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FOR HEALTH EDUCATORS
The SkinCheck® Class for High Schools and Middle Schools
Alternative High School & Middle School Resources
Elementary Schools
Colleges and Universities
Order a Tan to Die For Poster
The SkinCheck® Class for High Schools and Middle Schools
Background: Most high school and middle school students are not well-informed about melanoma. A 1996 CDC survey found that 74% of adolescents and young adults had little or no knowledge of melanoma. Nearly 50% of the general public shared this lack of knowledge. While most students realize that their skin cancer risk is increased by overexposure to sun the impression many have is that skin cancer is "no big deal." Many students also believe they will not develop skin cancer if they change their habits to limit sun exposure and that indoor UV tanning is a safe way to tan. A 1999 nationwide survey of nurses' children found that 7% of 14 year old females and 35% of 17 year old females used UV tanning beds regularly. Our experience is that health teachers are generally not well-informed about melanoma and often do not include the subject in their health courses.
Reality is that melanoma is common, causes the majority of skin cancer deaths, and the most damaging sun exposure has already occurred, and cannot be reversed, by age 18. In addition, at least 30% of melanomas are believed to be unrelated to sun exposure. Sun-protection is ineffective when used as the primary basis of skin cancer education for high school and middle school students!
The SkinCheck® Class is a single-session class on melanoma for students. The goal of the class is to ensure that students are educated about early self-detection and prevention of melanoma. Health educators who watch a one-hour teacher-training video receive a lesson plan, student-video, teacher-resource CD, and student hand-outs that are replenished each year. Over 700 schools have adopted the teacher-friendly class. The teacher-training video and classroom supplies are free for grade 6 - 12 wellness educators in the following areas:
All New England States
Nevada
New York Counties of Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates.
Services and Materials Provided:
- Skin cancer / melanoma teacher-training CD with one-hour narrated Powerpoint presentation for health educators.
- Detailed one-session classroom lesson plan for health educators.
- "Should've, Could've, Would've,” a new (2008) DVD video about melanoma produced for middle school students by the Melanoma Education Foundation. Three young melanoma survivors share their experiences, educating viewers about the mistakes that nearly cost them their lives.
- "My Melanoma Vlog," a new (2008) DVD video on melanoma produced for high school students by the Melanoma Education Foundation is about a student who attends a high school health fair, becomes concerned about skin cancer, searches the internet for more information, and shares what she learns via the popular medium of video blogging.
- “See Spot” bookmarks for all health class (or related course) students each year. The bookmarks, produced by MEF, complement the videos and focus on early detection of melanoma. Bookmark size is 3.5 " x 8.5".
- Quiz / homework exercises, questions and answers.
- A teacher-resource CD with PowerPoint images from the teacher-training presentation, printable classroom documents, and supplementary information.
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Should've, Could've, |
My Melanoma Vlog Video (DVD) |
"See Spot" Bookmark (Side 1) |
New Student Videos
Two new student videos produced by the Melanoma Education Foundation are now available. Extensive student focus group input was utilized at every step of the video development process. Middle school and high school students were asked what they liked and disliked about other health videos and then they evaluated alternative approaches to health-related message delivery for maximum impact and credibility. In the middle school video, "Should've, Could've, Would've," three young melanoma survivors and their families share their experiences, educating viewers on how to avoid mistakes that nearly cost the survivors their lives. "My Melanoma Vlog," the high school video, is about a student who attends a high school health fair and becomes concerned after learning about melanoma and the danger of tanning beds at a skin cancer exhibit. After searching the internet for more information she shares what she has learned with friends through the popular medium of vlogging (video-blogging). |
How to Order SkinCheck Materials
If you teach in an area eligible for free materials (see above) you may submit an on-line request for the free one-hour teacher-training video or click here to download a mail/fax request form. The video will be accompanied by a form and instructions for ordering free classroom materials by mail or on-line.
For high schools and middle schools in other areas teacher-training packages containing the components itemized above and 100 "See Spot" bookmarks may be purchased.
Click here to order educational materials on-line.
Click here to download an order form to mail or fax.
| The next page has a list of schools utilizing the SkinCheck® program. |
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Copyright © 2005 Melanoma Education Foundation. All rights reserved.
This custom-developed 11" x 17" poster warns about the dangers of
tanning beds; posters are shipped first-class in stay-flat mailers.
Click here to order posters on-line.
Click here to download an order form to mail or fax.
Alternative High School & Middle School Resources
A lesson plan for a one and a half class unit to teach high school and middle school students about skin cancer utilizes a Jeopardy® TV show format and is based on this web site. Click here to download it as a pdf file.
