|
Wyoming Sun Safe Schools of Distinction
The Wyoming Sun Safe Schools of Distinction project was formed in an attempt to raise awareness and enhance school policies surrounding sun safety in the state. In order to obtain a sun safe school distinction award, a school must meet various sun safety criteria.
The following criteria are ways in which a school may obtain Sun Safe School status:
Sun Safety Education:
- Include skin cancer and sun protection education in school curricula:
- Integrate sun safety education within both general and health education curricula; and
- These curricula shall be focused on influencing student’s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors while outdoors.
For more information about the US Environmental Protection Agency’s SunWise Program, a FREE comprehensive sun safety curriculum, please visit http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/, or email SunWise at sunwise@epa.gov.
Promotion of Sun Protection Measures:
- Promote outdoor measures to decrease UVA and UVB exposure:
 Encourage students to wear hats, sunglasses, and protective clothing while outdoors; - Provisions to require or allow students to wear hats to protect the face, neck and ears (a no-sharing education component must be implemented in order to protect from infectious problems, such as head lice);
- Encourage students to seek shade, and limit sun exposure during peak hours of sun intensity (this shall not include the elimination or reduction of outdoor physical activity programming); and
- Provisions to require or allow students to bring sunscreen to school and wear it outside.
Sun Safety for School Staff:
- All schools shall develop a worksite sun safety component to ensure that all school staff, especially those who work outdoors a majority of the time, are adequately educated about the following topics:
- The harmful and beneficial effects of the sun;
- The relationship between unprotected skin exposure to the sun and skin cancer, as well as premature aging and wrinkling of the skin;
- Ways to protect the skin, including the use of protective clothing, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and lip balm, as well as limiting exposure when possible and practical, during peak intensity times; and
- The importance of modeling healthy sun-safe behaviors to students.
- This training may happen at a quarterly staff meeting, or during New Employee Orientation.
Evaluation:
- Annual assessment of student sun safety practices and sun burns via the Wyoming Sun Safety Survey;
- Ongoing evaluation of policy development, program implementation, and program outcomes.
Family & Community Involvement:
Families shall be provided information about:
- The causes of skin cancer and ways it can be prevented;
- The sun safe school program;
- Sunscreen sensitivity and allergies;
- The importance of children wearing hats and other protective clothing (also a no-sharing policy pertaining to head lice); and
- Ways that families can reinforce the school-based sun safety program with activities at home; and
- Ways that families can become involved with and support the sun safety program.
If you believe you meet the above criteria, please complete a Wyoming Sun Safe Schools of Distinction Application. For more information and to view the application, click here.
|
