Empowering young people affected by cancer and creating brighter futures.
"I was in grade three and the test showed that I was at a kindergarten level in math and a grade one level in reading. My mental processing speed is also a lot slower. These are some of the classic learning issues of many childhood cancer survivors. While I was in the room doing the testing, my mom was sharing her concerns with the counsellor. The counsellor looked at my mom and said,“You don’t really think she’ll ever graduate, do you?” My mom stood up and, without a word, left the room. My mom says, “We didn’t fight all that time to give you a future, just to give up on your future now.” - Ryane, 15-year-old cancer survivor
Cancer is rarely over when the treatments stop. Over 75 per cent of childhood cancer survivors face at least one cancer-related chronic health problem for the rest of their lives, many of which impact their learning and development. Kids Cancer Care’s Education Support Program helps address some of these issues by offering kids disadvantaged by cancer a range of programs and services during their primary and secondary school years.
Since 2015, Kids Cancer Care has provided over 3,500 hours of direct tutoring and planning support to 120 children affected by cancer-related learning issues. We match patients and survivors in kindergarten to grade 12 with tutors, who provide home-based one-to-one tutoring. These tutoring sessions help learners work towards specific academic goals, while boosting their confidence and helping them develop general learning skills.
Cancer in the Classroom is an interactive presentation designed specifically for the level of understanding of the peers of a student affected by cancer. Whether newly diagnosed or re-integrating into class during/after treatment, this presentation is an effective way to answer questions, clarify misunderstandings, share the facts, provide resources and ease concerns about cancer.
Our webinar series in the spring and fall features web-based presentations by professionals in childhood cancer, education, research and care, who present on a range of topics to help parents understand their child's learning needs in the wake of childhood cancer. Past sessions have included neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, child life specialists, oncologists, teachers, principals, educators and health care app developers.
We believe we can create brighter futures for children diagnosed with cancer and once they are ready for post-secondary, Kids Cancer Care is there. The Kids Cancer Care Derek Wandzura Memorial Scholarship is a one-time award available to childhood cancer patients and survivors, for use in post-secondary studies. The fund is an endowed fund administered by the Calgary Foundation. Since 2008, 156 scholarships have been given out.