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Project SAFETY has produced outstanding sets of materials for educating students in high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools about skin cancer and sun safety. The sets, available on CD ROM, consist of videos, still images, teacher guides, handout masters, and test questions. The video, "SunSpots" (produced in 1993) features a teen and young adults who developed melanoma. SunSpots may be purchased separately as a 16 minute VHS tape; for ordering information send an e-mail message to smadigan@mdanderson.org.
The Mollie Biggane Foundation has a DVD video, "Dark Side of the Sun." that may be downloaded at http://www.molliesfund.org/eduMaterials_DVD.htm.
Unlike high schools and middle schools, sun protection and awareness of UV radiation damage should be the predominant theme in educating elementary school students about skin cancer. Although MEF does not provide direct services to elementary schools there are some excellent resources available. A combination of the 10 minute video, "Gear Up for Summer ," produced by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Project Safety, and EPA SunWise programming materials is highly recommended.
The video may be ordered for $5.00 (including shipping) using an order form that may be printed from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Project Safety web site.
EPA SunWise programming materials include grade-appropriate classroom lessons and activities and is free for participating elementary schools. Complete information and the SunWise School Program Guide is available at http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/.
There are several other organizations and foundations that provide excellent elementary school skin cancer support services. Among them:
The Sun Safety web site of the Environmental Health Center of the National Safety Council
includes a downloadable Sun Safety Activity Guide with activities suitable for grades K-6
The SunSmart web site, operated by the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria (Australia),
includes downloadable teaching materials for primary, middle, and high schools.
Children's Melanoma Prevention Foundation (Massachusetts)
The SHADE Foundation (Arizona and other states)
Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation (Florida)
The Coalition for Skin Cancer Prevention in Maryland has a well-organized educational site with
downloadable information about sun safety, sunscreens, and protective clothing for teachers and students.
Download "The ABCs of Sun Protection for Children," an outstanding article
published in the December, 2005 issue of Dermatology Nursing.
L'Oreal Sunshine is an exceptionally good web site for children (and adults) to learn about the
effects of sun exposure, skin types, the body's natural defenses, and protective measures.
During college-age years vulnerability to melanoma increases dramatically but the majority of college students know little or nothing about melanoma and their susceptibility to it. Like high school students, many college students realize that too much sun causes skin cancer but most do not realize that the type of skin cancer most likely to strike them is common - and deadly if not caught early. Many colleges and universities include skin cancer education as part of annual health fairs but the focus is often on sun avoidance and fails to effectively warn students about their risk of melanoma and the need to check their skin regularly.
Improving Melanoma Education in Colleges & Universities
1. Redundancy is essential. No single method of communication is likely to be entirely effective by itself; try at least two ways of reaching students each academic year. If skin cancer is part of a Spring health fair, consider a Fall e-mail message or article in the campus newspaper urging readers to visit www.skincheck.org.
2. Avoid focusing only on sun protection; aim for balance by first creating an awareness of melanoma and the need for regular self-skin examination, then discussing sun-protection. Otherwise students will ignore sun safety warnings because they don't fully appreciate the consequences. And, although sun protection will reduce additional risk, most melanomas in college-age individuals develop because of past exposure or hereditary factors.
3. If e-mail or other suitable means of communication are available include faculty, staff, parents, and alumni in the distribution of melanoma information. Nearly half of the members of these populations also have little or no knowledge of melanoma.
4. Health information in academic web sites is not likely to be read by a significant fraction of the academic community unless members are driven to the site by independent means of communication such as e-mail or articles in college newsletters or student newspapers. Phrasing of the message is of critical importance because readers will tend to visit the site only if they perceive the reason applies to them individually. If the message only mentions "skin cancer" and/or "sun protection" it may be perceived by readers as non-essential because of previous misconceptions.
5. For community colleges and other commuter campuses in which students lack e-mail access, consider including information in a regularly scheduled mailing. Posters placed in stalls of campus rest rooms also draw attention.
6. Avoid scheduling outdoor athletic events between peak sunlight hours of 10 am and 3 pm. Be especially vigilant in promoting melanoma awareness and prevention to outdoor athletic team members.
From 1999 to 2001, the Melanoma Education Foundation conducted a nationwide campaign to improve awareness of melanoma on college and university campuses in the U.S. E-mail letters were sent to college and university administrators summarizing the dangers and statistics of melanoma and asking them to inform their students, faculty, and staff by e-mail or other means of communication. Over 2500 institutions were contacted; hundreds responded to our message with actions to improve awareness in their campus communities.