Pilot ‘cancer awareness’ programme for students

TRANSITION Year students in several Cork schools are to be taught a new education programme aimed at creating a greater awareness of cancer.

The innovative Cancer Biology Programme will focus on the genetic and molecular biology of the disease.

Running over 10 lessons, it was launched yesterday at Douglas Community School and will be taught by specially trained teachers this autumn.

The multi-media programme was created by Cian O’Mahony, a teacher in Douglas Community School, Dr Dan O’Sullivan from Colaiste Chriost Ri and Professor Gerald O’Sullivan at the Cork Cancer Research Centre to provide teachers with a practical and relevant tool to use in biology lessons.

The programme is being funded by Science Foundation Ireland’s Secondary Teacher Assistant Researchers award (SFI-STARs) programme and conducted in the laboratories of the Cork Cancer Research Centre under the guidance of Dr Mark Tangney.

“With cancer affecting one in every three Irish people during their lifetime, it is important to increase the students awareness and understanding of the disease. The programme addresses a number of key questions including how cancer grows inside the body, how it develops and how this fits into everyday genetics and biology,” Mr O’Mahony said.

As part of the programme, students will also explore questions such as the impact of a person’s lifestyle on the development of cancer.

At the end of the course a UCC masters student in health promotion, Lisa Casey, will evaluate the students work and the impact of the programme on students involved.

The pilot programme will initially be run in four schools across Cork — Douglas Community School, Coláiste Chriost Rí, Christ the King and Mount Mercy. The STARs initiative was originally introduced in 2004 by the SFI, working closely with the Irish Science Teachers Association.

The primary aim of the programme is to disseminate new skills and knowledge to secondary school teachers, which can then be passed on to school pupils to encourage an active interest in science and ultimately enhance their career prospects in the fields of science and engineering.