SunSense Certification

Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, despite being HIGHLY PREVENTABLE.

The SunSense Certification acknowledges and celebrates schools that have created a sun safe environment to protect students and staff from harmful ultraviolet radiation. By using a multi-component approach that engages parents, staff and students, schools can influence sun safety behaviours and create a sun safe culture within the school community.

Learning about sun safety and how to enjoy the outdoors in a healthy and safe way is an essential part of every child's education

Please contact us at: sunsense@ontario.cancer.ca

Register Your School

• How does my school get Certified?

  Schools can gain the title of being a SunSense Certified school by completing a 7-step process outlined in the Certification Guide. At each step, schools will earn points by completing key milestones and activities. Schools that earn enough points are awarded a Gold, Silver, or Bronze level SunSense certificate.

  Please review the Certification Guide to learn more about the certification process and the activities your school can complete.

  Important Dates

  September 3, 2019	Registrations open (There is a deadline to register for this program, register early!)
  November 8, 2019	Deadline to register (There is a limit to registrations for this program, register early!)
  March 13, 2020 (new deadline)	Progress Report due (includes information about steps 2 & 3)
  June 12, 2020	Submit Final Report
  June 22, 2020 (week of)	Certificates Awarded

• Why should SunSense be practiced in schools?

  Research indicates that childhood exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is an important contributing factor to the development of skin cancer later in life. But staying inside is not the answer. As Canadian children are spending more time indoors in front of screens, it is imperative that they enjoy the health and wellness benefits of being in the outdoors.

  Given students are at school during the highest UVR risk period of the day - between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM - schools can play a major role in both minimizing student's exposure and positively influencing student behaviour by establishing routines that foster healthy, safe enjoyment of the outdoors.

• Program Resources
  The Canadian Cancer Society provides a number of FREE tools and resources to assist you in meeting your goals. The documents listed below can be downloaded here FREE. UV Bracelets, Fortune Tellers, Parent Information Cards and Posters are available to schools registered in the SunSense certification program. An order form for these materials is included in the registration form.
  

  
  

  	Certification Guide The Certification Guide provides detailed information on the certification process and how to earn points towards becoming a SunSense Certified School. Download Certification Guide
  	Shade Guide (NEW!) The Shade Guide provides information on completing a shade audit and planning for shade on your school grounds.  Download Shade Guide
  	Teaching Guide Grades 1-3 The Teaching Guide provides lessons and activities on sun safety and provides ideas on how to use the UV bracelets. A presentation slide deck is also included to assist in delivering the lesson. Download Teaching Guide Grades 1-3 Download Slide Deck Grades 1-3
  	Teaching Guide Grades 4-6 The Teaching Guide provides lessons and activities on sun safety and provides ideas on how to use the UV bracelets and baggage tags in the lesson. A presentation slide deck is also included to assist in delivering the lesson. Download Teaching Guide Grades 4-6 Download Slide Deck Grades 4-6
  	Letter to Parents This letter can be sent to parents to let them know that their children are learning about sun safety. It is a nice way to also educate parents and encourage them to reinforce these lessons at home. There is one letter for Grades 1-3 and one letter for Grades 4-6 Download Letter Grades 1-3 Download Letter Grades 4-6
  	On-demand Webinar for Educators This 20-minute webinar has been developed as part of our SunSense program to provide educators in elementary schools a greater understanding of sun safety and skin cancer prevention in schools. This webinar will also provide an overview of the SunSense program and the FREE resources available to schools that register for the program. To view the on-demand webinar click here
  	Fact Sheet The Fact Sheet can be used to educate parents, staff and students about skin cancer risk and the importance of practicing SunSense. These facts and stats really highlight the need for early intervention to prevent skin cancer. Download Fact Sheet
  	Parent Information Card These cards can be distributed to parents of children in the school to educate them on sun safety and help reinforce the lesson learned at school Download Parent Information Card Also available to order with registration.
  	Policy Guide The policy guide outlines a step-by-step process to develop and implement a sun protection policy for schools. This can also be adapted for other places where children play, learn and are cared for, including camps, post-secondary schools and child care centres. Download Policy Guide
  	Activity Sheets Activity sheets are provided as additional teaching tools to reinforce lessons already learned about sun sense and to test sun safety knowledge. Download Trivia Sheet Download Crossword Download Word Scramble
  	Poster The poster highlights key SunSense tips on how to enjoy the outdoors safety. Posters can be displayed across the school to remind students to practice SunSense. Download Poster Also available to order with registration
  	UV Bracelets Ultra Violet (UV) beads come with a string that can be assembled in the form of a bracelet. Students can wear these as a reminder of the presence of UV rays and to practice SunSense when outdoors in the sun. Each package comes enclosed with SunSense tips. The Teaching Guides above include lesson plan activities using the UV Bracelets. Available to order with registration.
  	Fortune Teller The fortune teller, sometimes called a chatterbox, uses origami to create a trivia game with questions about SunSense practices. Available to order with registration.

  For any questions, please contact the SunSense program lead at the Canadian Cancer Society at:

  sunsense@ontario.cancer.ca.

  To register and order materials, click here.

• Videos

  Videos can be a great tool to educate and share information. Below are videos that can be used alone or as part of a SunSense lesson plan.

  	Slip, Slap, Slop, Seek, Slide - Sid the Seagull Sid the Seagull shares a fun and catchy song to help remember the 5 S' of SunSense. Source: Cancer Council of Victoria Watch the video
  	#newfamilyrule This video is a great resource to share with parents. newfamilyrule.com has tips for families to protect their skin from the sun, and fun stuff and activities for kids. #newfamilyrule is a joint initiative of the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund & the Douglas Wright Foundation. newfamilyrule.com
  	Why Shade Matters This video highlights the importance of shade and provides insights on shade design and planning. Developed by the Shade Working Group of Waterloo, Canadian Cancer Society and Evergreen (2016) Watch the video
  	Screen Me Sun Safety Sing-a-Long A fun tool for teaching children about sun safety and how to apply sunscreen. Source: Melanoma Network of Canada Watch the Video

• Documents for registered schools

  To become SunSense Certified, each school must complete and submit two reports to the Canadian Cancer Society. These reports can be found below as well as additional tools to help you in planning and meeting your goals.

  Progress Report: Due February 7, 2020

  Final Report: Due June 12, 2020

  Letter of Support	Planning Worksheet	Checklist of Current Practices
  Progress Report Form	Final Report Form	Certification Guide

• Practice SunSense

  While the cause of many cancers remains unknown, the reason for this most common cancer is too many sunburns and too much UVR exposure over many years. 1 in 7 people will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime; however, we know that this disease is largely preventable. People under the age of 18 are at the highest risk. Children and youth spend more time outside than adults do - in fact, 80% of people's exposure to UVR occurs before the age of 18.

  Use your SunSense to protect yourself from harmful UV rays by practicing the 5 S':

  

  

  

  

  

  Learn more about being sun safe and test how sun savvy you are by visiting cancer.ca.

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