Cancer Center Co-Director William Barrett, MD, recently shared an innovative program called "Defeating Cancer through Education, Prevention and Youth Athletics" at a major cancer conference, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). His program combines science education with basketball drills to engage elementary students, especially those from disadvantaged communities.

The program took place at an urban community center, where children alternated between playing basketball and learning science. They covered topics like human physiology, astronomy, geography, geology, and cancer in short, focused sessions. This approach turned out to be highly effective. In just a few weeks, the students learned to list the planets, understand their pulse, recognize cancer symptoms, and identify continents and oceans on maps.

Parents and teachers noticed that the children absorbed more information in these brief sessions than in weeks of traditional classroom lessons. Dr. Barrett's program shows that combining physical activity with education can keep kids engaged and help them learn complex subjects more easily.