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Day after day, as school bells echo
through the hallways, millions of
kids across the nation stream out
of their classrooms and into sun-filled school
yards, playgrounds, and sports fields. While
this is a familiar childhood scene, it also is one
that, without proper pre-
cautions, could endanger
the health of students. Too
much exposure to the sun's
ultraviolet (UV) rays can be harmful to any-
one's health—particularly that of a child.
In the atmosphere, the ozone layer forms a
shield that protects the Earth from the sun's
powerful UV radiation. Scientists have dis-
covered, however, that the ozone layer is thin-
ning and allowing more UV rays to reach the
Earth's surface. Combined with current sun
exposure behaviors, the thinning of the ozone
layer may increase the chance of overexposure
for adults and children. Too much exposure
to UV radiation can cause serious health
problems such as skin cancer,
cataracts, and immune
system suppression.
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Io promote sun-safe behavior at an early age, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the
Sun Wise School Program, a national environmental and
health education program for children. Through the use of classroom,
school, and community components, Sun Wise promotes sun safety by
teaching children and their caregivers how to protect themselves from
overexposure to UV radiation.
The Sun Wise School Program builds upon traditional and innovative
health and science practices already used by U.S. elementary and mid-
dle schools, focusing on simple steps students and teachers can take to
prevent overexposure to the sun. While Sun Wise students learn about
the environmental concepts related to sun protection, they also develop
the ability to practice sustained health-
enhancing behaviors.
Sun Wise was developed in cooperation
with schools and educators. Providing
maximum flexibility, the program's elements
can be used as stand-alone teaching tools or
as supplements to existing school activi-
ties. The time commitment necessary to
take part in Sun Wise is minimal, while the poten-
tial payoff is enormous.
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ne in every five Americans will develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime. This disease, one of the most
serious UV-related health effects, can begin with a simple sunburn that happens years before skin cancer may
develop.
It is important to remember that children of all skin types need to be protected from overexposure to the sun. While it is true
that the incidence of skin cancer is lower in dark-skinned individuals, the disease still occurs in all skin types.
The risk of other UV-related health effects, such as eye damage and immune suppression, is not depend-
upon skin type, and all children must be protected.
ent
By teaching children to take some basic precautions when they're out in the sun—such
as wearing protective clothing and sunglasses, using sunscreen, and seeking shade-
teachers, nurses, parents, and other caregivers can instill life-long protective
habits that reduce the risk of future UV-related health problems.
unWise is a fun and easy way to protect the health of
children. Any school can participate free of charge,
from single or multiple classrooms to entire schools,
or even school districts. The program is designed for
kindergarten through eighth-grade, with specific age-
appropriate materials available for all learning lev-
els. A random sample of participants will be asked
to complete the SunWise Student Survey before and
after implementing at least one of a range of SunWise
activities. Following are some of the activities that SunWise
schools can choose to undertake:
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Teaching cross-curricular classroom lessons and activities.
• Chart, graph, and map UV measurements on
our Internet Learning Site.
Holding schoolwide sun safety events
and assemblies.
• Improving school policies and structural designs to reduce
students' exposure to the most intense UV rays and provide
more shade structures on school grounds.
• Reaching out to the community by forming partnerships with
local businesses and organizations or by hosting guest speakers.
B
y joining EPA's Sun Wise School Program, participants
will have access to the following useful tools to help
teach sun-safe behaviors in the classroom:
SunWise ToolKit-meludes cross-curricular, standards-based
lessons designed for kindergarten through eighth-grade learn-
ing levels and features a range of activities and background
information. Schools also will receive tools to help implement
sun safety school policies, events, structural changes, and
community partnerships.
The SunWise Internet Learning Site and UV Database-is an
interactive medium where students can report and interpret
the daily UV Index and link to addi-
tional Web-based educational
activities and resources.
Additional Materials—
video, posters,
incentives, Web-
based activities,
and more.
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Checking out television, radio, newspaper, and Internet
weather forecasts in many cities across the country can now
give you access to a powerful sun safety tool—the UV
Index. The UV Index assigns a number to the next day's likely UV
radiation levels and categorizes the level of exposure risk for people
who plan to be outdoors.
The National Weather Service (NWS) calculates the UV Index so
that the public can schedule outdoor activities to avoid dangerous
overexposure to the sun. You can find the daily, ZIP code-searchable
UV Index on the Sun Wise Web site at The
UV Index predicts UV radiation levels on a 0 to 10+ scale in the fol-
lowing way:
While it is always important to take precautions against overexposure
to the sun, both children and adults should take particular care to
practice sun-safe behaviors when the UV Index is moderate or higher.
Watch for changes to the UV Index in 2004.
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rotect yourself and your children from overexposure to
UV radiation. Taking the simple precautions listed
below can ensure you enjoy safe fun in the sun.
The sun's UV rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and
4 p.m. To the extent you can, limit exposure to sun during
those hours.
Apply a sunscreen with a sun protection
factor of 15 or higher liberally, and reapply every 2
\ hours or after working, swimming, playing, or exer-
/ cising outdoors. Consult your doctor about sun-
/ screen use for children under 6 months.
The light
source from sunbeds and sunlamps can damage the
skin and unprotected eyes.
Always take precautions against
overexposure, but take special care to adopt sun safety
practices when the UV Index is moderate or higher.
Sunglasses that provide 99 to 100 percent
UVA and UVB protection will greatly reduce eye damage from
sun exposure.
A hat with a wide brim offers good sun protection
for your eyes, ears, face, and the back of your neck.
ways
Staying under cover or indoors is one of the best
to protect yourself from the sun.
Protect other
Wearing tightly-
woven, loose-fitting, and full-length
clothing is a good way to protect
your skin from harmful UV rays.
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