Lions grant provides diabetes education for Delaware schools

Thanks to a grant from the Lions Clubs International Foundation, diabetes training is available for all Delaware public and non-public schools. Training is open to all school nurses, staff and contractors, as well as parents of children living with diabetes.

Lions Empowering School Nurses for Children with Diabetes is a partnership among the Delaware Lions Clubs District 22-D, the Delaware Department of Education and the Delaware Diabetes Coalition.

“We’re so excited to partner with the Delaware Lions Clubs District 22-D and the Delaware Department of Education on this breakthrough virtual educational opportunity for all Delaware school nurses, staff and parents,” said Sara Bluhm, Delaware Diabetes Coalition executive director. “To be able to provide such valuable learning content at no cost to the education system, at a time when students are being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at a never-before-seen rate, is a lifesaver for those educators who are with these children five days a week.”

The project arose when a Delaware school nurse, who has a son living with Type 1 diabetes, saw the need for readily available diabetes education for school nurses and staff in Delaware. She approached the Delaware Diabetes Coalition and the Lions Club with Salus Education’s training program, Diabetes Care at School: Bridging the Gap. Together, they partnered with the Delaware Department of Education and applied for a grant through the Lions Club International Foundation to fund every Delaware school’s access to the training for two years.

“The Lions Clubs of Delaware are thrilled to partner with the Delaware Diabetes Coalition and the Delaware Department of Education to help bring this unique training program to the schools,” said John Monahan, Lions District 22-D diabetes chair. “Since diabetes is identified as one of the five world causes for Lions Clubs International, local Lions Clubs and their members will support and promote this initiative, and do what we can to improve the lives of those living with diabetes.”

Three levels of training are available, including a six-hour CE-eligible training for school nurses and a 30-minute optional training for non-nursing staff. For more information, Delaware school staff members may go to dediabetescoalition.org or email Aimee Hastings, nurse facilitator, at aimee@dediabetescoalition.org.

Type 1 diabetes is an incurable, unpreventable disease that causes the body to stop producing insulin. People living with Type 1 diabetes must monitor their blood glucose with finger sticks several times a day or wear a continuous glucose monitor. They must inject insulin into their bodies according to their blood glucose, eating and exercise. Medical technology is evolving rapidly to assist in the management.

More than 300 students in the Delaware school system are living with Type 1 diabetes, according to the Delaware School Nurse Documentation System. School nurses and staff play a large role in assisting with the management of these students living with diabetes; therefore, it is essential for school nurses and school staff to have access to appropriate and current diabetes education, so they are prepared for different methods of care and treatment for students in their care.