The Keep A Breast Foundation (KAB) is taking over schools in an effort to educate young fans about breast cancer prevention. In case you weren’t aware, KAB’s highly successful “I love boobies!” bracelets was recently the subject of a Federal Court case ruling in favor of students rights to wear the bracelets in school. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Easton Area School District’s ban on bracelets with the message “I ♥ Boobies! (KAB)” as an unconstitutional restriction on students’ freedom of speech.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit has upheld an injunction preventing the Easton Area School District (EASD) from enforcing a ban on our bracelets. The decision today marks the first time a federal court of appeals has ruled that the First Amendment protects student speech that is plausibly understood as commenting on political or social issues.
“The bracelets are intended to be and they can reasonably be viewed as speech designed to raise awareness of breast cancer and to reduce stigma associated with openly discussing breast health.”
Stated in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Case 5:10-cv-06283-MAM
The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania filed suit in November 2010 on behalf of Kayla Martinez and Brianna Hawk, then seventh and eighth graders, who were suspended for wearing Keep A Breast bracelets on Breast Cancer Awareness Day. “
The First Amendment protects schools as a space where students are free to discuss important issues like breast cancer and talk about their bodies in positive terms,” said Reggie Shuford, executive director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. “The court’s decision today is an important reminder to school administrators that they can’t punish students for speaking out just because their speech might be uncomfortable or misunderstood.”
To further education in schools the Keep A Breast created The Non Toxic Revolution Campus Club Program. The program seeks to expand on their mission of educating youth through a youth-based, independent program by bringing our the education of cancer prevention to schools.
Keep A Breast products act as awareness-raising tools, allowing people to engage and start talking about a subject that is scary and taboo and making it positive and upbeat. The merchandise allows people to support KAB and engage in conversation with people that might be going through the same emotions they are feeling, whether that is body image, dealing with the diagnosis of a loved one or their thoughts on cancer.
To build on the love of the awareness bracelets KAB seeked to establish a way to bring together those who want to do more in their schools by truly lowering their risk for cancer by reducing toxins and make positive changes in their communities. The program provides an opportunity for students at any age to be healthy, knowledgeable activists as well as a platform to come together to discuss areas of our schools and local communities that pose potential health risks, educate others about toxins in their environment, and help our communities lower their risk of cancer and disease.
Keep A Breast launched a pilot program at Excel Charter School in Los Angeles. As a team, they created art using trash and taught their school about excessive plastic use, and it’s role in breast cancer initiation. View the video to learn how the club was able to have a tangible impact in their school.
neostar//media 
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