Date
18 November 2024

Raise community awareness of brain injury and its effects

Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Review leadership and governance responsibilities’

Connect to te ao Māori knowledge

Connect to te ao Māori knowledge

Consider how the principles of Te Waka Oranga could be applied in your own context.

Use the curriculum to develop opportunities

Use the curriculum to develop opportunities

Take a creative approach to building children and young people’s understanding of brain injury.

  • Role-play activities and stories
  • Units of study within the health and physical education curriculum
  • Projects and inquiries that inspire passion
  • Units of study related to forces in science or physics
  • Units of study related to how the brain works
  • Student and/or teacher inquiry projects focussed on brain injury and how to support recovery

Plan and promote specific events

Plan and promote specific events

Consider how you can use these approaches to connect with and inform all members of your community.

  • Series of articles in a newsletter
  • Set up an information table at sports events and community fair days
  • Plan a social media campaign or write a series of blog posts for your website
  • Promote Brain awareness week through your school blog or website and use it as a springboard for discussion
  • Organise partnership events with Brain Injury New Zealand or Headway
  • Information evenings
  • Workshop with local iwi
  • Workshop with local sports coaches

Make use of online resources

Make use of online resources

Share this video and resources explaining concussion and what to do with: coaches, educators, parents, and teen athletes.

Note, this is a US resource but it translates easily.

Video hosted on Youtube http://youtu.be/_5hlm3FRFYU

Reflection questions

Reflection questions

To effectively raise awareness of your diverse community, consider how you will:

  • value cultural and community knowledge
  • reflect both te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā
  • connect learning to the curriculum
  • provide information in multiple ways to ensure everyone has access
  • include opportunities for discussion
  • seek out and make space for diverse perspectives
  • utilise local and international research
  • provide access to up-to-date resources and materials
  • partner with local support agencies.

Useful resources

Useful resources

Te Whare o Oro thumbnail

Te Whare o Oro

A mātauranga Māori framework for understanding the roro (brain). Includes a chapter on adapting Te Whare o Oro for specific neurodivergence and trauma.

Publisher: Te Atawhai o Te Ao Charitable Trust

Visit website

Website

Concussion: Recognise the signs

This section of the ACC SportSmart website provides information about recognising the signs of concussion.

Publisher: ACC New Zealand

Visit website

Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Review leadership and governance responsibilities”:

Return to the guide “Supporting learners with acquired brain injury”

Guide to Index of the guide: Acquired brain injury and learning

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