BABS Publishes an Educational Module on Disasters and Emergencies for Young People
How well prepared are Swiss youth for disasters and emergencies? The Federal Office for Civil Protection (BABS) offers a practical answer to this question: With a new voluntary teaching module for schools, it provides students with concrete knowledge and practical skills—and supports teachers who wish to address the topic in their classrooms.
The Learning Unit is aimed at students between the ages of 14 and 18 and is designed to raise their awareness of disasters and emergencies in Switzerland. Students learn that the federal government conducts a national risk analysis. They gain an overview of the relevant hazards and learn how the risks are analyzed. The learning unit also highlights the measures authorities take to protect the population and what each person can do individually to help prepare for such events.
The course materials are designed for four class sessions (four learning sequences). These can be taught consecutively or separately. The materials give teachers a great deal of flexibility in adapting them to their own needs and those of their students. Each learning unit consists of a theoretical section, practical exercises, and interactive activities.
By the end of this unit, students should …
- … understand the hazards to which Switzerland is exposed, their potential consequences, and how these hazards can influence one another (cascade effects);
- … know that the federal government conducts a national risk analysis, and be able to explain why this is important and what types of hazards are analyzed in this document;
- … be able to summarize the role of government agencies in civil protection;
- … be able to describe, using examples, what each person can do to help prevent disasters and emergencies.
Strengthening Personal and Social Resilience
The goal of this learning module is to help strengthen personal and societal resilience. The goal is to improve risk perception, confidence in one’s own actions, and a sense of personal responsibility. The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BABS) also anticipates a multiplier effect: the young people who have been made aware of these issues can apply the skills they have acquired within their families, communities, and circles of friends.
The learning module is a product developed as part of the national risk analysis «Disasters and Emergencies in Switzerland (KNS)» was developed, and its latest edition was published by the BABS in March 2026. The course materials were developed by the BABS in collaboration with EBP Schweiz AG.
Schools that wish to explore the topic of disasters and emergencies in Switzerland in greater depth have the opportunity to sign up for a Safety Week (siw-sds.ch) to register.
Source: FOCP
