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Field
Notes: Experiences
Planning Local Cancer Education Programs
NEA members
and other education employees all over the country have been raising
cancer awareness and promoting early detection in a variety of creative
ways. Many are teaming up with others in their school or community,
including cancer service and education organizations, to increase
school employee access to cancer resources. Their experiences are
summarized below:
Teaming Up
With Existing Events or Organizations:
- Invite a
mobile mammography unit to your school or event. Or invite your
health department’s breast and cervical cancer control program
to talk to school employees about low and no cost screening services
and eligibility.
- Ask for a
few minutes at existing school, Association, or community meetings,
such as the PTA, to talk about the importance of early detection
and local services and resources available.
- Collaborate
with your association’s Minority or special Caucuses or ESP affiliate
to present at a meeting or annual conference.
- Ask local
organizations to offer a program tailored to your schools needs.
- Offer an
informal open-house with coffee and small snacks for a few hours
before school, during lunch, or throughout the day for school
staff to stop in and talk with American Cancer Society volunteers
about early detection.
- Promote local
activities such as the Race for the Cure and Blue Jeans Day (during
October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month), or other local events.
- Ask local
TV or radio stations, and newspapers to promote your state or
local health department’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program
or other early detection programs in your school or district.
Organizing
Survivors and Other Supporters:
- Organize
a speakers’ bureau, support group, or education coalition for
breast and cervical cancer in your school or community.
- Establish
a mentoring program to pair new survivors with other survivors.
- Form a local
reading club to review new cancer materials or articles and to
discuss and share information on new research, conflicting opinions,
media coverage, etc.·
- Help to organize
a walk or special event, such as Race for the cure, for your school
or Association.
Identifying
Existing or Creating Original Materials/Resources:
- Develop a
brochure or information sheet in collaboration with your state/local
health department to promote their Breast and Cervical Cancer
Control Program to your coworkers and fellow association members.
- Create a
video or picture book of local survivors. Arrange to exhibit your
creation at local meetings and conferences.
- Offer to
identify early detection (or women’s health) materials to create
a library in your school lounge or nurses’ office for school employees
to read or borrow.
- Offer a presentation/workshop
for the male partners, friends, and family members to talk about
their role in encouraging their loved ones to participate in early
detection screening services.
- Provide your
school/district or Association newsletter editor with a sample
article or brochure about early detection and local services available.
Encourage Your School/Association to Support Awareness and Early
Detection
- Encourage
your school to explore voice mail or other private phone options
for school employees to make or receive necessary personal calls
to health care providers.
- Coordinate
a “brown bag lunch” in the teachers lounge or conference room
to allow school employees to chat informally about early detection
issues or watch an educational video during their breaks.
- Hang informational
posters in teacher lounges and inside bathroom stall doors. §
Send information home with students for adult female family members
or caregivers.
- Include pamphlets
or other materials with paychecks or in mailboxes. Be sensitive
to school employees who may not be in the regular information
loop, because they are part time, don’t have mailboxes, or work
out of the building — such as bus drivers.
- Send a letter
to local association presidents, UniServ representatives, and
district administrators asking them to be supportive of preventive
screening opportunities, and to support local school employees
involved in early detection activities.
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NEA Health Information Network