Spot it! – Canada – Québec (IFMSA-Québec)

Name of the activity: Spot it!

Country/NMO: Canada – Québec (IFMSA-Québec)

Program: Healthy Lifestyles & Non-Communicable Diseases

Contact information: [email protected]

Type of the activity: Education

General description:

Spot it! is a peer-to-peer education project which consists of an one-hour interactive presentation on the topic of skin protection. The presentation is divided into three parts: the first examines the deleterious effects of UV rays on our skin from an aesthetic point of view (wrinkles, brown spots, skin thickening), the second revolves around skin cancer, particularly melanoma (risk factors, screening, pronostic) and the last part deals with cancer prevention methods (sun screen, sun protection and tanning alternatives).

Focus area:

Cancer

Problem statement:

According to WHO, one out of three diagnosed cancers is a skin cancer. As ozone levels are depleted, the atmosphere loses more and more of its protective filter function and more solar UV radiation reaches the Earth’s surface, which, in association with the rising incidence of melanomas, exacerbates the need for proper skin protection awareness.

Target groups and beneficiaries:

Students in grades 9 through 11 (no grade 12 in Québec’s high school system)
General population at large

Objectives and indicators of success:

Assess prior knowledge of students on the topic
– Elicited student participation when questioned about their knowledge
– Discuss with teachers and relevant school personnel about what has been taught and about overall impression with follow-up

Provide relevant information on primary and important skin cancer identification and prevention
– Feedback assessment through Google forms and summary quiz at the end of the presentation
– Positive and filled comments/questions on sheet of paper handed out at the beginning of each presentation

Provide resources and follow-up opportunities for students in case they have questions
– Offer students our project’s contact information and online resources/presentations

Methodology:

We strive to offer quality, relevant and up to date information on skin cancer prevention and optimal skin protection practices as well as providing basic skills on melanoma detection. Our manual is validated by dermatologists as well as and the Google forms we have set up greatly help us improve on our weaknesses. We also strive to encourage student participation through creative and enjoyable activities to assess what has already been taught to students and to better adapt our content and presentations accordingly.

Plans for evaluation:

We have set up post activity Google forms for both teachers and students to assess relevance of the presentations, content and level of interest.