With back to school approaching, the kids may be wondering about who their teacher is going to be or be planning back to school shopping. This can be an exciting time as they pick out the box of Crayons that has the most colors in it, lay out the plans for how they want to decorate their lockers or maybe they are starting their final year of high school before moving on to college or out into the real world.

As parents of children with type 1 diabetes (T1D), there are other factors to take into consideration – like how to partner with the school in support of your child and ensure their safety in the classroom. We want to make sure you know about upcoming opportunities and resources for both you and the school!

School Advisory Toolkit
Breakthrough T1D has put together a comprehensive guide that offers collaborative methods for educators and parents of children with T1D to ensure that every child enjoys the best possible school experience. You can request a copy of the toolkit as a resource to use during planning.

Safe at School
In partnership with Hackensack University Medical Center and the American Diabetes Association (ADA), we are excited to be able to offer “Safe at School” on August 20^th at 6:00 PM at the John Theurer Cancer Center.  Learn key information about the Safe at School Campaign, including strategies to overcome school diabetes challenges, federal and state legal protections, written care plans and key resources for families and schools.  This program is open to the public and is free of charge, however, registration is required.

The ADA also provides a number of on-line resources, including sample 504 Plans on their website.

Resources for Nurses
Camp Nejeda, The Pediatric Specialty Center of Saint Barnabas Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia are each offering education opportunities for school nurses who care for children with T1D. We want to make sure you know about these offerings so you can share it with your school nurse!

Camp Nejeda Professional Development Program

The Pediatric Specialty Center of Saint Barnabas Medical Center

Diabetes Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Other Online Resources
Here are some other online resources that we want to make sure you know about!

WeAreTeachers is an online source for Educators. Amongst their resources is a “13 Things All Teachers Should Know about Type 1 Diabetes”.

There are also educational videos on YouTube, including “Breakthrough T1D Type 1 Diabetes 101” that can be shared with teachers or school staff who may not be familiar with T1D.

Pinterest is also full of ideas for classroom kits to hold snacks and supplies.

What are your favorite resources? Share with us and each other!