Editorial Note

This article examines an educational event held October 13, 2026, in Thanh Hoa Province and reported by Vietnam Times on October 16.

The event involved educational demonstrations, public awareness activities, and support for families affected by natural disasters. Statements about future expansion and expected benefits should not be treated as evidence that new programs have already been implemented nationwide. The article focuses on documented activities and their potential educational applications.

The Bottom Line

Save the Children International and Hong Duc University organized a disaster preparedness education event in Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam, on October 13, 2026.

The initiative brought together students, education representatives, and community organizations to promote practical skills for understanding natural disasters and climate-related risks.

According to Vietnam Times, the event highlighted educational models intended to help learners recognize hazards, evaluate their consequences, and prepare more effectively for emergencies.

The event also showcased Hong Duc University's Climate Change Education Centre and provided financial assistance to families of students affected by recent natural disasters.

The initiative illustrates how universities, schools, and community organizations can cooperate to build disaster awareness while supporting educational continuity.

What Happened?

The October 13 event was organized to recognize the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Save the Children International worked with Hong Duc University to deliver educational activities and demonstrate approaches to climate and disaster preparedness.

Participants explored scientific concepts related to climate change, natural hazards, and community resilience.

The program emphasized the importance of giving students practical knowledge rather than limiting disaster education to theoretical explanations.

Representatives from education and civil defense institutions also discussed the importance of early preparedness and the role of schools in protecting learners.

The event connected disaster preparedness with a broader educational objective: helping students understand risks and develop skills they can apply within their homes, schools, and communities.

Understanding the Climate Change Education Centre

Hong Duc University's Climate Change Education Centre was highlighted as an example of practical environmental education.

According to Vietnam Times, the center features learning areas addressing the greenhouse effect, carbon cycles, temperature changes, and environmental hazards.

Students can also examine climate scenarios affecting Vietnam and Thanh Hoa Province.

Activities involve topics such as flooding, drought, soil erosion, and saltwater intrusion.

The center includes interactive educational tools and spaces for discussing environmental responses.

Hands-on demonstrations include renewable energy models, recycling equipment, and experiments illustrating environmental processes.

These resources support an approach in which students learn scientific concepts and connect them to real-world decisions.

From Knowledge to Action

One of the notable features of the center's educational model is its four-stage approach:

Awareness → Empathy → Choice → Action

The first stage helps students understand relevant environmental concepts and hazards.

The empathy stage encourages learners to consider how natural disasters affect different populations, including children, older adults, and economically vulnerable communities.

The choice stage involves evaluating possible responses for effectiveness, practicality, and fairness.

Finally, the action stage asks learners to translate knowledge into projects or activities that can benefit their communities.

This structure may be useful for educators because it connects academic learning with civic responsibility and problem-solving.

Students are encouraged not only to understand environmental risks, but also to think critically about possible responses.

Why Disaster Education Matters

Natural disasters can disrupt school attendance, damage buildings, destroy learning materials, and create significant financial burdens for families.

Floods and severe storms may also affect transportation, electricity, drinking water, communications, and access to healthcare.

For schools, preparedness involves more than having an evacuation map.

Administrators must understand local hazards and coordinate with emergency management agencies, families, and community organizations.

Teachers need age-appropriate materials that help students identify risks without encouraging unnecessary fear.

Educational continuity plans should also consider how instruction can resume when schools become inaccessible or families are displaced.

Supporting Students After Disasters

The event included direct assistance for students whose families had experienced disaster-related losses.

According to Vietnam Times, Save the Children International and Hong Duc University presented symbolic gifts to 30 students from Hong Duc Primary, Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary School.

Each family received VND1 million to assist with recovery and help students continue their education.

Although financial assistance cannot address every consequence of a natural disaster, it can reduce immediate barriers to school participation.

Families may need support replacing school supplies, covering transportation, repairing essential belongings, or managing expenses associated with displacement.

