Grant

The American Cancer Society Youth Initiative

Cancer Prevention and Youth

For the first time in recorded history, children are less healthy than their parents were at the same age. According to the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, youth tobacco rates are at an all time high among high school students (28.5%), only 21.4% of youth report eating five servings of fruit and vegetables daily, and only 32.2% of these youth report participation in daily physical exercise.

It is now a widely accepted notion that much of the risks of cancer can be reduced through healthy behaviors and that cancer is mostly a preventable disease. In fact, research shows that nearly two-thirds of all cancers may be prevented by reducing tobacco use, increasing physical activity and changing nutrition behaviors. It is the belief of many experts that these health behaviors are ultimately learned as children and youth.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. To achieve the goal of reducing cancer incidence and mortality, we must commit ourselves to a strategic and integrated approach to cancer prevention and influence the healthy choices that youth make while they are open to learning and change.

Youth Programs at the American Cancer Society

The Northwest Division of the American Cancer Society, serving Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Alaska, began to formalize its cancer prevention youth activities in 1998 through a program titled Speak Out! These programs and activities began with a primary focus on preventing and reducing tobacco use among youth and served overall approximately 450 youth and 110 adult mentors annually, the majority (85%) from Washington State. Speak Out! activities continue today and include Speak Out! Summer Summit, a week-long youth leadership and advocacy training program for high school aged youth. Youth are trained in team-building, leadership skills, planning skills and advocacy techniques to learn how to mobilize peers and communities to prevent tobacco use.

In addition to Summer Summit, youth programs originally designed included 6 workshops spread out over four days. These annual workshops continue today and provide education, information and the tools to assist youth and adult leaders in their efforts to build effective youth coalitions and community partnerships to support tobacco prevention and advocacy efforts. This year (2003) we plan to add advanced-track programs and offer a total of 12 workshops. The workshop will be divided into three leadership tracks allowing youth to advance according to skills, interests and previous training. The American Cancer Society also supports local youth-organized advocacy events during the course of the program year, bringing together local policy-makers, community leaders and legislators.

In 2001, we partnered with the American Lung Association of Washington, University of Washington, and the Washington State Department of Health, in a two-year grant from Washington's American Legacy Foundation to enhance the Speak Out! programs in Washington State, evaluate its effectiveness, and to identify opportunities to expand.

Introducing the Youth Initiative

The evaluation, conducted by the University of Washington, identified specific areas of opportunity and made recommendations that would expand the number of youth involved, broaden cancer prevention activities, and enhance overall program effectiveness in support of the mission of the American Cancer Society. The Youth Initiative, developed by the Northwest Division of the American Cancer Society, was created out of this evaluation. The overall annual budget for the Youth Initiative is $548,300, with $199,600 representing the new components for which we seek funding from the Paul G. Allen Charitable Foundation.

The Youth Initiative: (1) enhances program effectiveness by implementing new components based on formal evaluation, (2) broadens the focus of cancer prevention messages to include physical activity and nutrition, in addition to tobacco, and (3) extends the current programs to youth not currently served. We estimate by launching the Youth Initiative and expanding its programs, the Northwest Division will have 1500 youth participants and 410 adult mentors involved in Youth Initiative programs and activities in 2003. This represents an overall 300 percent increase over the number of youth and adults involved in 2001. Attachment A, titled Youth Initiative Programs and Activities, gives the full breadth of activities under the Youth Initiative and provides an overview of the specific components that make up the Youth Initiative programs.

As a strategic and comprehensive approach to cancer prevention, the objectives of the Youth Initiative and its programs are to 1) through advocacy, reduce tobacco use and increase the number of youth who follow American Cancer Society nutrition guidelines and physical activity recommendations, 2) change youth attitudes, health behavior and norms by involving youth in various forms of advocacy, 3) increase/enhance individual assets in youth (such as support, empowerment, and social competencies), and 4) engage and train adult mentors to work with youth.

One component of the Youth Initiative focuses specifically on school health as it pertains to nutrition and exercise. Recent reports of childhood obesity rates, decreased physical activity in youth, and poor nutrition habits show us that strategic action must be taken to engage youth as leaders to improve these health behaviors as well as reduce the use of tobacco. American Cancer Society will train youth as advocates and peer educators to educate others about cancer issues and to influence school policy discussions that effect school health programs and services. The focus on school health plays a key role to help us reach our goal to increase by 50% the number of school districts that provide a coordinated school health program by 2010. By helping youth develop leadership and advocacy skills around cancer prevention and health promotion, as well as test those skills in real world situations with the support of adults and community organizations, we believe that youth will make more positive and healthy individual choices long into their adult lives. Furthermore, youth can influence the health behaviors of their peers, their families and their communities. This is how we will prevent cancer in their generation - by supporting them in their efforts

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