Education

As Melanoma is the most common cancer in 15-34 year olds in Scotland, it is vitally important that young people are educated on the dangers of the sun and the importance of sun protection. With this in mind, after receiving funding from the Sunter Trust, we formally commenced our Education Project in 2013; visiting 28 schools in the Greater Glasgow Area and reaching over 6,000 pupils.

Since then, thanks to further support from The Robertson Trust, the project has been expanded and we have now reached a total of over 60,000 students across Scotland – delivering a vitally important message about skin cancer, melanoma and sun exposure.

Our Education Project involves training student teachers to deliver interactive lessons to school children on the effects of the sun, over exposure to sun light and the dangers of sun bed use. The aim is to improve knowledge of skin cancer risks. In addition, we provide education in colleges, particularly for those training for outdoor roles, or those working in hairdressing and beauty therapy that may be in a position to spot suspicious skin lesions and alert clients to changes.

MASScot UV Index

 

Melanoma education project schools Scotland
Posters from our school project!

As well as our school education project, we also participate in outdoor events where we speak to the public; raising awareness of skin cancer risks and distributing free sunscreen. Since 2016, we have attended T in the Park, the Tiree Ultra Marathon, as well as other smaller events such as the Bearsden and Milngavie Highland Games.

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T in the Park

Satrosphere Project – We also collaborated with NHS Grampian in providing the content for an interactive learning app, to be exhibited at the Satrosphere Science Centre in Aberdeen. This interactive learning portal will allow children visiting the centre to learn about sun safety in a fun and interactive way.

For more information on our education projects, or if you would like to find out more about getting a visit from MASScot at your college or school, then please get in touch at admin@masscot.org.uk.