Consultancy: Community Impact Study of International Youth Preparedness Program - The Pillowcase Project

The Red Cross Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC) seeks to conduct a community impact study of The Pillowcase Project– a youth preparedness program. The GDPC is interested in examining learning from the informal educational activities across two country contexts and its aim of empowering youth knowledge sharing. The long-term community impact study will examine success factors of The Pillowcase Project’s content and delivery as they contribute beyond the classroom and to the wider scope of community resilience.

The GDPC, with sponsorship from the Walt Disney Company, supported the international adaption of the American Red Cross’ The Pillowcase Project. Building off program success in the United States, the GDPC and American Red Cross developed a core curriculum allowing Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies to contextualize the project for use in their countries. Through a 60-80 minute lesson to primary school students, the program covers three core components: learning about a local hazard, practicing preparedness actions, and decorating a pillowcase as an “emergency go-bag.” Through a framework of “Learn, Practice, Share,” the pillowcase is intended as a catalyst for youth to share learning with families and communities following the presentation.

The Pillowcase Project has been implemented by seven Red Cross National Societies to date: Australia, Hong Kong, Mexico, Peru, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Vietnam. A comparative review was completed in July 2017 that focused on in-depth analysis of the adaptation of curriculum and contextualized approaches across National Society implementation. It is now of interest to examine longer-term impacts of The Pillowcase Project within the household and community, in particular regards to the “Share” focus of its framework.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine how The Pillowcase Project fostered communication between participating students and their households, teachers, and peers and the effects of the shared learning on overall community preparedness. The study allows for the review of assumptions about the impact of The Pillowcase Project and child-centered preparedness education more broadly on the awareness and sharing of preparedness actions among children and their social networks. The insights will strengthen understanding of success factors of The Pillowcase Project while contributing to the larger, growing knowledge base on the long-term impacts of child-centered preparedness education aligned with Pillars II and III of the Comprehensive School Safety Framework.

Scope of Work

The study will take place across two phases:

1. Establishing an analytical framework that identifies best approaches to assessing longer-term community impacts of The Pillowcase Project, and
2. Applying the framework to two study locations - Australia and Mexico.

Phase 1 - Development of Framework of Analysis

Drawing on existing research and impact evaluations of child-centered preparedness and resilience education, develop an analytical framework tailored to The Pillowcase Project. This phase should include interviews with program implementers, volunteers and other key informants as necessary to delineate the parameters of the analysis and identify the underlying program assumptions to be reviewed. The framework should include the following components:

• Description of methods for information gathering and analysis;
• In coordination with program implementers and managers, define time-frame for analysis;
• Establish parameter for children’s empowerment and enhanced emergency preparedness communication between students and their parents and teachers

In addition to the development of the framework, Phase 1 will include study locations of Australia and Mexico. The interest and availability of the national societies to participate in the study is to be confirmed.

Phase 2 - Application of Analytical Framework in Australia and Mexico

Using the established parameters for the analysis, Phase 2 will consist of information gathering and analysis in the previously identified study locations. The outcomes will be consolidated in an edited report.