Project
REACH: Training School Employees to Implement Local
Cancer Education Programs
Project REACH Activity Planning Guide
Why
Do School Employees Need This Program?
How
Can State or Local Education Associations Get Involved?
How
Can Individuals Get Involved?
What
Resources Can NEA HIN Offer?
If
mammograms help find breast cancer early, and Pap tests
help find cervical cancer early, why are some school
employees not getting these screening tests?
Project
REACH has a simple agenda:
- Help
female school employees identify ways to overcome
the things that stop them (barriers) from getting
mammograms and Pap tests - Teach
school employees the importance of finding cancer
early (early detection) - Show
school employees what local breast and cervical cancer
services are available
Project
REACH was designed by and for school employees, in partnership
with the North Carolina Association of Educators, and
the Robeson and New Hanover Associations of Educators,
made possible by a cooperative agreement
with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Through this partnership, the Project REACH Training
Program was born around key steps to planning local
cancer education programs for school employees.
Under
the leadership of NEA State or Local Affiliates, known
as Affiliate Coordinators, a Project REACH Training
Course is implemented for volunteer teams of school
employees representing key populations in their school
community. The Training Course is a one day event during
which participants learn basic cancer information, resources
available in their community, and the steps to take
to plan a local program for others in their school community.
The Affiliate Coordinators implementing Project REACH
establish partnerships with local cancer organizations
and agencies, known as Community Resource Partners,
to identify breast and cervical resources and services
available to school employees, and training teams. The
most important thing you training teams will do is make
others in their school community aware of the community
resources and services available to them.
Why
Do School Employees Need This Program?
School
employees face barriers unique to the school work setting
that may prevent them from getting early detection screening
exams. Barriers most often cited by school employees
include lack of privacy, insufficient or no health care
benefits (especially for part time employees), insufficient
vacation/sick days for preventive care visits to their
doctor, and lack of an identified resource person on
campus (such as a school nurse, wellness coordinator,
etc). While all school employees face barriers to getting
mammograms and Pap tests, there a certain priority
populations within the school setting that have
characteristics that increase their need for early detection
information and services. And often, they do not get
the same information and resources as those provided
to others about health.
How
Can State or Local Education Associations Get Involved?
NEA
HIN is seeking dedicated and enthusiastic NEA affiliated
education associations to assist in implementing the
Project Reach Training Program for their members. Selected
education associations will be awarded small grants
and in-kind materials, as well as technical assistance
from NEA HIN for their participation.
For
a complete overview of criteria for selection
and an application for participation, contact
the NEA Health Information Network, by calling toll-free
at 1-800-718-8387 (202-822-7570 in the DC Metro
Area). Please include the name
of your education association, your name and
title, and a daytime phone number in your message.
How
Can Individuals Get Involved?
- Talk
to your health care provider about the screening
exams and tests appropriate for your age, personal
and family health history, and other risk factors. - Learn
more about cancer. A great place to start is National
Cancer Institute’s (NCI) comprehensive and easy to
read What You Need To Know Series and
the American Cancer Society’s Facts and Figures.
Link to these resources from our Links
& Resources page. - Promote
an existing event such as Race for the Cure or
October – Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The National
Health Information Center offers a calendar of national
health observances, (theme days, weeks, and months)
and organizations and resources for these special
events. - Plan
your own event. NEA
members all over the country are planning their own
events and promotional efforts including: Asking for
a few minutes to speak at existing meetings, offering
informal open-houses for school employees to talk
to local experts, hanging informational posters in
staff lounges and inside bathroom stall doors, and
sending information home with students for adult family
members or caregivers. Link to program planning resources
from our Links
& Resources page. - Be
aware of local resources available to you and
share that information with others at every opportunity.
Contact your local health department for more information
on breast and cervical cancer screening services in
your community.
What Resources Are Available
From NEA HIN?
NEA
HIN offers several resources to education associations
and members for planning local cancer education
programs including: Your
Personal Health Calendars, There and Back: Surviving
Breast Cancer Videos, Bookmarks, Shower Cards,
and Field Notes. All materials are free of charge
and can be ordered online.
Project REACH Activity Planning Guide
The
Project REACH Training Program and materials are funded
through Cooperative Agreement # U57/CCU315125 with the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Contents
of related materials and documents, including related
portions of this website, are solely the responsibility
of the NEA Health Information Network and do not necessarily
represent the official views of the CDC.