School Cancer Awareness Program (CAP)

School Cancer Awareness Programme
The Marie Keating Foundation Schools Cancer Awareness Programme aims to help secondary school students(1st year-6th year) and adult learners learn how to reduce their risk of cancer and how to spot the signs and symptoms early.  The programme makes cancer ‘less frightening by enlightening,’  by engaging students with age-appropriate, interactive and informative material. The nine-module programme is available free of charge for teachers by contacting the Marie Keating Foundation directly or by completing the form below. It forms part of Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum. Subjects covered in the programme include:

  • Cancer prevention and healthy lifestyle choices
  • Breast cancer
  • Cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine
  • Lung cancer
  • Skin cancer
  • Testicular cancer
  • Taking time to look after your body and mind

Speaking at the re-launch of the programme, Minister Frances Fitzgerald, TD, said “Every minute in Ireland, an average of 3 new cases of cancer are diagnosed and this number is expected to rise by a third by 2020.  We have a clear challenge to help reduce the number of people being diagnosed with cancer by highlighting prevention and also by providing information and support to those already affected by the disease. The Marie Keating Schools Cancer Awareness Programme helps to achieve both of these goals.”

Liz Yeates, CEO, Marie Keating Foundation, said, “Whilst the prevalence of cancer is on the increase,  once detected early, the outcomes are also much more positive thanks to new treatments and therapies. The Marie Keating Foundation’s new schools programme means that we can give young people the information they need to understand cancer and the opportunity to discuss it openly. Up to half of cancers are preventable so the curriculum-linked lesson plans will help students reduce their future risk of developing cancer by advising them on diet and fitness as well as improving their awareness of key symptoms. This important resource can empower our young people and show them that while cancer is a horrible disease, we can all take steps to reduce our risk.”

 

Your Health Your Choice:

The Your Health Your Choice campaign was designed to bring awareness and education to you adolescents about how looking after your health can reduce their risk of 4 out of 10 types of cancer.

In its first year, we developed a YHYC microsite, videos, infographic posters, leaflets and workshop materials. Our nurses delivered the YHYC programme to community groups around the country, looking at locations in Ireland particularly in hard to reach groups e.g. traveller groups in the East and South and also looking at the number of partnerships with Social Personal Health Educators (SPHE) teachers.

During year two, we integrated the content of YHYC and modified our School’s Cancer Awareness Programme (CAP) which educates secondary school students on the signs and symptoms of common cancers and on the importance of early detection and lifestyle choices in order to prevent cancer.

This programme is available for students in 1st, 2nd,3rd, TY, 5th and 6th year.

If you are a secondary school teacher who is interested in using the Schools Cancer Awareness Programme, please complete the form below or call Angela on 01 628 3726.

    Contact Teacher (required)

    School Name (required)

    School Address (required)

    Town/City

    County (required)

    Postcode

    Contact Email (required)

    Contact phone number

    Group type (required)

    Preferred day or days (required)

    I would like to hear more from the Marie Keating Foundation by:

    Type the letters you see in the box

    captcha