In February of 2016, the foundation entered into a new frontier of stroke prevention and awareness. Since 1998, the Foundation has been focused on educating an 18+ demographic, but February saw the Foundation entering into high schools to educate the youth on the dangers of America’s top five killer. For three straight weeks the SMART Staff of the RTH Stroke Foundation entered into Anaheim High School and educated a body of four hundred ninth grade students on stroke. The first week was a summation of stroke and what causes stroke, the second week was an interactive session where the students performed activities that would make them relate to stroke and understand it, and the third week consisted of video testimony of stroke survivors.
The program received and overwhelmingly positive response and the body of four hundred students are now well versed in stroke signs and symptoms, what leads to them, and how to prevent them. The SMART Program will be returning to Anaheim in March and April with the groundwork already laid out for sessions to continue during the next school year.