A strong focus of the presentation is on risk minimisation and the consequences of careless or high-risk activities such as dangerous driving or diving into shallow waters.The SpinChat program is now in its third year, and has visited over 40,000 Victorian secondary students so far.
**The facts**
The statistics around spinal cord injury reveal just how important programs such as SpinChat are for secondary school students:
- Those at highest risk of suffering a spinal cord injury are aged between 15-24 years old (80% male, 20% female)
- The most common causes of spinal cord injury are preventable
- There is no cure for a spinal cord injury
- 350 to 400 new cases of spinal cord injury are reported in Australia each year; that’s more than one every day
With high school students amongst those at highest risk of acquiring a spinal cord injury, the SpinChat program aims to convey to students the only way to prevent a spinal cord injury is to minimise risk.
**What to expect**
Typically, a SpinChat session lasts between 45-60 minutes. However this can be tailored to suit your specific timetable requirements. Sessions include a short introductory DVD, the speaker sharing their personal story and experiences of spinal cord injury, and time for questions from students. Accompanying the program is a teacher’s pack containing extension activities, a speaker biography and further information about spinal cord injury.
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