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Disaster Resilient Australia-New Zealand School Education Network (DRANZSEN)

The Disaster Resilient Australia-New Zealand School Education Network (DRANZSEN) is a national initiative of the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience. DRANZSEN brings together educators, emergency services, community organisations, researchers and others working with young people to develop knowledge, skills and solutions for a disaster resilient future. Through authentic learning partnerships, DRANZSEN invites young people to participate as active citizens in safe and resilient communities.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework recognises the importance of school education in developing a shared understanding of risk, and the knowledge and skills to reduce risk before, during and after a disaster. 

DRANZSEN activities are guided by the Disaster Resilient Education Strategy Group.

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Terms of Reference

Effective March 2018 (PDF 0.3MB)

Annual DRANZSEN Forums

Explore past events and proceedings

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The 2023 National DRANZSEN Forum was held face-to-face in Meanjin (Brisbane) following the Australian Disaster Resilience Conference and AFAC23.

Learn about strengths-based programs for children and young people, resilience for early childhood, why it’s important to support school leaders, the role of families following a disaster and how emergency management agencies are engaging young people. Hear from young people aged 18-24 about how they are making differences in their communities, driving new initiatives, and taking action to prepare for and respond to disasters.

Conversations and presentations from the day included:

  • In Conversation: Young peoples' perspectives on disaster resilience, Moderator: Dr Margaret Moreton, Executive Director, AIDR, Panellists: Ella Cheeseman, Youth Peer Worker, Indigo Shire Council and Sereena Zanuso, member of the headspace Lismore Young People’s Advisory Committee and School Support Worker from Northern Rivers region of NSW
  • Cairns in Your Hands, Dan Kaggelis, Head of Department Humanities & Sustainability, Smithfield State High School
  • Supporting the leaders to lead: Why support for school leaders is critical for community recovery, Kristen Douglas, Head of headspace Schools and Communities
  • DFES WA’s Disaster Resilience Education Strategy for Children and Young People, Liz Addison, Youth Strategy Research & Development Coordinator, Community Preparedness / Children & Youth Education, Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA
  • Birdie and the Northern Rivers Floods: Collaborating for resilience in early childhood, Sharleen Keleher, Project Officer, QLD Centre For Perinatal and Infant Mental Health
  • Panel Presentation: Understanding the role of families in supporting children following a disaster Moderator: Ben Rogers, Emerging Minds, Panellists: Bron Sparks, Lived experience; Sarah Eagland, Head of Community Recovery, Royal Far West; Ruby Awram, Emerging Minds; Andrea Baldwin, QLD Centre For Perinatal And Infant Mental Health
  • Climate Superpowers: a strengths-based website for and by children and young people, Phoebe Quinn, Research Fellow & PhD candidate, University of Melbourne

During the day attendees also participated in a group reflection session discussing:

  1. What has worked, or is working well, in disaster resilience education and engaging children and young people?
  2. What they need to effectively engage with children and young people
  3. What their priorities are for the next 12 months. 

You can read and download all presentations from the day here (PDF 5.89MB).

DRANZSEN Forums 2022

In 2022, DRANZSEN Forums returned to face-to-face events. Two events were held in Brisbane and Hobart.

Attendees to the Forums heard presentations on:

  • Birdie’s Tree, developed by Queensland Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health, is designed to support the mental health and emotional wellbeing of babies and young children, their parents and families, in relation to severe weather events and other natural disasters.
  • The Australian Child & Adolescent Trauma, Loss and Grief Network (ACATLGN), and their work towards building knowledge and support for and with children, hear what they have been doing with communities and schools in response to recent disasters and what they are learning along the way.
  • Girls on Fire, a not-for-profit organisation, founded in 2016 by Bronnie Mackintosh, that aims to increase the number of women in the fire service.

In addition to the presentations, a facilitated workshop was run at both forums, designed to allow attendees to brainstorm their own DRR+R program design.

View the 2022 Presenter Slides here (PDF 2.29GB)

DRANZSEN Forums 2019

The Fourth National DRANZSEN Forum as hosted in Melbourne on 30 August 2019 and brought together leading examples of disaster resilience education shared at jurisdictional DRANZSEN forums. Explore proceedings by event below.

National

30 August 2019

Victoria

1 May 2019

New South Wales

3 June 2019

Queensland

5 June 2019

Tasmania

19 June 2019

Western Australia

25 June 2019

South Australia

8 August 2019 

DRANZSEN 2019 portal

Access all event presentations

DRANZSEN Forums (2016-18)

Disaster Resilient Education Strategy Group (DRESG)

The national Disaster Resilience Education Strategy Group (DRESG) provides leadership and direction for DRANZSEN and the AIDR Education for Young People Program. Group membership includes representatives from policy, research, education and emergency management at both state/territory and national level. 

For more information on DRESG, contact AIDR.

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