Virtual Classroom Presentation
October 18, 2000 -- 12:00 Noon EDT

ARC's Masters of Disaster Curriculum for K-8

Rocky Lopes, Ph.D.
Denise Brownlee
Community Disaster Education
American Red Cross National HQ

SUMMARY

Virtual Classroom Presentation
Wednesday - October 18, 2000 - 12:00 Noon EDT

ARC's Masters of Disaster Curriculum for K-8

Rocky Lopes, Ph.D., Sr. Associate
Denise Brownlee

Community Disaster Education
American Red Cross National HQ

Amy Sebring, Moderator
EIIP Technical Projects Coordinator

The EIIP Virtual Classroom featured a discussion on the American Red Cross Masters of Disaster Curriculum for grades K-8 in follow up to the International Disaster Reduction Day theme for this year.

Two guest speakers were present for the session. Dr. Rocky Lopes, Sr. Associate, and Denise Brownlee, both from the Community Disaster Education Program at American Red Cross Headquarters, provided updates on the implementation of the program and fielded a lively question and answer segment with the audience. Initial response to the program has been highly positive, as the curriculum helps teachers meet established educational requirements in academic skill areas, as opposed to establishing new requirements. Contact your local American Red Cross Chapter for further information and to order teaching kits.

ROCKY LOPES, Ph. D.
Community Disaster Education
American Red Cross National HQ

Dr. Lopes is responsible for the American Red Cross Community Disaster Education Program. In this position, he is responsible for interpreting social science research for lay-public use by designing, developing, and implementing Community Disaster Education materials and activities used by more than 125,000 paid and volunteer Red Cross staff nationwide, who collectively reach tens of millions of Americans annually. He actively works on building and maintaining coalitions with various public and private national organizations that share common educational goals. He has spoken at many national forums, and is a recipient of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's "Outstanding Public Service Award" as well as FEMA's first "Disaster Saves" Award for his leadership in disaster education activities.

Lopes has earned his undergraduate degrees in Microbiology, Linguistics, and Education from the University of Maryland at College Park and his Masters of General Administration degree from the University of Maryland University College Campus. He obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in Education and Sociology in 1989.

Lopes has been an active Red Cross volunteer since 1972 with the Prince George's County, Maryland, Chapter. Starting as a CPR and First Aid Instructor, he soon became an instructor trainer and later an instructor of instructor trainers on the national level. He continues his active involvement on the local level to this day.

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DENISE BROWNLEE
Community Disaster Education
American Red Cross National HQ

Denise Brownlee, has 13 years experience as an elementary school teacher in Kansas, Oklahoma, and most recently, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia. Ms. Brownlee holds a current license to teach grades K-8 in Virginia, with special endorsement in language arts. She began her teaching career in Kansas where she taught eighth grade followed by three years of sixth grade instruction. Ms. Brownlee was employed by the Enid Public School System, Enid, Oklahoma, as a teacher in grades K and 5. She was hired by Fairfax County Public Schools in 1994 and was an instructor in grades two, five, and six before joining the American Red Cross in April 2000. Since April she has designed and facilitated implementer's trainings for Masters of Disaster children's curriculum.

Ms. Brownlee has earned a bachelors degree in elementary education from Kansas State University. She has additional post-graduate hours in education.

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