) This application is for the development, implementation, and evaluation of a National Leadership Conference, which will be conducted in Atlanta, Ga, in November, 1998. The audience will be volunteers involved in the National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer (NBLIC) activities from the Midwestern, Eastern, Southern and Western regions of the United States. This conference is different from past annual meetings, in that it is the first effort to mobilize NBLIC leadership on a national rather than regional level. It will also be, for most participants, the first exposure to national experts in the areas of cancer control, community outreach, and special populations research. The Conference will achieve the following aims:[1] Provide an overview of the importance of volunteers in increasing cancer awareness in the black community; [2] Discuss the barriers involved with recruitment of volunteers in community outreach programs; [3] Address cost, ethical, and other considerations in cancer control activities; [4] Present strategies that have been successfully used to overcome these barriers; and [5] Help participants develop a pragmatic plan for becoming self-sustaining organizations. Special emphasis will be placed on the priority areas of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) directly impacting NBLIC program delivery, including cancer sites that are problematic for blacks in terms of morbidity and mortality, getting the message across to hard-to-reach audiences, and accrual of minorities to clinical trials. In addition to formal presentations, panel discussions focusing on issues involved with specific coalitions will be conducted to address barriers and solutions. Process, outcome, and impact evaluations will be conducted, using data collected from a series of self administered surveys and mailed questionnaires. The proceedings of the Conference will be recorded and disseminated through a national newsletter, a Conference summary publication, and through the Internet/world wide web.
