Become a SunWise Partner- html version

United States
Environmental Protection Agency

Become a Sunwise Partner

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Make Sun Safety and Ozone Science Part of Your Educational Program

What Is SunWise?

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SunWise is a free, fun, and interactive environmental and health education program that aims to teach children and their care-givers how to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun, through sustained sun-safe behaviors. The SunWise School Program had tremendous success in K through 8 schools. It was pilot-tested in 130 schools in 38 states during the 1999—2000 school year and is now being incorporated as a teaching tool in more than 10,000 schools throughout the nation.

The SunWise program, which meets national science education standards but is not limited to K-8 schools, is designed to provide maximum flexibility as a teaching tool, complementing existing activities and programming. Whether demonstrating the science behind the ozone "hole" or the effects that sun overexposure can have on one's skin, SunWise provides many different lesson options. These activities, including the use of a UV-sensitive frisbee which changes colors when exposed to UV radiation, provide interactive opportunities for learning about sun-safety. Highlighting startling skin cancer statistics, the SunWise program provides important behavior and attitude lessons to students. By understanding the science behind the problem and how it can affect them personally, children walk away from SunWise lessons and activities with a new perspective on the need to practice sun-safe behavior.

Fast Facts

1 in 5 Americans develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

More than 1 million new cases of skin cancer are being diagnosed in the United States this year.

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SunWise in Action

Examples of successful integration of SunWise into museums and other institutions include the following:

The McWane Center in Birmingham, Alabama, hosted two SunWise teacher workshops and a community event to promote protecting the environment and sun safety. In addition, the center uses SunWise kits in its summer camp programs and in its home school curriculum.

The Discovery Museum Science and Space Center in Sacramento, California, uses SunWise as part of its volunteer training program for outdoor events at the museum and as supplemental activities for its summer camps.

The Peggy Museum in Chicago, Illinois, uses SunWise as part of its teacher workshops on climate change, as well as festivals for scout groups and students from its Park Voyagers Afterschool Program.

The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa, Florida, uses SunWise as part of its summer camps and environmental science program for teachers and students.

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Join more than 50 science centers, children's museums, and other institutions across the nation that are teaching kids about sun safety. By integrating the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SunWise program into activities and events with an emphasis on science, these museums are helping thousands of kids understand the importance of sun-safe behaviors to prevent health problems later in life.

You can be part of this exciting initiative and help spread important sun-safety messages by incorporating SunWise into the following types of educational programs:

Day camps, after-school clubs, and health fairs
Professional development and teacher training workshops
Exploration stations and nature trail activities
Community events, family programs, and festivals
Outreach to parks and recreation services
Partnerships with schools or local broadcast meteorologists

SunWise
a program that radiates good ideas

For More Information

To learn more about 2005 SunWise workshops receive a free SunWise kit, or obtain more FAY information about the program, contact:

Gaynelle Bowden of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) at <gbowden@aaas.org> or (202) 326-6674, or

Paula Selzer of EPA at <sunwise@epa.gov> or (202) 343-9361

<www.epa.gov/sunwise>

United States
Environmental Protection Agency Office of Air and Radiation
(6205J)
EPA-430-F-04-047
August 2004
www.epa.gov/osw

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Digital version created: 20 October, 2004
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