Just one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence may double the chances of developing melanoma later in life. At the State Board of Education's February meeting, Miss Arkansas Teen, Mallory Stuckey, a student at Rison High School, shared her concerns about the sun's effects on unprotected skin and requested that the board declare May 6-May 10 as Sun Safety Week. Miss Stuckey again appeared before the State Board of Education at its meeting on April 11, 2024, where the board signed the declaration.
As part of the Arkansas State Board of Education’s recognition of May as Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month and declaration of May 6-May 10 as Sun Safety Week, Arkansas public schools are encouraged to participate in Sun Safety Week activities and share information with students about the sun's effects on unprotected skin. School-based programs on sun safety are an effective way to teach children at an early age how to protect themselves and help decrease their risk of developing skin cancer as adults.
Sun Safety Week
Daily themes related to Sun Safety can be found in the Sun Safety Week Flier developed by Miss Stuckey, available on the Arkansas Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), website at the following link:
https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Sun_Safety_Week_Flier_2024_LS.pdf
The Sun Safety Week Elementary Activity Book, also developed by Miss Stuckey, includes coloring
pages with links to read alouds, videos,
and other activities for elementary students, related to Sun Safety Week, and can
also be found on
the DESE website at the following link:
https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/Sun_Safety_Week_Elementary_Activity_Book_LS.pdf
Additional information regarding Sun Safety Education can be found on the CDC website at:
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/what_cdc_is_doing/guidelines.htm