Community Programs
St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute
St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) is dedicated to educating the public about cancer prevention and detection. It is known that personal behaviors contribute to 60-80 percent of the known causes of cancer. Examples include diet, activity, sun exposure, and tobacco use, to name just a few. Many of these behaviors begin in the school age years of development. The general goal of the FUN for Life program is to provide basic education to school-aged children in the public schools with information on healthy lifestyles that may translate into lower rates of cancer in future generations. The program activities are intended to be simple and fun, in order to engage the intended audience.
The program activities developed will be targeted to specific age groups based on developmental understanding. Each program will be demonstrated in person to students, by trained St. Luke’s MSTI staff. Both teacher and student packets will be provided. After the FUN for Life program has been demonstrated one time by St. Luke’s MSTI staff, it is intended to be self-sustaining; the classroom teacher will then have the information and knowledge to provide the content to subsequent classes over the years. St. Luke’s MSTI will continue to provide program materials on a yearly basis.
Key topics of interest will be highlighted:
- Diet and Exercise
- Sun Protection
- Tobacco Use
It is expected that the development of each program will be sequential and available over the course of several years. The first program, with a focus on diet and exercise, is designed for grades 1-3 and 4-5. The program activities for similar topics will vary, due to the developmental understanding within age groups. In many cases, there will not be an association made between cancer prevention and the healthy lifestyle highlighted. Multiple health benefits can be gained by taking these positive measures (for example, lowering heart disease risk), and our approach uses a holistic view.
FUN for Life is provided free of charge by St. Luke’s MSTI. All program materials will be provided at the time of the initial presentation. Ongoing support and materials are available as well. To learn more about this program, or to schedule a presentation, please call St. Luke’s MSTI at 381-2711.
A tobacco-free education program for kids from the American Academy of Family Physicians
St. Luke's MSTI is committed to educating the community on the effects of tobacco use. We currently are volunteers and presenters for the nationally recognized organization Tar Wars. If you would like to learn more about the Tar Wars program, or to schedule a presentation at your school or organization, please contact St. Luke's MSTI at 208-381-2711.
Visit the official Tar Wars website at http://www.tarwars.org.
