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Join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the fight against skin cancer!

EPA’s SunWise program is a national environmental and health education program that teaches children and their caregivers how to be safe in sun.
posted on 4:32 PM, April 24, 2012
Please join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the fight against skin cancer, the most common cancer in the United States and a cancer that takes one life every hour. The good news is that skin cancer is preventable, and we have free tools to help your schools and communities spread the sun safety message.
 
EPA’s SunWise program is a national environmental and health education program that teaches children and their caregivers how to be safe in sun. SunWise distributes a free toolkit with over 50 cross-curricular, standards-based activities for K-8 children. The UV-sensitive Frisbee in the kit is a great tool for inquiry-based activities as well as physical fitness. Surveys have found that students with a SunWise education have 11% fewer sunburns -- the number one preventable risk factor for skin cancer -- and increased knowledge about sun safety when compared to children without a SunWise education. Over 30,000 schools and 5,500 community partners have joined the program since its launch in May 2000.
Please visit www.epa.gov/sunwise for more information as well as online registration.
 
2012 SunWise with SHADE Poster Contest:
Students in grades K-8 are eligible to enter the contest, which is a joint effort by the SHADE Foundation and SunWise to teach children ways to protect their skin and eyes from too much UV exposure. Contest entries are due by April 1, 2012 for two age categories: K-3rd grade and 4th-8th grade. Winning posters will receive state and national prizes, with the overall national winner receiving a family trip to Disney World and a Shade ‘N Net shade structure for their school. Just by registering, classrooms have a chance to win a Smart Board. The top posters will be displayed by the National Children’s Museum in Washington, DC during the summer of 2012. Complete contest details are available at www.shadefoundation.org/poster-contest.php.
 
Don’t Fry Day Pledge and Resources:
The Friday before Memorial Day is the 4th annual Don’t Fry Day! The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention encourages everyone to protect their skin and eyes while enjoying the outdoors, on Don’t Fry Day and every day. We invite you to encourage educators to take the DFD Pledge to teach about sun safety: www.epa.gov/sunwise/dfdpledge.html.
Educators will receive a DFD poster and sun safety stickers as well as be entered into a drawing for a SunWise Classroom Prize Pack -- a classroom set of UV-sensitive beads and other sun safety resources.
 
Sun Safety Certification: This interactive training provides outdoor educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed
to instill life-long sun-safe behaviors in children, and includes a certificate of completion (www.epa.gov/sunwise/tutorial.html).
 
New Media Tools: Download a free sun safety widget or mobile app at www.epa.gov/sunwise/uviresources.html.
 
State-Specific Skin Cancer Fact Sheets: www.epa.gov/sunwise/statefacts.html
 
 
We hope you join us in helping more children and families learn about the importance of sun protection. For more information on any of the above resources, please contact me at rutsch.linda@epa.gov or 202-343-9924.
 
Sincerely,
 
Linda Rutsch
Director, SunWise Program