The long-term objective of """"""""Children with Cancer: Facilitating School Re-entry"""""""" is to develop materials for educators, parents, students and medical teams that will assist them in helping the student with cancer return to school successfully as part of his/her total rehabilitation.
The specific aims of Phase 1 are: 1) to identify the key themes, issues, goals and objectives of the materials; 2) to identify the appropriate formats to communicate this content; 3) to assess the feasibility of dissemination avenues for the materials; and 4) to create a materials development plan. Project activities include a literature review; interviews with pediatric cancer center staff and schools across the nation; focus group interviews with target audience members; and exploratory discussions with potential dissemination agencies. In carrying out these activities, project staff will consult regularly with a national Advisory Board of experts and a local team composed of sub-contractor Children's Hospital at Stanford staff and educators. The outcomes of Phase I include an annotated bibliography/list of films; a position paper outlining the products to be produced in Phase II; and a materials development/formative evaluation plan. Thus, Phase I is the basic research base upon which the Phase II materials development activity is built. The materials to be developed in Phase II are technologically innovative in providing new content in new formats to new audiences in an area where there are currently few materials and a very significant need. Since approximately one-half of America's schools serve children who have or have had cancer, the potential exists for commercial application through the sale and/or rental of these materials to schools, school districts and pediatric hospitals.
