Secondary Schools
Policy
“First and foremost, schools can create supportive, caring environments that make skin cancer prevention a priority” – U.S. CDC1
In districts that have adopted a comprehensive sun safety policy, we have encountered some schools that seemed to be unaware. If your district does have any written board policy relating to sun protection elements please ensure they are implemented at school, including communication to staff and parents. Sample sun safety “Dear Parent” letters are posted here.
Elements of Sun Protection
Hats, sunscreen, and shade are perhaps the items of greatest interest to school policy makers. Refer to our Elements page for additional details on each individual sun protection item.
Hats
There should not be a ban against all hats at school because this would disallow sun-protective hats. California’s sun safety law permits children to wear a hat at school for sun protection, with schools being given permission to define or limit the type of hat that is allowable. Because baseball caps are not the best suited hat for sun protection, they might be deemed not permissible if the school is concerned about them. Yet, a baseball cap might be the only hat students would consider wearing and, when it comes to sun protection, any hat is better than no hat at all.
Sunscreen
While the FDA classifies sunscreens as over-the-counter drugs (in order to regulate their safety and effectiveness) they certainly should not be prohibited at school under some zero tolerance for drugs policy. Instead, sunscreen use should be strongly encouraged especially for daytime sports events, outdoor classes, etc. If the school provides soap in the restrooms, also provide a sunscreen dispenser in gym locker rooms or on the field.
Classroom Instruction
We, and the CDC, highly recommend the inclusion of instruction on sun safety at each grade level. Sun Safety for Kids is pleased to offer our UV&Me program through which medical students come virtually or in person to your school to give a sun safety presentation.
Classroom Instruction
Sun Safety for Kids and the CDC each highly recommends the inclusion of age-appropriate instruction on sun safety at each grade level. For secondary as well as primary schools in select areas, we offer our UV&Me program through which medical students come to your school to give a sun safety presentation. We also offer our two videos, The Sun Show for Ages 6-8 and for Ages 9-11. Sunny Days Healthy Ways is an evidence-based sun safety curriculum for grades K-5. Sunwise, created by the U.S. EPA, is an educational program for K-8 offering a free tool kit for parents and teachers. The Sunwise program is currently managed by the National Environmental Education Foundation.
UV&Me
Medical students at most universities are encouraged to participate in “service learning” which entails taking the knowledge they’ve acquired in medical school and applying it to volunteer community service. Sun Safety for Kids, as a nonprofit organization, provides an excellent service learning opportunity through our UV&Me program. We support medical students who volunteer to visit a school classroom where they deliver a presentation to teach and motivate the students (of any grade level) to respect the damaging potential of the sun’s UV radiation, and to protect their skin in order to prevent skin cancer. This program is particularly well suited for middle and high school classrooms where the medical student presenters are natural influencers due to their close proximity in age to the class members. For details, visit our website at UVandMe.org.
Shade
If there is any existing shade on the school campus, allow and encourage students to enjoy and benefit from it. In years past, many schools removed trees in favor of lower maintenance asphalt. Now we recognize the importance of trees in removing carbon from the atmosphere. Consider whether new or additional shade trees could be added on campus. Outdoor areas where students are directed to eat lunch or congregate for more than a few minutes should certainly be located in the shade or covered by a shade structure.
UV Index
While we can tell if the temperature is hot or cold, whether it’s light or dark, or whether it’s pouring rain or just a drizzle, we humans cannot sense the level or strength of UV radiation. The UV Index is a forecast predicting the strength of the sun’s skin-damaging ultraviolet radiation on a given day. The higher the value, the faster a person’s skin will be harmed. It can be surprisingly high on a cool and comfortable spring day. Make it a routine to announce the UV Index level along with other school announcements, especially from March through November or whenever the level is 6 or higher in your zip code. Just as you might remind students to “bundle up” on a very cold day, a simple sun safety tip such as “don’t forget to wear your hat” could accompany the UV Index announcement when the level has jumped up. Visit the UV Index page on the US EPA website for more information and to download the app for checking the index level in your area.
Student Store
Sunscreen, sunscreen lip balm, and other sun protective items should definitely be available for purchase at the student store.
Tanning Salon Ads
Like cigarette smoke, ultraviolet light is a carcinogen. Surely your school does not allow advertising by tobacco companies. Ads from indoor tanning salons, which are quite popular around prom season, must also be prohibited.
Don't Fry Day
The Friday before Memorial Day has been designated “Don’t Fry Day” by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention. This particular Friday, the traditional kickoff to the summer season, is an ideal time to remind everyone to protect against frying their skin. Unfortunately, this date comes too late on the calendar for observance at many schools. A highly recommended alternative date, when the UV Index is seriously rising, is the first day of spring.
Spirit Wear
When a school sells or provides personal use items branded with the school name and/or mascot it typically consists of a baseball cap and tee shirt. Consider revising or adding to the catalog with one or more items that are sun-protective. See our Elements section for ideas that could provide students with the benefit of a little sun protection while they show their school pride.
School News & Social Media
Whether journalism is student-produced, published by the school administration, or both, sun safety should be covered frequently. Certainly, updates on the UV Index should be included and accompanied by advice on protective measures.
