Coolibar’s school sun hat contest is now open for entries! If you have a child in school or are a teacher, enter to win up to 50 kids hats for your classroom! We’ll be drawing the names of five lucky winners.

While the teacher doesn’t typically require sun protection, it’s a back-to-school item parents should strongly consider. Not all schools allow hats or sunscreen, and we hope schools change their policies in the near future. All the same, we have suggestions to ensure your child is sun safe.

Mother Jesse Michener of Tacoma, WA walked into her home after work on June 19th to find her two daughters had both severely sunburned that day while at school. Horrified, Michener immediately marched into the principal’s office only to learn that the school cannot allow sunscreen use on students due to a statewide policy and for liability reasons. The same policy exists in 49 states.

May has been declared Skin Cancer Awareness Month by the Centers for Disease Control. Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon. Take advantage of the wealth of skin cancer prevention resources available next month so you can become SunAWARE and help prevent and detect skin cancers.

Does your child wear a hat on the playground during recess? If not, your child is not the only one. Many elementary schools in the U.S. ban students from wearing hats on school grounds. As a result, children are left exposed to peak ultraviolet radiation on the playground. Read about ways you can protect your children during school hours.

Sun protection is a passionate subject for many people who have been impacted by cancer. Ellery, a high school freshman and Girl Scout, has been involved in fundraisers for treatments and cures of cancers. Now, Ellery has made it her mission to help educate young students and school officials about sun protection and show them that it’s possible to effectively, and inexpensively, protect students from the sun’s harmful UV rays during outdoor recess and activities.

The Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation (CMPF) began delivering skin cancer prevention education to school children in 2003. Maryellen Maguire-Eisen, an oncology/dermatology nurse practitioner, founded the organization to help children better understand UV intensity and utilize sun protection as most skin cancers are preventable and easily treated when detected early. CMPF’s SunAWARE Program provides a specialized curriculum for students in grades K – 12.

Parents of school aged children, are you concerned that your child is being exposed to dangerous UV rays during recess and at the bus-stop? If so, you may be interested in learning how to implement sun protection at your child’s school. Read on to see how a local dermatology office got Coolibar sun protective hats on the heads of kindergarteners at a school in Spokane, WA, and sun protection education into their classrooms.

The 2011 Coolibar School Sun Hat Contest had over 750 entries from students, teachers, PTA members, and nonprofit organizations from across the US. We even had a few entries from Australia! Thanks to the efforts of the five lucky winners, entire classrooms of students will be able to safely enjoy the summer sun, and stay well protected beneath their new Coolibar Sun Hats!

Dermatologist Dr. Jaime Davis of Uptown Dermatology talks about the Coolibar School Sun Hat Program (which provides sun hats to children at a discounted rate) and why it’s important to start sun safe habits early.