This semester, Charleston Promise Neighborhood (CPN) piloted the American Lung Association’s award-winning Open Airways For Schools program at the Chicora School of Communications. Children that complete the program should be able to take more steps to manage their asthma, know how to properly use asthma medication, improve their school performance, and have fewer and less severe asthma episodes. Parents of the children participating in other schools have also reported taking more steps to help manage their children’s asthma. Anita Romeo, Chicora’s School Nurse, and our Health Literacy Specialist, Pam Willrodt, adapted this program to incorporate into the school’s P.E. class. Anita teaches children ages 8-11 with asthma how to detect warning signs of asthma, avoid triggers and make decisions about their health.
We anticipate declines in symptoms, reports of fewer absences from asthma, and other positive results! The Open Airways program will be adopted in all four CPN schools to ensure a healthier 2013-2014 school year!