Welcome to the

first issue of the

SunWise Monitor!

Through the

Monitor, EPA will share

important information

about the SunWise School

Program and sun protection with participating

Partner Schools and communities across the country. The SunWise Program

is designed to teach

schoolchildren and their

caregivers how to avoid

overexposure to the sun.

SunWise is already under

way in more than 100

pilot schools and is

preparing for a national

launch in Fall 2000.

Why is EPA championing

sun safety today? Many of

us are becoming more

aware of our impact on the

environment, but some

might not realize that the

consequences of human

behavior stretch far beyond

Earth’s surface. 

Years ago, you probably

didn’t think twice about

using an aerosol spray or

turning on an air-conditioner in your car or home.

Back then, we didn’t know

that the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

released from these

products deplete the

ozone layer, which absorbs

the sun’s harmful ultraviolet

(UV) radiation. 

Since 1996, CFCs and other

ozone-depleting substances

have been banned from

new production in the

United States and other

developed countries, but it

will still take years to repair

the damage already inflicted on the ozone layer. In

the meantime, increased

levels of harmful UV radiation are likely to reach the

Earth, causing skin cancer,

cataracts, immune suppression, and other health

effects. Already, skin cancer

is the most common form

of cancer in the United

States, with more than one

million cases reported

annually.

In this time of increased

risk, EPA’s SunWise School

Program is an important

tool for the protection of

our health and the health

of our children.

On behalf of EPA, I would

like to thank you for your

continued support of this

vital program. Through

our combined efforts,

SunWise will play an integral role in assuring the

health and awareness of

children and caregivers.

Welcome to the

SunWise Monitor

by Bob Perciasepe, Assistant Administrator for Air and

Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

An Update on EPA's SunWise School Progr

Are you keeping yourself and y

children safe in the sun? The 

safety tips below are the corne

of the SunWise School Progra

a good way for anyone to reduce the risk 

UV-related health damage. Other than st

indoors, no single step can fully protect y

from overexposure to UV radiation, so fo

many of the action steps as possible.

Limit Time in the Midday Sun

The sun’s rays are strongest between 

10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Whenever possible, limit

exposure to the sun during these hours.

Wear Sunglasses That Block 99 to 100

Percent of UV Radiation

Sunglasses that provide 99 to 100 percent

UVA and UVB protection will greatly reduce

sun exposure that can lead to cataracts and

other eye damage. Check the label when 

buying sunglasses.

Wear a Hat

A hat with a wide brim offers good sun 

protection for your eyes, ears, face, and the

back of your neck—areas particularly prone to

overexposure to the sun.

Seek Shade

Staying under cover is one of the best ways to

protect yourself from the sun. Remember the

shadow rule: ”Watch Your Shadow—No

Shadow, Seek Shade.”

Cover Up

Wearing tightly woven, loose-fitting, and fulllength clothing is a good way to protect your

skin from the sun’s UV rays.

Always Use Sunscreen

Apply sunscreen liberally on exposed skin and

reapply every 2 hours when working or playing

outdoors. Even waterproof sunscreen can

come off when you towel off sweat or water.

Watch for the UV Index

The UV Index provides important information

to help you plan your outdoor activities in

ways that prevent overexposure to the sun.

Developed by the National Weather Service

(NWS) and EPA, the UV Index is issued daily in

selected cities across the United States.

Avoid Sunlamps and Tanning Salons

The light source from sunbeds and sunlamps

damages the skin and unprotected eyes. It’s a

good idea to avoid artificial sources of UV light.
S

tudents in Glendora, California,

are using technology to explore

the science behind SunWise.

Greg Morrison’s science class at

Goddard Middle School uses many

tools, including the Internet, CDROMs, videos, and laboratory experiments to collect, report, and analyze

UV-related data. In a favorite class

activity, students use hand-held UV

monitors, available from EPA, to

measure the intensity of UV rays at

ground level. After gathering these

data, 

resul

With 

Club

Morr

ment 

stude

the e

skin 

obser

light 

spon

UV r

Sun Scientists Use Te

SunWise Milestones

Winter 1996

Conceived SunWise School

Program.

Spring 1997

Held initial brainstorming meeting

with stakeholders.

Early 1998

Examined other sun protection programs and

developed tenets of SunWise School Program.

Mid 1998

Partnered with a number of health and weather

organizations and held stakeholder meeting to

develop and implement SunWise School Program.

Summer and 

Held meetings with c

ning teams. Began p

SunWise School Pro

Cause Blindness

D

on’t believe everything you hear! An e-mail story

disseminated widely this past spring claimed that

waterproof sunscreen causes blindness in numerous children every year. Neither the American

Academy of Ophthalmology, the Poison Control Center,

the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nor any

sunscreen manufacturers, have ever heard of a person

being blinded by sunscreen. 

The most severe eye injury that sunscreen could cause is

an abrasion of the surface of the eye, which could result

in moderate discomfort during the healing process but

no long-term effects. If sunscreen does get in the eye, the

Academy suggests rinsing with water and seeing an eye

doctor if the pain does not subside. 

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, a

person receives approximately 80 percent of his or her

lifetime sun exposure by the age of 18. Preventing overexposure in childhood by following the action steps for

sun protection, therefore, is essential to preventing skin

cancer later in life. (See “Take Action,” p.1.)

Shop SunWise: Look for Changes in Sunscreen Labels

S

unscreen already

tops the shopping

list of any SunWise

consumer. Now,

new labeling changes aim

to help shoppers make a

more informed decision

on sun protection. 

In May 1999, FDA finalized

labeling requirements for

over-the-counter sunscreen

products. While the regulations call for the discontinuation of terms that might

be misleading, such as

“sunblock,” or “waterproof,” the most important

label change will be the

appearance of FDA’s three

new sun protection categories. Devised to help consumers choose the right

SPF level for their needs,

the optional rankings will

appear as follows:

• Minimal—SPF levels

from 2 to below 12. 

• Moderate—SPF levels

from 12 to below 30.

• High—SPF levels of 30

and higher. 

Specific SPF numbers will

continue to appear on

product labels, though the

highest category will be

“30+” for values above 30.

Under these new labeling

regulations, you’ll also

start seeing a “sun alert”

statement on products discussing the important role

of sunscreen in overall

sun-related health protection. Products that won’t

screen out the sun’s harmful rays must be marked as

well. Labels on tanning

lotions, which do not contain sunscreen, must feature a warning about their

lack of protection against

sun exposure.

For more information 

on FDA’s new regulations, 

consult its Web site at

<www.fda.gov>.

In the Su

Read about SunWise in action! 

SunWise stories from students a

2

m
n upload their

e Web site. 

ocal Rotary

Grant Program,

r popular experive beads to teach

n’s UV rays and

ation on human

ide, students

nging from clear,

colors, corregth of the sun’s

s then examine

and record the effectiveness of different

types of sun protection, covering the

beads with sunscreens of various SPF

levels, sunglasses, wet and dry clothing, and plastic.

In addition, Morrison uses video

tapes of national newscasts about the

ozone layer, which further demonstrate the scope and breadth of the

subject. All these sun-science activities and students’ work are featured

on Morrison’s class Web site,

<www.morrisonlabs.com>.

y

For more information:

Greg Morrison

Goddard Middle School

859 E. Sierra Madre

Glendora, CA 91741

gm@morrisonlabs.com

r 1998

d SunWise School Program

: <www.epa.gov/sunwise>.

May 1999

Conducted pilot testing

(phase I) with 25 participating schools.

Summer 1999

Evaluated SunWise progress to date and

make improvements to the program.

September 1999 to June 2000

Conduct pilot testing (phase II) with more than

100 participating schools.

May 2000

Hold press event to announce debut 

SunWise School Program across the c

Fall 2000

Launch SunWise Sc

Program nationwide

For more information:

Cheryl Cook

Medway Middle School

45 Holliston Street, Medway, MA 

508 533-7654 ext. 5328

Lessons Hi

Home

tudents at Medway 

School in Medway,

Massachusetts, witn

first-hand the effec

overexposure to the sun. T

remember seeing teacher C

Cook walking the halls aft

reconstructive facial surger

skin cancer. 

“Due to the size and placem

the tumor, I was quite a sigh

kids who weren’t in my class 

who I was,” explained Cook. 

why my efforts to educate kid

the sun have been so successf

don’t want what happened to 

happen to them.”

Cook—along with her teachin

Maureen Leighton—has incorp

numerous SunWise activities in

lessons of her two seventh-grad

In addition to using many of the 

provided by the SunWise Schoo

she invented “SunWise Bingo” an

helped students develop skits, po

commercials, and songs about su

tion. One skit was called “Sizzle N

another took the form of a talk sh

special guest “U.T. Violet.” 

Cook’s students volunteer each day 

measurements of UV intensity outs

post results twice a day on a bulleti

She also encourages the Weather Se

to announce the UV Index each mor

As a culminating activity for the 199

school year, Cook created a video do

students’ performances and creative i

“I am pleased to be part of the SunWi

gram,” she says, “because it is a good 

for my students.”

ise Spotlight...

ing articles share some exciting 

s in partner schools across the country. 

S

unWise seventh graders in Brownstown, Michigan, took

the sting out of an annual school event by encouraging

fellow students to practice sun-safe behavior. Every June

at Brownstown Middle School, students spend a “field

day” competing in outdoor events. Unfortunately, just as field

day was a Brownstown tradition, so were the many sunburned students in school the following Monday. 

This year was different, however, thanks to the SunWise

School Program and the students in 6th grade and the 7th

grade health classes. As participants in the SunWise pilot, the

students launched a sun-safe campaign for the field day,

encouraging their schoolmates to use sunscreen, hats, and

sunglasses during the event. To spread the safety message, the

classes created posters to hang in the school’s hallways and

asked local businesses to donate sunscreen for the students to

use on the field day. According to Mary Ann Moore, the 7th

grade teacher, there were no occurrences of severe sunburns

at this year’s field day.

The Brownstown students put their SunWise knowledge

into practice again this past Arbor Day when they planted 

3-foot oak saplings on the school grounds. Eventually, these

trees will provide protective shade for students participating

in outdoor activities.

mation:

e

ddle School

Road

I 48174

@netscape.net

Having a SunWise Field Day

S
SunWise School

Program

SunWise School Program

Internet Learning Site

www.epa.gov/sunwise

An excellent source for

information on the

SunWise School Program,

this Web site includes general information on ozone

depletion, UV radiation,

UV health effects, and sunsafety tips. The site also

includes an online registration form for joining the

SunWise Program, as well

as links to other informative educational sites.

Students and teachers can

currently use the site to

report and interpret daily

measurements of UV data.

As the SunWise Program

develops, additional features and activities,

including games and

experiments, will be added

to the site. 

SunWise School 

Program Guide

This guide provides information about the SunWise

School Program, details

how to become a Partner

school, describes tools

available to Partner

schools, and explains how

the program will be evaluated. The guide may be

downloaded as a 322K

Adobe Acrobat (PDF

Format) file from the

SunWise School Program

Web site (see address

above). To order a hard

copy of the guide, contact

EPA’s Stratospheric Ozone

Information Hotline at

800 296-1996. For additional information, contact

Linda Rutsch of the

SunWise School

Program at 

202 564-2261.

General 

Sun-Safety and

Ozone Science

The Sun, UV, and You: A

Guide to SunWise Behavior

This newly updated booklet presents the science

behind UV radiation and

stratospheric ozone and the

health risks associated with

overexposure to the sun. It

also provides steps for protecting yourself and your

children, defines the UV

Index, and provides a list

of additional resources. 

SunWise Fact Sheet

A number of short, 

ative factsheets also 

available:

• Health Effects of

Overexposure to t

• Action Steps for S

Protection

• Ozone Depletion 

• Ultraviolet Radiat

Kids Korner

Teachers and their S

students are invited 

submit articles abou

activities, story idea

work, and sun-safet

ect ideas to be featu

future issues of the 

Monitor. You can se

materials to Linda R

at <rutsch.linda@ep

or U.S. EPA (Mail

6205J), 401 M St

SW., Washington

20460. 

R ES O U R C ES

ence behind UV radiation and the ozone la

Check out the many electronic and print res

EPA makes available to the public free of ch

United States 

Environmental Protection Agency

(6205J)

Washington, DC 20460

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use

$300

The SunWise School Program is an Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) 

2Printed on paper that contains at least 30 percent postconsumer fiber.

For more information 

or to obtain copies of 

these resources, visit the

SunWise Web site at

<www.epa.gov/sunwise>

or contact Kevin Rosseel 

of EPA at 202 564-9731.