Connecting educational preparedness with family assistance recognizes that disaster resilience depends on economic and social conditions as well as individual knowledge.

What Schools Can Learn From Vietnam's Approach

The Thanh Hoa event offers several ideas that schools can consider adapting to their own circumstances.

First, disaster education should reflect local risks. A coastal school may need different preparation from a school located near wildfire-prone forests or earthquake hazards.

Second, instructional activities should emphasize practical decisions. Students may benefit from learning how to interpret warnings, identify trusted information, and understand family emergency plans.

Third, schools should include students in age-appropriate preparedness initiatives.

Young people can participate in awareness campaigns, environmental projects, classroom discussions, and community education activities.

Fourth, schools should collaborate with universities, emergency management professionals, and organizations experienced in disaster response.

Finally, preparedness planning should consider children with disabilities, language barriers, transportation challenges, and families facing economic hardship.

What This Does Not Mean

The event does not establish that all Vietnamese schools have adopted the same educational model.

It also does not confirm that the Climate Change Education Centre has been replicated nationwide.

The documented activities demonstrate one example of educational cooperation and student engagement.

Claims about expansion, implementation, and outcomes would require additional evidence.

The Bigger Picture

Climate and disaster education increasingly intersects with school safety, educational equity, and community development.

Schools are not responsible for preventing natural disasters, but they can help students understand hazards and improve readiness.

Preparedness programs are especially valuable when they are connected to credible scientific information and official emergency guidance.

Universities can contribute research expertise and instructional resources, while nonprofit organizations may provide community networks and support for vulnerable families.

A coordinated approach can make disaster education more practical than isolated classroom lessons.

What Happens Next?

The organizations involved have indicated continued interest in strengthening disaster preparedness and resilient learning environments.

Future developments worth monitoring include additional school partnerships, expanded student training, and evidence showing whether educational activities improve preparedness.

For policymakers and education leaders, the most useful information will concern program reach, accessibility, implementation costs, and measurable student outcomes.

Why This Matters

The initiative demonstrates that school safety education can include environmental hazards, emergency readiness, and community resilience.

Disaster preparedness should not be treated solely as a response undertaken after an emergency has occurred.

When schools integrate scientific understanding, practical activities, and family support, students are better positioned to understand risks and participate in appropriate safety planning.

Key Takeaways

• Save the Children International and Hong Duc University organized an educational event on October 13 in Thanh Hoa Province.
• The event focused on disaster preparedness and climate education.
• Hong Duc University's Climate Change Education Centre uses interactive learning activities.
• The educational model follows Awareness, Empathy, Choice, and Action.
• Thirty students' families received VND1 million each in assistance.
• The program illustrates the value of coordination between universities, schools, and nonprofit organizations.
• Its wider adoption and long-term outcomes have not yet been established by the reporting reviewed.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the event occur?

The event took place October 13, 2026, and was reported by Vietnam Times on October 16.

Who organized it?

Save the Children International coordinated with Hong Duc University.

What did students learn?

Activities covered climate change, natural hazards, environmental science, and practical approaches to disaster preparedness.

Did families receive financial assistance?

Yes. The report describes assistance for 30 students' families affected by natural disasters.

Is this now a nationwide Vietnamese program?

The reporting reviewed does not establish nationwide implementation.

Final Thoughts

The disaster preparedness initiative in Thanh Hoa demonstrates how universities and community organizations can make safety education more practical and meaningful for students.

Its emphasis on scientific learning, community awareness, and assistance for vulnerable families provides a useful model for discussion beyond Vietnam.

The long-term measure of success will be whether educational initiatives help schools and families prepare more effectively while ensuring students can continue learning when disasters occur.

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Sources

Vietnam Times — Bringing Disaster Preparedness Skills into Schools (October 16, 2026; event October 13)

https://vietnamtimes.thoidai.com.vn/bringing-disaster-preparedness-skills-into-schools-759236.html