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Colleges Against Cancer

If the programs detailed below are something you would like to be a part of here at the University of Northern Iowa, please contact Brady White, or Emily Droessler .

Visit the national Colleges Against Cancer website for more information and great ideas by clicking here

Impact of College Students

The American Cancer Society has a long-standing tradition of mobilizing volunteers to address cancer issues within communities across the United States. Recently, the Society has turned to you, college students, to increase cancer awareness on campuses across the United States, to help raise money to fund cancer research and patient service programs, to lobby Congress, and to help reach out to cancer patients. These new opportunities are changing the lives of cancer patients and giving college students valuable volunteer experiences. As a Colleges Against Cancer volunteer, you can gain important experience that will help you as you begin to look at graduate, law, medical school or for your first job.

So how have your peers helped the American Cancer Society? Let's highlight a few stories to demonstrate the ability of college students...

• More than 130 Colleges Against Cancer chapters from coast-to-coast have begun to take up the fight by recruiting new volunteers, shaping projects to change lifestyle behaviors of their peers, and to help college students cope with cancer diagnoses of themselves or a loved one.
• College students are honoring cancer survivors by hosting them at their Relay, driving them to their treatment centers, or just by keeping in touch with them to help as needed.
• Students have lobbied dozens of elected officials to help pass key cancer-related legislation that has saved more than a billion dollars in research money, helped impoverished families gain access to cancer screenings, and helped make states (like Iowa) become smoke-free!

You play a vital role in helping us reach our goals. You are away from your parents for the first time in your life and starting to develop lifelong habits that can increase or decrease your chance of being diagnosed with cancer within your lifetime. Learning how to live a healthy life and reaching out to your peers will help save lives. In fact, two-thirds of all cancers are caused by lifestyle factors-most notably tobacco use, unhealthy eating, and a seden­ tary lifestyle. You can change the habits of those around you by becoming involved with the American Cancer Society.

Every 24 seconds a person is diagnosed with cancer. Become involved now. We need your help to save the lives of millions of people.

What exactly is Colleges Against Cancer?

Colleges Against Cancer is a program designed to help eliminate cancer by initiating and supporting the programs of the American Cancer Society on college campuses. It is a program designed by and administered by college students from across the country and is supported by the American Cancer Society.

The program is designed to allow students and staff to work through many different channels to eliminate cancer. These channels are our strategic directions - advocacy, cancer education programs, Relay For Life, and survivorship. Local chapters work alongside their local offices and national leadership to support the efforts of the American Cancer Society in these directions. Whether it is writing letters to Congressmen, organizing a Relay For Life, or teaching students about preventing cancer - the program enables college students to battle cancer on their campuses.

Mission Statement

American Cancer Society Colleges Against Cancer is a nationwide collaboration of college students, faculty, and staff dedicated to eliminating cancer by initiating and supporting programs of the American Cancer Society in college communities.

Strategic Directions

Advocacy, Cancer Education, Relay For Life & Survivorship

More about our Strategic Directions

Advocacy — Realizing the unique advocacy opportunities of the college community, the National Leadership Council will maintain an up- to-date knowledge of American Cancer Society advocacy initiatives; help adapt those initiatives to the college environment; recommend those initiatives to local Colleges Against Cancer chapters; and help coordinate any nationwide advocacy efforts.

For example:
- Legislative grassroots advocacy (Picture A Cure™, Action Network™)
- Anti-tobacco initiatives (Smoke-Free Campuses, Great American Smokeout 9)

Cancer Education — Realizing the unique cancer education needs of the college community, the National Leadership Council will maintain an up- to-date knowledge of American Cancer Society cancer control, education and prevention programs; help adapt those programs to the college environment; and motivate local Colleges Against Cancer chapters to implement those activities.

For example:
- Nutrition and lifestyle issues
- Anti-tobacco education
- General American Cancer Society knowledge

Relay For Life — Realizing the unique nature of the college community, the National Leadership Council will work to develop, grow, and encourage youth involvement in Relay For Life; establish new collegiate Relay For Life events or join community Relay For Life events; and encourage a presence of advocacy, cancer education, and survivorship at those events.

Survivorship — Realizing the unique survivorship needs of the college community, the National Leadership Council will work with local Colleges Against Cancer chapters to honor survivors, as well as others personally affected by cancer; evaluate those needs; adapt American Cancer Society programs to fit those needs; and maintain and improve their quality of life.

For example:
- Relay For Life involvement
- Support groups

• College students are honoring cancer survivors by hosting them at their Relay, driving them to their treatment centers, or just by keeping in touch with them to help as needed.
• Students have lobbied dozens of elected officials to help pass key cancer-related legislation that has saved more than a billion dollars in research money, helped impoverished families gain access to cancer screenings, and helped make a city become smoke-free!