This educational handbook dedicated to preparedness therefore provides tools, content, and methodologies to support educators in a task that is essential today: teaching young people to understand risks and to respond safely, thereby contributing to the development of a culture of prevention and resilience throughout Malta.
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Let’s Prepare for… Disasters! A practical Handbook to talking about Risk Prevention with Children and Adolescents
General Information
SYNERGIES Project through Save the Children Italia
This handbook is a practical tool designed to help educators in Malta teach children and adolescents about disaster preparedness—especially earthquakes—through engaging, inclusive, and age-appropriate activities. Based on the Feel Safe methodology developed by Save the Children Italy, it offers a structured learning pathway (Explore–Experience–Participate), ready-to-use exercises, and guidance on addressing both the technical and emotional dimensions of emergencies. It supports diverse learners, encourages family and community involvement, and helps young people develop essential competencies such as critical thinking, cooperation, emotional regulation, and responsible decision-making. Ultimately, the handbook aims to strengthen a culture of safety and resilience across Maltese schools and communities.
This handbook was created within the activities of SYNERGIES Project to support teachers and educators in Malta in strengthening disaster preparedness among children and adolescents. Although Malta is often seen as a calm and safe island, the country is exposed to a variety of natural and human-induced hazards, including earthquakes, floods, fires, tsunamis, and the effects of climate change. Recent seismic activity in Malta, coupled with the population’s low perception of risk, highlights the clear need to prepare younger generations to recognise hazards, act safely, and contribute to a more resilient society. Schools and non-formal educational environments are essential in this process. Educators, through everyday relationships with children and adolescents, can play a central role in building awareness, reducing fear and misinformation, and promoting safe behaviours. This handbook provides practical guidance, activities, and a child-centred pedagogical approach to help educators fulfil this role.
Needs Addressed
The handbook addresses the lack of structured, accessible, and age-appropriate preparedness education in Malta, which results in insufficient risk awareness, inadequate emergency skills, and a weak culture of prevention and resilience. The handbook aims to close this gap by equipping educators with tools and methods to teach preparedness effectively.
The handbook focuses on children, who are especially vulnerable to disasters and benefit from age-appropriate, engaging preparedness education. It also addresses the needs of the migrant population, ensuring activities are inclusive and culturally sensitive, and of children with disabilities, providing guidance to adapt exercises and materials so all learners can participate safely and effectively.
The handbook is designed to introduce children and adolescents to disaster preparedness, teaching them fundamental knowledge, safe behaviours, and emotional coping skills. It focuses on building awareness and practical skills in everyday educational settings.
The purpose of engagement in this handbook is to actively involve children and adolescents in disaster preparedness, helping them become aware of hazards, develop safe behaviours, manage emotions, and build confidence and resilience. By participating in interactive activities, learners gain not only knowledge but also social and civic skills, fostering a sense of responsibility toward themselves, their peers, and their communities.
The method of engagement is youth-centred and experiential, following the Feel Safe methodology’s three stages: Explore (raising awareness through games, stories, and discussions), Experience (practicing skills via simulations and hands-on activities), and Participate (taking responsibility through peer education, campaigns, and community involvement). Activities are inclusive, age-appropriate, and adaptable, ensuring that all learners, regardless of background or ability, can meaningfully engage and apply what they learn.
The handbook actively engages children and adolescents in practicing safe behaviours, making decisions, and taking responsibility for preparedness, moving beyond passive awareness or understanding but not reaching full collaborative decision-making.
The handbook ensures that preparedness education goes beyond individual lessons. Children and adolescents gain the knowledge and confidence to act safely during emergencies while developing resilience, responsibility, and civic awareness that benefit their families, schools, and communities. This approach turns preparedness into an ongoing, practical practice, embedding safety and resilience into everyday life rather than treating them as isolated lessons.
Hazard Type
Geographical Scope - Nuts
Geographical Scope
Population Size
Population Density
Vulnerable Groups
Governance
Emergency Preparedness
Infrastructure Readiness
Engagement Level
Empowerment Level
Implementation
This handbook is Malta’s first structured resource for teaching disaster preparedness in schools, developed in response to needs identified through consultations with educators, authorities and community organizations. It uses a youth-centred, participatory Explore–Experience–Participate approach, combining practical simulations, inclusive activities for diverse learners, and emotional, social, and civic skill developme
English
- Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability, Malta
- Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector, Malta
- Agenzija Zghazagh, Malta
- Adapt activities to learners’ age, abilities, and backgrounds; organize materials, space, and schedule; coordinate with staff, families, and community partners.
- Conduct education activities, starting from raising awareness of hazards and risks through interactive stories, discussions, and games (Explore), practicing safe behaviours and developing skills like teamwork, problem-solving, and emotional regulation through hands-on exercises and simulations (Experience) and taking an active role in peer education, school safety campaigns, or community initiatives, reflecting on and applying what they have learned (Participate).
- Assess learning outcomes and skills; collect feedback from learners and educators to improve future activities.
- Embed preparedness into regular school routines and extracurricular programs; engage families and the community to reinforce long-term learning.
The handbook’s activities require a combination of internal school resources (teachers, classrooms, basic materials) and external support (guidance from families, community organizations, youth groups, or occasional digital tools). This mixed approach ensures sustainability, inclusivity, and adaptability while allowing schools to implement the program effectively with local and external contributions.