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TickLES - Tick Learning and Education for Schools: An Interactive Multi-media Training Program for 4th to 8th Grade Students
Executive Summary
Lyme and other tick-borne diseases are a serious and emerging issue in the New York/New Jersey region, especially for 5 – 14 year old children who are at the highest risk for tick-borne illness. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of engaging educational materials appropriate for this group. While parents are more likely to check younger children for tick bite/attachments and signs of Lyme disease, older children are not as closely supervised and therefore should be educated in appropriate precautions and care, including the judicious and limited use of insect repellents and acaricides.
The team submitting this proposal is experienced in the development of health-related curriculum and outreach to at-risk communities and populations, including a previous PESP grant. For this project, we propose a public education program for 4th to 8th grade students with the objectives of increasing student knowledge of ticks and tick habitats, behaviors and the diseases they may spread; tick avoidance; and the appropriate response to tick bite/attachments or the signs and symptoms of tick-borne diseases (TBDs). This program will also help parents/caregivers teach children tick avoidance and decrease pesticide/repellent use.
This two-part project consists of 1) a 10 - 20-minute animated video and 2) an interactive internet adventure game that children can view and share with their friends. Using an interesting story line, they will teach the child viewers the key learning objectives.
The ultimate outcome is a decrease in the incidence of TBDs in the target population. Intermediate or proxy measures include the number of children who view the materials; visits to the website; number of participants in the game and the scores they achieve as they are tested on the learning objectives while moving through the game.