Ayu Khoirotul Umaroh, S.K.M., M.K.M., a Public Health lecturer at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS), deftly tapped the screen of her smartphone. As she pointed to an icon, Ayu walked through the features and content of the School Heroes app, explaining each one in detail.
The School Heroes app empowers Indonesian students to take on a frontline role in peer health. Its goal is to equip students with skills in first aid and preventive health practices to create a safer, healthier school environment. The app’s first trial took place at SMP Muhammadiyah 1 Wonosobo in Central Java.
The School Heroes app offers two main features: health material and health evaluation. The health material feature covers two key topics: disease prevention and behavior change and first aid in accidents.
The disease prevention and behavior change topic includes five subtopics: the impact of smoking and secondhand smoke, reproductive health, mental health, student ergonomics, and dengue fever prevention.
The first aid in accidents topic includes five subtopics: choking, nosebleeds, fainting, burns, and fractures. “We want school children to have the confidence to assist their peers in emergencies,” said Ayu on Tuesday (15/10/2024).
Emergency services include contact numbers for ambulances, fire departments, and the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB). “Wonosobo is prone to landslides, so we have included the BNPB number as well,” she added.
Each subtopic includes an explanation in simple, student-friendly language, with some even featuring video explanations to enhance understanding.
The School Heroes app includes a feature called "Zine," designed to publish student-created content focused on health topics within the school environment.
Ayu explained that the idea for School Heroes arose from a noticeable gap in training for school community members on maintaining health within the school setting. This need aligns with Article 97 of Law Number 17 of 2023 on Health, which emphasizes that school health efforts should include health education, health services, and the promotion of a healthy school environment.
“The program exists, but students and teachers are only aware of school health basics, they haven’t fully mastered it,” added the UMS Rankings Strategist.
Ayu then gathered fellow lecturers to form the P2AD (Community Service for the Association/AUM/Guided Village) Service Team at Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS). The team includes UMS Public Health lecturers Sheena Ramadhia Asmara Dhani, S.K.M., M.K.K.K., Yeni Indriyani, S.K.M., M.P.H., and Sri Indra Kurnia, S.K.M., M.P.H, along with UMS Nursing lecturer Wita Oktaviana, M.Kep. Sp.Kep.J. Ayu also involved 10 Public Health students from UMS to join the initiative.
With a P2AD service grant of IDR 17.5 million, Ayu and her team launched the School Heroes initiative. Their first survey took place at Sekolah Menengah Pertama Muhammadiyah 1 Wonosobo, Central Java, on October 3–4, 2024.
On the first day of service, the team explained first aid efforts in the school environment. The students were asked to read and test the content of the School Heroes app. They also had to make a video simulation of first aid. “So that students really play a role in first aid,” said Ayu, who is also the head of the team.
On the second day, the team focused on disease prevention and behavior change. Students were then tasked with creating a magazine using source material from the app. They were also invited to share their feedback on the app and their experiences with the School Heroes program.
The choice to focus on junior high school students was intentional. Ayu explained that junior high students are at an ideal stage, as they are transitioning into adolescence. This sets them apart from elementary school children, who are not yet mature enough and typically do not have full access to gadgets.
“High school students are more mature, so the material isn’t suitable for School Heroes. It’s more focused on being agents of change,” he added.
Ayu Khoirotul Umaroh presenting School Heroes in front of SMP Muhammadiyah 1 Wonosobo students. UMS PR
When asked about future plans, Ayu mentioned that the application her team developed still requires significant improvements. These include enhancing audio and video materials that haven’t been displayed, gathering student-created magazine content, and compiling student-produced videos along with their subtitles.
She planned to visit other schools to cultivate new health heroes within the school environment. She also aimed to collaborate with organizations such as the Indonesian Family Planning Association (PKBI) to raise awareness about reproductive health and the Centre for School Nutrition Health Movement at UMS to promote the importance of student nutrition.
“School Heroes won’t stop in Wonosobo, it will expand to other schools,” Ayu said.
The School Heroes app is scheduled for official launch next week, and students will be able to download it from the Google Play Store.
Writer: Gede Arga Adrian
Editor: Al Habiib Josy Asheva
Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid
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