Established in 2001, the awareness and assistance in school program supports children in pursuing their schooling despite the disease and its treatments. This program also helps parents in their communication with the educational environment and raises awareness about pediatric cancer in schools.
The program’s objectives are multifold:
- To inform, equip and raise the level of awareness among the school staff and classmates about the realities and special needs of cancer-stricken children
- To demystify cancer
- To support the cancer-stricken child’s siblings and classmates
- To provoke reflection and awareness in children and to bring them to take actions to help the cancer-stricken child
Examples of situations where the awareness and assistance in school program proves useful:
- Following the diagnosis and due to treatment protocols, cancer-stricken children can be forced to miss school for a while. Their classmates will then wonder where they are, why they are not in school, etc… This program will help teachers to explain the situation to their students.
- Upon their return in school, children who underwent treatment might look different (weight gain or loss, hair loss, etc…), which could lead to rejection or judgement from other students due to misinformation.
- The siblings of a sick child can feel helpless in front of other children’s questions about the disease. That is why it is important to build awareness among the siblings’ classmates so that they feel supported too.
Upon the child’s return at home, Leucan may also provide support to parents in their efforts to pursue their child’s schooling at home, if necessary.
In 2016-17, Leucan supported 85 affected children by visiting 97 schools and meeting with more than 8,780 children to demystify cancer and increase their awereness of the reality of their sick classmate.
To learn more about the awareness and assistance in school program, please contact your local Family Services Agent.
To request a visit from the school awareness team in your classroom or school, please complete the request form and send it to Leucan by fax at 514-731-2667.
Tools
Several tools have been produced to facilitate student awareness and to foster communication between the school, the family, the medical team and Leucan.
- You can download Cancer and school life: A guide for school environment personnel, which sums up all the points to consider when a student is diagnosed with cancer.
- A summary of a study on the school experience of youth treated for cancer conducted by Sylvie Jutras Perceptions d’acteurs importants sur la persévérance et la réussite scolaires des enfants traités pour un cancer (available in French only) and introduced during Leucan’s Annual General Meeting in September 2009 (in French only). Jointly with Leucan, Mrs. Jutras conducted this study at UQAM with her students. The research was funded by the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société et la culture, and the Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, as part of concerted efforts.
Welcome Service at the Hospital
Emotional Assistance and Support
Hosting and Support Services in Playrooms