Two John F. Kennedy’s High School students are making strides to keep an eye out for the health of their friends and family.
Juniors Madeline Weiner and Hannah Yoselowitz pioneered a new initiative in their high school: a breast cancer education seminar that took place over two days on Jan. 12 and 13 in each of the school’s physical education classes, reaching over 600 students.
These seminars are an extension of the student’s Civics and Leadership II class project, which began with their advocacy for the Find it Early Act, which was introduced to Congress last November.
“We wrote a letter to the senator and our representatives about the Find it Early Act, which has insurance to cover the cost of a mammogram, so that way it’s free to all women, so everyone can have a chance to catch it early,” Yoselowitz said.
“As part of the Leadership II class, they are assigned a civic action project in which they have to choose an issue or topic important to them,” explained Brad Seidman, the duo’s instructor for the program.
Weiner’s family history with breast cancer motivated her to speak out.
“This is really meaningful to me because of my grandmas — they did have it,” Weiner said. “I hope that what everyone gets out of it is that they get themselves checked so that breast cancer never gets to the point where it is life threatening and that they can still go on and not have everything important taken away from them because of it.”
The students partnered with the nonprofit Mauer Foundation to tackle the problem directly. The Mauer Foundation provides various forms of breast health education, focusing on prevention, early detection and risk reduction.
Eileen Pillitteri, program director of the Maurer Foundation, expressed excitement in establishing contact with the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District.
“Our mission is delivering breast health programs in a high school setting, and we connect with about 90% of school districts on Long Island,” Pillitteri said. “It just happened to be that one of the districts that we’re not strongly affiliated with yet has been the Bellmore Merrick School District.”
During the session, presenters provided information from the foundation’s advisory board, made up of educators who make these presentations accessible and engaging for young people. Throughout the two days, students joined in on the conversations about lifestyle factors and healthy foods, which address avoidable breast cancer risks.
“They started to learn about what some of the causes of breast cancer are and what folks can do to start to reduce their risk for breast cancer,” Pillitteri said. “We actually teach people how to do a proper self-exam and how to advocate for themselves when they have concerns about their health… It was a great day.”
Lauren Fisch-Henry is the social media and marketing specialist for the Mauer Foundation.
“Our mission here at the Maurer Foundation is to provide breast health education programs to save lives,” she said. “We focus on risk factors, risk reduction and teaching people how to detect breast cancer at its earliest stage, and our focus on young people has been a focus from our very beginning.”
The effects of these programs go beyond the initial audience, says Fisch-Henry. Students are expected to share this information at home and with future peers, helping keep all community members in good health.
“All three of us are hoping that this continues next year,” Seidman said. “I know Maddie and Hannah want to bring it back next year as seniors and sort of pass on the program to younger leadership students in the hope that they’ll continue to have the foundation here and that it can be beneficial to students beyond their years here.”
Learn more about breast cancer prevention and programs or be directed to local resources at MaurerFoundation.com.
