Breaking the monotony with Green Cross School Crashers campaign

MANILA, Philippines - Learning empowers students to lead, create and change. As society changes and evolves, education rewards students with new lessons, improve their know-ledge and in time prep them to bigger challenges and responsibilities.

It will certainly be more stimulating and effective if students are given a break from the usual listen-to-lectures and take-pop-quizzes learning styles. To break the monotony, a totally different and daring learning strategy may well interest students to pay attention and learn more.

This is the essence of the Green Cross School Crashers campaign. Recently launched in most Metro Manila schools, it is Green Cross’ pioneering school initiative to bring proactive information about day and night dengue mosquitoes.

With majority of dengue cases involving children below 10 years old, it is crucial for kids to learn how they can protect themselves against dengue mosquitoes.

Breaking new ground

During the Green Cross School Crashers campaign, schoolchildren learn dengue facts in a fun and interactive way. Ms. Green, a Green Cross Insect Repellent ambassador, easily gets the attention of students as she employs conversational and friendly interactive storytelling with the children as her active participants.

One of the schools the Green Cross School Crashers visited is Paco Catholic School in Manila. Remy de Leon, a second grader, finds it amusing to see two gigantic mascots in school. She gets to meet Daytime Dengue Lamok (Aedes aegypti) and Nighttime Dengue Lamok (Aedes albopictus), the two bad school crashers. These school crashers carry dengue viruses that may put their health at great risk.

“Ms. Green introduced to us two gigantic school crashers. We learned how harmful they can be and why we should avoid them,” she recalls. “We had fun during the School Crashers campaign. Ms. Green taught us a new dance and we got the chance to groove with the school crashers.”

Children do not only learn about the harmful day and night dengue mosquitoes, but also enjoy lively discussions and fun games. They also discover how to prevent the spread of dengue and other mosquito-related diseases by helping eliminate mosquito-breeding grounds and by taking preventive measures.

“I was so eager to go home that day to share with my family what I learned from Ms. Green. I discovered that the dengue lamok lay eggs and breed even in clean water. They love to stay in uncovered water containers, empty tires and flower vases that have stagnant water inside. And mosquitoes can breed in small water holders the size of a 25-centavo coin,” she says.

Remy and the rest of her classmates get to take home a Day and Night Dengue Defense Kit, an educational brochure with dengue facts and fun activities inside.

The Dengue Defense Kit is also printed in a colorful and easy-to-read style for kids so that they will easily understand information from possible breeding grounds of mosquitoes to proven and effective dengue defense measures.

Pass the message

Research says the attention span of young learners is about seven to 10 minutes, that is, the brain will lose focus unless its attention is recaptured every seven to 10 minutes.

And with Green Cross School Crashers, students are given the opportunity to reflect on the story as it is told in a very animated approach. Indeed most students find it entertaining — it gives them a better chance to take interest — if images, new characters and sounds were used to aid in the learning process.

This gives students the opportunity not only to enjoy themselves, but also to remember the lessons and, consequently, share this new knowledge at home. Kids, for instance, may be able to pass on to their parents not only the harmful effect of the two school crashers but also tips on how to keep their homes and communities free from becoming dengue mosquito-breeding sites.

Empowering kids to protect themselves

It is the ultimate aim of the Green Cross School Crashers to equip the dengue-vulnerable age group with awareness on dengue transmission and prevention. One proven and best line of defense against dengue is the use of insect repellent lotions.

Especially formulated to give complete protection against day and night dengue mosquitoes, Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion offers up to 10 hours of protection per application.

In addition, it also gives the high level of anti-bacterial protection — proven to kill up to 99.9 percent of disease-causing germs — that the Green Cross brand is known for.

“My mommy says we will upgrade to the new Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion. I really like the fragrance as well as its non-greasy feel. I had dengue last July (2012) and we stayed in a hospital for weeks. I don’t want that to happen again,” Remy recalls.

Green Cross Insect Repellent Lotion comes in two variants: Active Protect which provides up to 10 hours of protection, and Family Protect which provides more than four hours of protection. Both are proven by experts to provide complete protection against both daytime and nighttime dengue mosquitoes. It also comes in both bottles and sachets, making it perfect to have at home or inside one’s bag.

The Green Cross School Crashers has been around various Metro Manila schools. An innovative way to teach students, teachers and parents on how to prevent and control dengue, this pioneering school activity employs an alternate teaching style that is effective in holding the interest of children.

It also boosts any student’s confidence as it gives children their own share of responsibility of protecting themselves against dengue in their schools and communities.