Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world and melanoma is the most common cancer affecting young Australians aged 15-24.

New skin cancer prevention resources have been developed to help educate primary and secondary students about the dangers of spending too much time in the sun.

The Sun and UV at School resources, released by the Cancer Institute NSW, were developed in consultation with the NSW Department of Education, SunSmart and other education sector representatives.

The interactive resources align with the NSW PDHPE and Science K-10 syllabuses and include complete units of work, individual lessons, animations, infographics and class activities.

Cancer Institute NSW CEO Professor David Currow said it was important for children and young people to learn about the risks associated with sun exposure early so they could create good habits as they moved through life.

“We want students to learn about the dangers of sun exposure, but we also want them to know how easy skin cancer is to prevent. It starts with practising sun-safe behaviours at school,” he said.

NSW Department of Education Deputy Secretary, School Performance, Murat Dizdar said teachers played a crucial role in instilling health and wellbeing as a priority among students.

“Teachers can inspire the next generation of Aussie kids to protect their skin from the harmful effects of the sun. We want NSW students to be active and conscious participants in making decisions that safeguard their health and for that reason, the NSW Department of Education is proud to support this initiative,” Mr Dizdar said.

As part of the initiative the Cancer Institute NSW has launched a Sun and UV at School Challenge for NSW schools.

The challenge focuses on the problem-solving elements found within the new resources and encourages students to design fun, functional and innovative spaces that provide essential shade for their school and community.

Download the new learning resources and find out more about the School Challenge from the Cancer Institute NSW website.