Grant for Jackson could mean shade structures

       A $10,000 grant could have Jackson Elementary “made in the shade.”
       School nurse Betsy Stringer, who wrote the successful grant for the Westside school and one other in District 11, said the money will likely be used for shade structures and/or trees, an awareness program and protective gear such as floppy hats, sun screen and sunglasses.
       The grant was awarded last month from Sun Safety Colorado, through the Colorado Department of Education, and is intended to reduce the risk of school children from skin cancer.
       “Colorado has one of the highest rates for melanoma,” said Stringer, who also is school nurse for West Middle School. “It comes from exposure to sun early in life…. The reason I picked Jackson is it has no shade. You can't get out of the sun if you want to.”
       Jackson Principal Anne Dancy said she supports the effort. “From a health perspective, we need more awareness of health issues regarding skin cancers,” she said.
       “We're looking at possibly building structures on the playground.”
       None of the grant money is going for salaries, Stringer noted.

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