Need help researching a paper on donation or finding quick facts for a project? Would you like literature on donation to hand out to your class? The links below will help you find what you need. In addition, CDT offers a variety of resources available to both teachers and students to encourage learning about organ and tissue donation. Read more below about the scholarship CDT offers through an essay contest every April for high school junior and seniors. Request a trained speaker to visit your classroom and educate students on donation and transplantation. Check out the links to different websites designed for both students and teachers. If you have further questions, please call us at (518) 262-5606 or 1-800-256-7811.

1. Overview of organ and tissue donation
2. Myths & frequently asked questions
3. Legislation
4. The donation process
5. Religious views on donation
6. Talk to your family about donation
7. Request materials/speakers
8. List of books on grief, donation and transplantation appropriate for children of various ages

Amy Bindelglass Memorial Scholarship

The Amy Bindelglass Memorial Scholarship was created by the Center for Donation & Transplant in memory of a two-year-old organ donor who lost her life in an automobile accident. Because Amy’s family donated her organs, a five-year-old boy was given a new chance at life.

Every year the scholarship is offered to high school juniors or seniors attending a school district located in CDT’s region. Applicants must write a convincing persuasive essay with a minimum of 1,000 words on a topic of CDT’s choosing. The essay topic is announced and distributed to schools in January. In April, the winner will receive a $500 scholarship and the runner-up a $200 scholarship.

Decision: Donation – A school program that gives the gift of life

In the fall of 2004, the Department of Health & Human Services introduced a model instructional package designed to aid teachers in educating high school students about organ and tissue donation. This package, including multiple media materials for the classroom, was mailed to all public and private high schools in the country. CDT adds its support to this effort by providing speakers to visit classes and talk about donation and transplantation. For more information about Decision: Donation, visit http://www.organdonor.gov/student/about.asp.

Gift of a Lifetime Website

“The Gift of a Lifetime” website offers viewers a revealing look at organ and tissue donation and transplantation from the viewpoints of health care professionals, donor families, recipients and patients currently waiting for life-saving transplants. This website, located at www.organtransplants.org, profiles 12 compelling personal stories from the world of organ and tissue donation, including a day in the life of an organ procurement coordinator, a patient currently waiting for a transplant and a mother asked to decide whether her son will be an organ donor. These stories were reported by journalists in both Philadelphia and Los Angeles and follow the cases of an organ procurement organization and a transplant center to report on how donation affects people’s lives.

The site, presented by the Coalition on Donation and the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation (MTF) offers educational materials for teachers interested in exploring the website and its stories with their classes and also shares information on how to confirm your wishes to be a donor.