Educating America on Extraordinary Diseases
Raising Awareness
Encouraging Tolerance
The Rare Disease United Foundation and the Rare & Undiagnosed Network would like to invite middle schools and high schools across America to join our Educating America on Extraordinary Diseases Challenge. Schools are encouraged to choose a day(s) in February 2015 to teach students about rare diseases. There are 30 million people living in the United States with a rare disease, most of them children. The direct impact of these conditions is much larger. Including caregivers, around 80 million people live with the many challenges of rare diseases, almost twice as many as living in poverty. There are over 7,000 different rare diseases, only 5% have treatments. There are no cures!
Some of the major concerns for rare patients are:● An average of 8 years to receive to the correct diagnosis ● Lack of treatment options ● Bullying ● Financial distress ● Isolation
We believe raising awareness of rare diseases is crucial to improving the lives of those living with a rare disease. Every year, on the last day of February the world recognizes World Rare Disease Day. For our Educating America Challenge, we are asking schools across the nation to pick one or more days in February 2015 to teach middle school and high school age children about rare diseases. Each school can create their own method of teaching or choose from one or more of our supplementary educational tools on rare diseases. Your students are our future parents, doctors, teachers, etc. Their knowledge of rare diseases is one of the keys to improving the lives of rare patients. Today, 1 in 10 Americans is living with a rare disease, the odds rare diseases will somehow touch their lives is great. We welcome you to participate in our Educating America Challenge. Our team will be available to assist you and help chose the best options for your school. We look forward to working with you! Please download the following files for the Educating America packet which includes an overview of the program, an application and a photo release form.
Download “Educating America Overview”
EducatingAmerica-page-01.jpg – 989 kB
Download “Educating America Application”
EducatingAmericaApplicatio-page-0.jpg – 592 kB
Download “Photo Release”
PhotoRelease-page-0.jpg – 438 kB
Source: www.rarediseaseunited.org
