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2008 Poster Contest Semifinalists

The 2008 Winner is Richie Gunnell of Mountain View School in Mesa. His poster was selected from more than 5500 beautiful entries statewide.

The Arizona Department of Health Services & Arizona Diamondbacks' 5th Annual "Be SunWise & Play Smart When It Comes to the Sun" baseball game

Thank you to everyone who entered your wonderful artwork and remember to Be SunWise!

The SunWise Program is a free sun safety curriculum that teaches children how to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun and prevent skin cancer. The SunWise Program is offered free of charge to all Arizona k-8 schools through the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS).

ADHS began promoting the SunWise Program in January 2003. In August 2005, Arizona became the first state to mandate sun safety education by requiring that all k-8 public and charter schools teach the SunWise Skin Cancer Prevention School Program.

The SunWise curriculum features 60 easy-to-use sun safety activity cards that meet state educational standards. SunWise activities incorporate math, science, health, social studies, language arts and critical thinking and average 20 minutes in length. Activities are divided into three age groups: k-2, 3-5 and 6-8. ADHS also offers a free physical education sun safety module for P.E. teachers. No prior sun safety experience is necessary for an educator to successfully and confidently share the SunWise Program with students. The time commitment necessary to implement SunWise is minimal, while the potential payoff in lower skin cancer rates in the future is high. To receive the free curriculum, simply email SunWise Coordinator Sharon McKenna at mckenns@azdhs.gov

On this site, you can also:

  •   Download free SunWise Tip Sheets which can be discussed in class, sent home with students and included in your school newsletter

  •   Download free SunWise sun safety mazes, crossword puzzles and word searches

  •   Contact us to schedule a free SunWise Skin Cancer Prevention School Assembly, district training, faculty workshop, health fair appearance or public sun safety presentation

  •   Participate in our free online Teacher/School Nurse Survey to be eligible for free SunWise beads & view a listing of past winners

  •   Learn more about our annual Skin Cancer Prevention Poster Contest  

Sun safety is important because Arizona ranks No. 2 in the world in skin cancer incidence rates. (Australia is No. 1). Since the majority of a person’s lifetime exposure to the sun occurs by the age of 18, it’s crucial to protect and educate children in order to reduce skin cancer rates in our state. 

The SunWise Program shows students and teachers simple steps they can take to protect themselves from overexposure to the sun. Children also develop an understanding of the environmental concepts related to sun protection and skin cancer. Students demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and reduce health risks at an early age. These good sun safety habits can last a lifetime.

SunWise encourages schools to provide a sun-safe infrastructure, including play areas protected from intense sun and to write policies (e.g., protecting skin with clothing, hats, sunscreen, sunglasses) that promote skin cancer prevention in a school setting.

Though based in schools, SunWise also supports community partnerships to enhance sun safety efforts. ADHS has formed many partnerships to accomplish the program’s sun safety objectives. Primary partners include the American Cancer Society, Arizona Department of Education, Arizona Diamondbacks and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Please explore this website for free downloads and information. Contact Sharon McKenna at mckenns@azdhs.gov for assistance with the SunWise program!

Note: In October 2007, the national SunWise program was suspended but the Arizona SunWise Program remains unaffected.