements) project, involving schools in three European countries, namely Portugal, Italy and Iceland. Its main aim is to facilitate school communities’ access to experts’ knowledge on non-structural seismic risk reduction. In Italy we implemented a learning strategy to capture young people attention. We believe students will be influential in turning scientific knowledge to practical know-how. The strategy is based on Situated Learning Episode (EAS), where homework is for learning and skills, and classwork is for reworking and understanding. The KnowRISK-EAS starts and ends with two focus groups where students, and experts rework concepts and discuss best practices. Students are asked to implement a communication product addressing their peers. The assignment has a double goal: it helps to activate reflexive learning; it will be a project tool to trigger risk reduction attitude within schools communities.