A SCHOOL RE-ENTRY PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER

DESCRIPTION: Danya International proposes to develop a Multimedia School Reentry Program for Children with Cancer. This intervention package, designed for elementary school children, will include an Educational Video, Facilitators' Guide and Online Learning Center Website. The products will educate and inform children's peers about cancer, foster peer acceptance of children with cancer, and thereby promote the healthy psychosocial adjustment of children with cancer. In Phase I of the project, the content of the three components will be developed in conjunction with a panel of experts in the field (practitioners, teachers and parents) and a stakeholder group of parents, children with cancer, and their peers. In Phase II, we will film the video, write the guide and program the website. The intervention package will then be subjected to an evaluation in classrooms to determine if classmates learn from the intervention and the child with cancer benefits. Children with cancer have an increased risk for adjustment problems during the period of reentry to school. By providing a multimedia intervention designed to create a supportive peer environment in the classroom, the frequency and severity of problems should diminish. Once completed, the School Reentry Program will be marketed to schools, families and children. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: Presently, no multimedia, integrated intervention package for elementary school-aged children with cancer exists. Once completed, the proposed School Reentry Program for Children with Cancer will be marketed to diagnosed children, their families, and providers, as well as school systems and relevant advocacy organizations. Theses market segments will be reached through a combination of public relations opportunities and traditional marketing techniques such as direct mail, advertising, and creating distribution relationships with stakeholders in the field.