High School Education
Unyts currently offers three different high school-based programs: Donate Life(formerly Life Lessons), Donate Life: Talk It Up!, and Donate Life: One Pint at a Time.
Donate Life (formerly Life Lessons)
Life Lessons started in the fall of 2004 after Unyts and the University at Buffalo (UB) were awarded a three-year grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to fund its creation and implementation. Today this multidisciplinary program (now known as Donate Life) assists groups of students at area high schools in the planning, development and implementation of a campaign to increase awareness about organ, tissue and blood donation among their peers. Students involved in the group at their school have an opportunity to develop leadership and communication skills and acquire a working knowledge of multiple aspects of establishing and managing an organization. Involvement in Donate Life provides students with skills they can apply in future academic and work-related activities.
Components of Donate Life are:
- Donation education – Representatives from Unyts explain the facts about organ, eye, tissue and blood donation and correct common misconceptions.
- Research – An expert from UB explains to students how the effectiveness of their campaign will be measured through surveys.
- Public relations & campaign development – A representative from Unyts will assist students in the development of ideas and campaign implementation.
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Leadership & public speaking – Donate Life group members will participate in presentations in front of their peers, school staff and their parents.
Donate Life Program Resources:
- A Guide to Organ and Tissue Discussions (PDF)
- Donate Life Program Campaign Ideas (PDF)
- Tools for Teachers: Classroom Toolkit (PDF)
- Tools for Teachers: Decision Donation
- Visit the United Network for Organ Sharing Website (UNOS)
2009-2010 Donate Life Participating Schools:
| Akron High School |
Kenmore West High School |
| Amherst High School | Lackawanna High School |
| Barker High School |
Lockport High School |
| Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts |
Mount Mercy High School |
| Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart |
Niagara Catholic High School |
| Canisius High School |
Niagara Falls High School |
| Cheektowaga Central High School | Niagara Wheatfield High School |
| City Honors School |
Nichols School |
| Clarence High School |
Orchard Park High School |
| Depew High School |
St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute |
| East High School |
St. Mary's High School |
| Grand Island High School |
Starpoint High School |
| International Prepatory at Grover Cleveland | Sweet Home High School |
| Hamburg High School |
Williamsville East High School |
| Iroquois High School |
Williamsville South High School |
| John F. Kennedy High School |
Wilson High School |
Donate Life: Talk It Up!
The Donate Life: Talk It Up! program provides information about organ and tissue donation to middle and high school students through classroom presentation. The goals of Donate Life: Talk It Up! are: to provide students with information about the lifesaving benefits of donation; to motivate students to initiate a family discussion about organ and tissue donation; and to answer questions and counter common misconceptions about donation. Presentations are conducted by trained staff and volunteers, all of whom have a personal connection to donation and transplantation.
Donate Life: Talk It Up! schools:
| Amherst High School | Nardin Academy |
| Buffalo Public School #72 | Newfane Middle School |
| Buffalo Seminary | Niagara Catholic High School |
| Charter School for Applied Technologies | Niagara Falls High School |
| Depew Middle School | Nichols School |
| International Prep @ Grover Cleveland | Oracle Charter School |
| Iroquois High School | Orchard Park High School |
| JFK High School | South Buffalo Charter School |
| Lackawanna High School | Springville Griffith Institute High School |
| Lakeshore High School | Starpoint High School |
| Lancaster High School | St. Mary’s Lancaster |
| Lew-Port Middle School | West Seneca West Sr. High School |
| Mt. Mercy Academy | Westfield Middle School |
Donate Life: One Pint at a Time
The Donate Life: One Pint at a Time program provides information about blood donation to middle and high school students through classroom presentations.
The following topic areas are addressed:
- The vital role blood plays in our health
- The ongoing need in our community for donated blood
- The simple steps to successful blood donation
- How one person's blood donation can save the lives of three community members
- How blood donation can help young people assume their place as contributing members of the community
- The powerful sense of satisfaction that comes from knowing you've made a difference in the life of another
For more information on our Donate Life educational programs please contact Rachel Woock, School Partnership Manager, at 716.566.3929 or rwoock@unyts.org.
High School Education Links:
