The Epilepsy Foundation has recently announced a five-year collaboration with Vector Solutions, the leading provider of training and software solutions for K-12 and higher education institutions, to offer the Epilepsy Foundation’s Seizure Recognition & First Aid Certification training in the Vector Safety and Compliance Course Library, according to an official statement.
The statement further stated that the association would provide an easy and convenient way for educators and school personnel contracted with Vector to take the seizure first aid training to serve their students better.
Speaking on the partnership, Brandy Fureman, PhD, Chief Outcomes Officer of Epilepsy Foundation, said:
Our collaboration with Vector will give school personnel — who are required by state laws to take seizure first aid training — a place to do so quickly and effectively through a familiar learning portal. In addition, it will expand access to our seizure first aid training to school systems around the country using Vector’s platform. Our end goal is to have a seizure-safe nation where everyone who has a seizure feels safe, no matter where they are. This partnership is a stepstone toward that goal.
The Epilepsy Foundation aims to lead the fight to overcome the challenges of living with epilepsy and to accelerate therapies to stop seizures, find cures, and save lives. For over 50 years, the Foundation has shone a light on epilepsy by promoting awareness and understanding, advocating for laws that matter to people with epilepsy, and funding epilepsy research. It has helped to improve access to care for people with epilepsy and expanded its digital reach and online resources in homes across the country. It has trained more than 600,000 people in seizure recognition and first aid. The Epilepsy Foundation continues to focus on serving the epilepsy community through advocacy, education, direct services and research for new therapies.
In 2018, Kentucky led the charge to pass the nation’s first-ever law requiring school personnel to complete seizure recognition and first aid training. Since then, the Epilepsy Foundation, family advocates and partner organizations have been working to pass similar Seizure Safe Schools legislation nationwide. The model Seizure Safe Schools legislation has five components; one requires all school personnel, including school nurses and teachers, to complete training to recognize and respond appropriately and efficiently to students experiencing seizures. Almost half of the states have passed some form of Seizure Safe Schools legislation.
Epilepsy is the most common severe brain disorder worldwide with no age, racial, social class, national or geographic boundaries. The US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention estimates that 3.4 million people in the United States are affected by the illness; it is the underlying tendency of the brain to produce seizures which are sudden abnormal bursts of electrical energy that disrupt brain functions.
Rob Buelow, General Manager of Education, Vector Solutions, added:
We are excited to collaborate with the Epilepsy Foundation to deliver its training through our online learning management system. The safety and well-being of students are paramount, and educators must be adequately equipped to address the unique needs of all students. Through this partnership, K-12 and higher education staff nationwide will be empowered to serve their students and ensure their health and safety.
For years, the Epilepsy Foundation has partnered with the CDC to build nationwide programs to ensure school personnel, first responders, seniors, caregivers, and the public are better trained to recognize seizures and administer first aid. Its seizure first aid training provides information to increase knowledge, skills, and confidence in identifying seizures and safely helping seizure first aid.
One can get more information about the Epilepsy Foundation’s seizure first aid training through its website. The pieces of training will be available in the Vector platform later this summer, and school administrators with a current subscription will receive a notification when the activities are live.
Vector Solutions provides industry-focused solutions that connect content and technology. Its unique product set includes training and learning management, career pathing and assessment software, risk and safety management, emergency communications software, workforce scheduling and evaluations, and more. 5,000 K-12 districts trust the platform in the United States.
