What is the purpose of DIGA’s Sun Protection Committee?
- Our goal is to promote public awareness regarding the importance of sun protection in an effort to decrease the incidence of skin cancer. We will try to provide you with resources and ideas to set up events or programs focused on increasing sun protective behaviors in both children and adults.
How can your school’s dermatology interest group promote sun protection?
- Set up brief educational sessions at local elementary schools using Sunwise or Stay Shady! resources (see below)
- Distribute informational fliers, pamphlets, and/or posters
- Set up an AAD sponsored skin cancer screening at your medical school
- Contact local K-12 schools to help set them up with The Wonders of Skin: Looking Good, Being Healthy program (see below)
- Contact local schools to help them get their playgrounds covered with the Shade Structure program (see below)
- Contact local officials about skin cancer rates in your state (statistics can be found here at the EPA site)
How can I organize a skin cancer screening at my school?
- See document from the AAD site attached below, which clearly outlines who to contact and the steps necessary to set up a successful screening
What sun protection programs/resources are available to your group?
a. Environmental and health education program aimed at teaching children (K-8) and their caregivers about sun protection
b. Order
FREE sun protection brochures, storybooks, activity books/kits, fact sheets, or posters
here (offered in Spanish as well)
c. Join Sunwise
here and receive a free UV sensitive frisbee and powerpoint presentations
d. Download an app for viewing the UV index on your smartphone
here
a. A free program aimed at providing K-12 schools with a comprehensive skin health education curriculum, onsite professional development training workshops, student materials, and ongoing consultation.
b. Further information can be found at their website and in the documents attached below
- Stay Shady! – developed by UTMB Dermatology Interest Group
a. Educational presentations and scripts for school-age kids are attached below. There are two versions, one focused on a winter audience and the other on a summer audience.
- Shade Structure Program – sponsored by American Academy of Dermatology
a. AAD offers about 35-40 grants ($8,000 each) each year for purchase of permanent shade structures at schools that demonstrate an ongoing commitment to sun safety and skin cancer awareness. In 2010, they received around 500 applications.
Where can I get free fliers, pamphlets, and posters?
- From DIGA – we have developed a sun protection pamphlet aimed at an adult population, see attachment below
- Sunwise Program – will mail hard copies to you free of charge
- AAD Site – free to download and print
- Sunsmart – free to download and print (sponsored by Cancer Research UK)
- American Skin Association – Contact: Stacy Rock, stacy@americanskin.org, 212-889-4858, will mail hard copies to you
Where can I distribute fliers, pamphlets, and posters?
- High schools (contact health education teachers)
- Student-run free clinics
- Primary care clinics
- Hospital employee programs
- Student health centers at colleges or medical schools
- Massage centers or spas
- Salons
- Local fitness or rec centers
- Sororities/fraternities at local colleges (pledge to stop using tanning beds)
What is the best way to distribute fliers and pamphlets?
- Contact school, clinic, salon, etc to determine their level of interest
- Get in touch with the local drug rep at your school’s dermatology department and request sunscreen samples that can be distributed along with the pamphlets
How do I continue to promote sun protection during the winter and year-round?
- Focus on promoting sunscreen use and sun protective behaviors while skiing, snowboarding, playing in the snow, etc, as snow can reflect UV rays and increase the chance of sunburn
- Emphasize that even on cloudy days, a substantial amount of ultraviolet radiation can reach the earth’s surface and cause skin damage
- Demonstrate the value of using the UV index to determine which days require extra sun protection
- Stress that tanning beds are just as, if not more, harmful than regular sun tanning
If you have any questions regarding these resources or if you have any additional ideas/suggestions, please contact the Sun Protection Committee chairs, Blake Sampson (blake.sampson@derminterest.org).