We believe in Seizure Smart Communities

At the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota, we work to educate, connect and empower people all across Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota. While we have offices in St. Cloud, Duluth, Rochester, Fargo and the Twin Cities - we work to reach all communities across the state.

Our Seizure Smart Communities Initiative includes making all communities of 15,000 people or more in rural Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota “Seizure Smart” by the end of 2011. 

In 2009, the following six cities were certified as “Seizure Smart”:  St. Cloud, Duluth, Rochester, Fargo, Moorhead and Willmar.

In 2010, we will add four more communities to our Seizure Smart Initiative:  Alexandria, Austin, Hibbing and Grand Forks, ND.

A "Seizure Smart Community" includes:

Seizure Smart Schools --- working with school nurses, teachers, administrators, parents and kids to educate our schools and to make the school environment the best possible for our students with seizures.

Seizure Recognition & Response Trainings throughout the community – ensuring that people in the community know how to recognize and respond to a seizure.

Local Leaders – including police and fire departments, Mayor and City Leaders, key employers, hospitals and clinics, and organizations that serve seniors.

Media -- local media plays a key role in raising awareness of epilepsy throughout the community.

Volunteers – volunteers are so important to keep the message and awareness of epilepsy and seizures going throughout the year.
 

For more information about Seizure Smart Communities, please contact Vicki Kopplin at vkopplin@efmn.org.