Project LEAD®.

Do you know what SERM stands for? How is the Department of Defense involved in breast cancer research? Have you heard of Fran Visco? Know what nude mice are used for? What exactly is a clinical trial? Can you differentiate between a good medical article in the local newspaper and a piece of fluff? Do you want to get involved? Really involved? Is research, the media, community outreach, fundraising, politics your thing? Do you feel passionate about breast cancer?

If any of the above questions sparked your interest, then let me introduce you to Project LEAD®. LEAD stands for leadership, education, advocacy and development and is the educational program developed by the National Breast Cancer Coaltion Fund. Fran Visco, president of NBCCF, has always had a vision that with the proper tools and knowledge, breast cancer advocates can make a huge difference in all areas - research, education, media relations, legislation, funding.

Project LEAD® has been educating advocates for almost ten years and has proven to be not only a worthwhile endeavor, but has seen its graduates become sought after speakers, panel members, peer reviewers and many other roles.

To attend a Project LEAD® course, you must have some relationship to breast cancer (either personally or as a caregiver, related professional). You must be committed to the breast cancer movement. You must be willing to put in the time (and believe me, this is a graduate level course crammed into 4 days!) You are expected to read a lot of material prior to attending the course and there is homework, yes, you read it right - homework!, every night! There are class discussions, small group discussions and just when you think your brain is fried and can not accept one more iota of information, someone asks a challenging question and you get a new burst of energy and continue the discussion in the coffee shop or lounging in a fellow classmate's room.

NBCCF sees Project LEAD® as an investment in the future of breast cancer advocates and pays for the course and most meals. Your committment includes your travel expenses and hotel accomodations. Project LEAD® is generally held 4 times a year at various locations. Partial scholarships are available and NBCC will be happy to arrange a room mate for you to defer the costs.

So what do you do at Project LEAD®? First, you meet approximately 20 other advocates from all walks of life, all ages and you compare notes on how much of the material you read at home was just plain over your head. You meet the facilitator who will keep you on track and lead you from session to session. You are introduced to the panel of instructors and will be awestruck. How am I going to be able to converse with PhDs from Harvard, Brown, Yale, to name a few? Well, you find out right away that these scientists, these doctors, these professionals are committed to the cause and are the nicest, kindest, easiest to talk-to people you would ever want to meet. A board member of NBCCF will give you an overview of NBCC and NBCCF and the ideals and goals, the facilitator will explain the format for the days (and nights) and you will dive right in to some of the most exciting science you have ever experienced. (This is from me, who majored in language in college over 25 years ago and avoided every science course possible). During the first session - and there is a combination of basic science, epidemiology, clinical trials evaluation, critical analysis of scientific literature - you sit with your mouth open and are sure that you are the only one who doesn't understand a thing. At some point in that first hour, it clicks, the light bulb goes on in your brain, and you realize you can do this! You can learn! It's a powerful feeling and gives you the strength and committment to go on.

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