Sweet Subject
"Sweet Subject" is a signature program of the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi that offers Mississippi schools and daycare facilities the opportunity to earn Continuing Education Units (CEU) by attending a DFM school presentation.
The program is free for schools and daycare centers around the state. The goal of "Sweet Subject" is to educate teachers and school staff on how to recognize and handle emergencies in the school setting and care for children with diabetes. The DFM provides the schools with an emergency box containing blood-glucose testing supplies with information and items for treating hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia for their students.
Informing Mississippi's school educators about recognizing and treating high and low blood sugar emergencies can help Mississippi's educators save a student's life. Understanding the complications associated with diabetes equips educators with the knowledge base to reach out to students with diabetes and understand the students' needs with diabetes. "Sweet Subject" is a life-saving program offered at no charge to all schools with children with diabetes.
"In spite of it being an optional program, and it was great to see that probably more than two-thirds of the school's teachers– even the ones who aren't in contact with Hayden– were interested in learning more about diabetes and about how to better understand their students with the disease," said the mom of 8-year-old Hayden who was recently diagnosed with diabetes. "The teachers seemed better prepared and more comfortable– they learned a lot from it."
"The program has answered many questions that we all had about diabetes and helping those with diabetes," she said. "It went great."
Feel free to view and download our handy Quick Reference Emergency Form
Dr. Ponder's Corner
Dr. Stephen Ponder, MD, FAAP, CDE, is a pediatric endocrinologist at the Driscoll Children's Hospital Diabetes and Endocrine Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. He has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 40 years. A Certified Diabetes Educator since 1989, Dr. Ponder has served on the National Certified Board of Diabetes Educators (NCBDE) since 1994 and was the organization's chair in 1996. He was a featured speaker at the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi's sold-out Super Conference. Dr. Ponder has dedicated his professional career to the improvement of diabetes-related outcomes through education of patients and health-care professionals, and is recognized nationally and internationally as a leader in diabetes care.
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When parents, children and school staff have done their homework, children with diabetes will be able to enjoy school to the fullest without undue worry or restriction. To help implement this program at your child's school or for more information, please call (601) 957-7878 or toll free 1-877-DFM-CURE.
