Transplantation Science is Donor Alliance's educational program teaching 7th through 12th grade students in Colorado and Wyoming about the science behind organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. This presentation includes an overview of the program, curriculum, reach and measurement, marketing, budget and challenges and was presented at the 2014 Donate Life America Meeting's Educational Breakout Session on June 16, 2014.

1. Transplantation
Science
Teaching the Science Behind Organ, Eye &
Tissue Donation
Kathryn Cicerchi, Donor Alliance

2. OBJECTIVES
1 Program Overview
2 Curriculum
3 Reach &
Measurement
4 Marketing
5 Budget
6 Challenges

3. Program Overview

4. History
1991
Starts at the
Denver
Museum of
Nature and
Science
2003
Sponsorship
moves to Donor
Alliance
2012
Donor Alliance
launches
Transplantation
Science in
Wyoming
Funding
Colorado: Donations made at Colorado driver’s license offices
Wyoming: Donor Alliance funded

5. Target Audience
CO
WY
7th – 12th graders in
Colorado and most of
Wyoming

6. Goals
1) To advance a culture of trust in organ,
eye and tissue donation by teaching
science behind and process of
donation before or around the time
students apply for their driver’s
license
2) In combination with other programs
and initiatives, to increase donor
designation rates among youth
41.2% of
minors
SAY “YES”
Overall, 67% in Colorado

7. How It Works
• Donor Alliance sends trained educators to schools throughout
Colorado and Wyoming to present to classes
• Educators are paid as temporary employees
• They earn a standard rate per hour and are reimbursed for all mileage
• School teachers contact us to schedule classes—we work within
their schedules
• Overseen by a Community Relations Coordinator and supported
by an administrative assistant in the Communications/PR
Department

8. Educators
6
1

9. Curriculum

10. Materials
• Video
• Workbooks
• Organ and Tissue
Specimens
• Organ and Tissue
Models
• Teacher Packets

11. Video
• Adapted from the Chris Klug Foundation video
• Introduces the topic
• Tells real stories
• Long & short versions

12. Organ Allocation
The Eye
Stations
Organs
Tissues, Bone &
Skin

13. Organ & Tissue Specimens/Models
Station 1:
Organs
Station 2:
Organ
Allocation
Station 3:
The Eye
Station 4:
Tissues, Bones
& Skin
Real
Specimens
Plastinated
kidney, liver,
lungs
Plastinated
heart
Corneas
Sclera
Models/
Supplemental
Materials
Healthy and
diseased
kidney and
liver models
Heart model Corneal
blindness
glasses
Eye exam chart
Corneal
stitches
Examples of
processed
tissue from
Allosource
Tendon model
Knee model

14. Exercises

15. End of Class
• Every student is given a Donate Life wrist band
• Students are encouraged to think about what
they learned in class so they can make an
informed decision when they get to the
driver’s license office
• Never told or pressured to register

16. Family Discussion Activity
• Teachers are encouraged to
assign the Family Discussion
worksheet to their students
for participation points or
extra credit
• We are able to compile
anecdotal data on attitudes
about organ and tissue
donation and evaluate the
program through the
returned worksheets

17. Reach & Measurement

18. Geographical Reach
School locations in the past two school years

19. Number of Students
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
4,279
5,513
10,067 10,067
EstimatedNumberofStudents
Year
School Year: Number of Colorado
Students Reached
10/11 11/12 12/13 13/14
36,932 students reached since Fall 2009!
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
40
463 509
NumberofStudentsReached
Year
School Year: Number of Wyoming
Students Reached
11/12
12/13
13/14

20. Number of Classes
38
23
31
28 28
0 0 0 0 11 8
14
10
30
37
50
39
0 0 2 8
18
24
43
9
51
62
85
48
0 0 0 10
41
57
39
0
33
52
84 79
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
NumberofClasses
Month
Annual Year: Colorado Classes by Month
2011
2012
2013
2014

21. Number of Classes
0
3
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5
11
0
5
0 0
6
0 0 0 0 0
5
0
7
0
8
7 7
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
NumberofClasses
Month
Annual Year: Wyoming Classes by Month
2012
2013
2014

22. Target: Most Common Myths
• Since the introduction of
the Family Discussion
activity, we have been
collecting data on the
myths and supplementing
the curriculum based on
feedback

23. Survey Data
• Established baseline from 2011/2012
school year surveys
• In summer of 2012, implemented myths
messaging within the stations and retrained
educators
• Tracked surveys for 2012/2013 school year

24. Results
72.2 76.7
84.5
74.1
36.6
94
85.5
79.1
93.3
88.4
51.8
96.4
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
My religion
supports
donation
I can be a donor
at any age
Saving my life is a
doctor's #1
priority
regardless of my
donation status
Being a donor
does not cost the
family anything
I can be a donor
despite existing
health conditions
The donor and
their family are
treated with
respect and
dignity
Percentageofstudentswho
answered"true"
Myth
Percentage of Students Answering Correctly ("True")
2011/2012
2012/2013

25. Results
73%
27%
2011/2012 School Year:
82%
18%
2012/2013 School Year:
Blue = Average percentage of students who correctly identified myths
Green = Average percentage of students who still believe myths

26. Youth DDR
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
45.00%
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
DDRforMinorIssuedDocuments
Year
Colorado Minor DDR
Minor DDR Linear (Minor DDR)
Missing data from DLO
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
2013201220112010200920082007
DonorDesignationRate
Year
Colorado DDR
Minor DDR Overall DDR

27. Marketing

28. Marketing & Outreach
• Postcard Mailing
– 800 postcards mailed twice/year
• Email Blasts
– Ongoing email communication to list of ~250 teachers
• Website
– Online booking
• Teachers Conferences
• Wyoming: Media Outreach

29. Budget

30. Budget
Colorado: $60K-$65K Wyoming: $10K
$25,400
$350
$17,000
$19,027
Travel & Meetings (Labor) Communication
Supplies & Expenses Printing & Development
$3,500
$3,000
$3,500
Labor Mileage Printing & Supplies

31. Challenges

32. Challenges
High
Variability
Districts, classes,
students,
knowledge level
Personnel
Finding
outstanding
educators
Geography
Traveling long
distances to reach
schools
Scheduling
Many cooks in the
kitchen

33. Areas for Growth & Change
1 Getting into large
school districts in WY
2
Developing electronic
curriculum for rural
areas
3 Enhanced program
for advanced students
4 Extracurricular
activities/field trips
5 Recycle Yourself
Colorado

34. Why it
works
Long
History
23 years
running
Low
Pressure
It’s about
science, not
registering
Fits
within
Curricula
Great
Educators Family
Conversations
Encourages
discussing
donation

35. Replication
• This program can work anywhere!
– Example: Recent replication in Wyoming
• Potential to use volunteers instead of paid
personnel
• Advice: Start small, grow sustainably
• Must have: Great educators

36. Questions?
Kathryn Cicerchi
Community Relations Coordinator
kcicerchi@donoralliance.org
303.370.2757
DonorAlliance.org/TransplantationScience