Australian students will soon have the opportunity to learn about food allergy and anaphylaxis through an interactive mystery-solving experience, designed to make allergy education more engaging, relatable and memorable for young people.
Australia has some of the highest rates of childhood food allergy in the world, with around one in 20 school-aged children living with food allergy, making it increasingly relevant that schools, families and young-people know how to manage potentially life-threatening allergies.
About the Allergy 250K game
Launched today and promoted at EDUtech 2026, the new “The Mystery of School Island” learning experience forms part of the Allergy 250K program. Allergy 250K was originally established to support the estimated 250,000 young Australians aged 12-24 years, living with severe allergy.
The Mystery of School Island was developed by the National Allergy Council, a partnership between Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia and the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA), funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
Developed with input from teachers, Year 6 and 7 students and a curriculum writer, the experience is Australia’s first curriculum-aligned allergy education game. Students solve the mystery behind a student’s allergic reaction while learning how to recognise allergic reactions, respond appropriately, avoid risky behaviours like sharing food, and understand common food allergens and how to ready food labels.
Who is the Allergy 250K game for?
The game was specifically developed for students in Years 6 and 7 - a key transition period when children move from the more structured environment of primary school into the increased independence of high school.
Dr Sandra Vale, National Allergy Council CEO, said the allergy education game responds directly to feedback from young people living with severe allergies.
“The most important finding from our engagement with young people was that they wanted their friends to understand allergies, but they didn’t want to be the ones constantly educating them,” Dr Vale said. “This gamified learning experience helps students better understand allergies while making allergy awareness a shared responsibility, particularly as students become more independent in high school.”
The free resource also includes teacher guides, classroom discussion prompts and supplementary activities, and can be used individually or as a classroom learning experience.
