Every child wants the same thing at school – to be accepted by his or her peers. But for children with burn injuries – especially visible burn injuries – the acceptance that means so much for them is not always there. Children often tease a burn-injured child to the point that the child no longer wants to go to school. This ultimately affects self-esteem and overall academic performance. In addition, many of the children do not feel comfortable talking about their injury and need some assistance when talking to other classmates.
The primary focus of the program is to instill in the other children that just because someone's skin looks different from their own, it doesn't mean they are a bad person, unable to have friends, or participate in school activities. The program teaches children that it's O.K. to be friends with a burn survivor. The program is conducted by a Burn Institute staff member, and lasts approximately 45-minutes. Prior to the session, it is determined if the burn survivor child will be present during the presentation or if they will go home early that day. If they choose to participate, they are asked to talk a little about what happened to them.
The Burn Institute’s School Re-Entry Program is designed to:
At age 4, Madeline Rogge fell into a fire pit at the beach. She sustained serious burn injuries and was left with visible scars. When she entered the first grade at age 6, her classmates began to tease her about the scars on her legs. Shortly thereafter, a Burn Institute health educator visited Madeline’s school and gave a 45-minute school re-entry presentation to Madeline’s classmates. During the presentation, the educator also spoke to the children about the dangers of fire and how to “Stop, Drop, and Roll, Cool, and Call. Madeline’s teachers said the session was especially helpful in teaching her classmates about what Madeline’s scars were, and how she got them. They reported that after the re-entry program, the teasing stopped.
To schedule a School Re-Entry Session, please call the Burn Institute at (858) 541-2277.
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