SO DO WE

Empowering students, creating meaningful change, and standing in solidarity with young adults and families impacted by cancer.

Cancer Changes Lives…

SO DO WE.

The So Do We Initiative is a transformative service-learning program designed to empower schools to make a meaningful difference in the lives of young adults impacted by cancer. This flexible, turnkey program inspires leadership, empathy, and community service among students while fostering an understanding of the challenges faced by young adults with cancer.

Every 8 seconds a young adult is diagnosed with cancer.

It could be one of your students, a friend, a colleague, or even a parent. Cancer doesn’t discriminate, and its impact ripples through families, classrooms, and communities. By participating in the So Do We Initiative, your school joins a community of hope and support.

The Program

This school-based initiative is rooted in the belief that when cancer affects a member of our community, it affects all of us. The program provides students with opportunities to engage in education, service, and advocacy to create tangible change in their communities while growing as leaders. It does so through three distinct components that can be customized to fit the unique needs and focus of each school:

EDUCATE

The So Do We Initiative provides school communities with the tools to understand cancer’s impact, build resilience, and support those facing life’s toughest challenges, while fostering a culture of compassion and empowerment. This program encourages student development by building leadership, teamwork, and advocacy skills, while instilling empathy and social responsibility.

For educators, the initiative offers turnkey program materials that make implementation seamless and provides access to resources to support their efforts.

The education section includes age-appropriate lessons on cancer awareness, prevention, and survivorship, as well as social-emotional topics like resilience, kindness, and how to support peers facing challenges. Workshops with survivors, medical professionals, and Ulman staff further enrich the learning experience.

Lessons can be integrated into existing curricula or hosted as standalone sessions. Workshops can be conducted virtually or in-person, providing flexibility to fit your school’s needs and schedule. Ulman also provides videos, articles, and discussion guides to support educators.

Educating students fosters empathy and understanding while empowering them to support those impacted by cancer. These lessons help students build resilience, develop social responsibility, and learn how to make a difference in their communities.

Getting involved in the So Do We Initiative offers meaningful benefits for everyone in the school community. Students gain leadership, teamwork, and advocacy skills while fostering empathy and social responsibility. Schools benefit from enhanced school spirit and a unifying cause that brings educators, students, and families together. Parents are provided with opportunities to actively participate in impactful projects, strengthening their connection to the school and its mission. Overall, the initiative creates a ripple effect of compassion, collaboration, and positive change, empowering the entire school community to make a tangible difference in the lives of young adults impacted by cancer.

FUNDRAISE

Schools can raise funds for Ulman’s life-changing programs through creative, student-led initiatives. But not to worry, your school will have support from the Ulman Foundation team, and we have all the tools you need to help you exceed your goals and make a difference in the lives of young adults with cancer.

Spirit Week Fundraiser: Select a week during the school year and assign a unique theme to each day. Participants can donate a set amount to enter a “best costume” contest for daily prizes, making it fun and charitable.

Class or Department Competitions: Host competitions, such as sports events, trivia nights, or cook-offs, to encourage friendly rivalry between classes or departments. Each team can fundraise individually, creating a collaborative and exciting way to generate revenue.

Jeans Day Fundraiser: Students or colleagues can wear jeans on a designated day in exchange for a donation. This is an easy and effective way to raise funds while creating a casual and relaxed atmosphere.

Thon Events: Organize an activity-based marathon where participants pay an entry fee and collect pledges from family and friends. Activities could include dancing, bowling, hula-hooping, or any endurance-based event. For example, host a dance-a-thon with teams, ensuring at least one member dances continuously for 24 hours.

Fitness Fundraiser: Host a fitness event or exercise class to encourage healthy activity while raising funds. Collaborate with gyms or instructors to donate proceeds or add creative elements like sponsorships, pledge-per-lap challenges, or raffles. Activities could range from basketball games and swimming to yoga or spin classes.

Awareness Games: Have a group of athletes all on a team?  Have them host an Ulman Awareness Game. 

Fundraising tips and tricks, plus frequent check-in calls with our awesome staff, will help to support your efforts. The best thing you can do to set yourself up for success is to start fundraising as early as possible to tell your friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, dentists, baristas (you get the point) about why your school is changing lives!

Here at the Ulman Foundation, we envision a world where no young adult faces cancer alone. The money raised goes towards our programs to help us change lives (everyday) of young adult’s facing cancer. These include life-changing services like patient navigation, where Ulman staff work one-on-one with patients and families to reduce barriers to effective treatment, and Ulman House, a no-cost hospitality home in Baltimore where patients and families can stay while they undergo treatment at local hospitals.

VOLUNTEER

Through meaningful, hands-on service projects, students can make a tangible difference in the lives of young adults impacted by cancer, fostering connection, compassion, and community support in real time.

Students can engage in a variety of activities, such as assembling care packages for Ulman House residents, creating artwork or cards for patients, planning awareness campaigns to educate peers about young adult cancer, and preparing homemade meals for guests staying at Ulman House.

The projects are designed to be flexible and can be tailored to fit your school’s schedule and resources. Ulman provides space, guidance and materials to make implementation simple and impactful. No prior experience is necessary. These projects are accessible to students of all ages and focus on building empathy, teamwork, and community engagement while making a meaningful impact.

Each project provides practical and emotional support, from offering comfort through care packages and meals to raising awareness and funds for programs like Ulman House, Cancer to 5K, and support groups. Students’ efforts help ease the journey for patients and their families.

Take it a Step Further

The Maryland Cup is an exciting service-learning competition in which schools across Maryland compete to support young adults impacted by cancer. This competitive program, part of the Ulman Foundation’s So Do We Initiative, combines education, leadership development, fundraising, and volunteer opportunities. The competition culminates in the presentation of the Maryland Cup Trophy at the winning school.