FASD-Bridge Partners Mark World FASD Awareness Day 2026

This year, FASD-Bridge partners once again joined the international community in marking World FASD Awareness Day on 9 September, helping to increase understanding of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and the consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure.

“Knowledge Makes a Difference!” – Klaipėda University Hospital

To mark World FASD Awareness Day, Klaipėda University Hospital launched a social awareness campaign entitled “Knowledge Makes a Difference!”, inviting school communities across Klaipėda to get involved.

The response was inspiring: seven schools joined the initiative, bringing the FASD awareness message into their communities in creative and engaging ways. Students and teachers wore red shoes and other red elements, created posters and installations, took photographs and produced short videos. They also shared FASD awareness messages within their schools and through social media: Seven schools, one shared message: knowledge, awareness and responsible choices can make a difference.

The following schools took part in the campaign:

Klaipėdos Ernesto Galvanausko profesinio mokymo centras
Klaipėdos technologijų mokymų centras
Klaipėdos jūrų kadetų gimnazija
Klaipėdos Litorinos mokykla
Klaipėdos “Aukuro” gimnazija
Klaipėdos „Varpo“ gimnazija
Klaipėdos „Aitvaro“ gimnazija

We are grateful to all the schools, students, teachers and partners who embraced the initiative. It was wonderful to see how one simple idea grew into a much broader community awareness campaign.

The initiative also received wider public attention. FASD Platform (https://fasd.lt/) supported and shared the campaign, and information about FASD, the FASD-Bridge project and Klaipėda University Hospital’s initiative was featured in the Lithuanian national media, as well as online media.

Foundation for Family – raising awareness in red

The Foundation for Family also marked World FASD Awareness Day, with team members wearing red shoes – an internationally recognised symbol used to raise the visibility of FASD and promote greater public awareness.

Their photograph is another reminder of how a simple, visible gesture can help start conversations and draw attention to the importance of understanding FASD and the consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure.

Together, these activities demonstrate how FASD-Bridge partners are helping to bring FASD awareness beyond the project itself – into schools, communities and the wider public.

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This year, Klaipėda University Hospital initiated a social awareness campaign entitled “Knowledge Makes a Difference!”, inviting school communities to join the International FASD Awareness Day on 9 September.

We were very pleased with the response – seven schools in Klaipėda joined the initiative. Students and teachers used red shoes and other red elements, created posters, installations, photos and short videos, and shared FASD awareness messages within their school communities and on social media. I believe, we could share the initiative on the website “Seven schools, one shared message: knowledge, awareness and responsible choices can make a difference”. We are very grateful to all the schools and partners who joined us – it was wonderful to see how one simple idea developed into a much broader community awareness initiative.

Here is the list of schools that joined the initiative:

Klaipėdos Ernesto Galvanausko profesinio mokymo centras
Klaipėdos technologijų mokymų centras
Klaipėdos jūrų kadetų gimnazija
Klaipėdos Litorinos mokykla
Klaipėdos “Aukuro” gimnazija
Klaipėdos „Varpo“ gimnazija
Klaipėdos „Aitvaro“ gimnazija

The Foundation for Family also marked the day, as shown in this photograph of team members wearing red shoes – a symbol representing the need to raise awareness of the consequences of prenatal exposure to alcohol