Using the viral effect of child-generated posters to disseminate public health education about sun safety in a rural community

We would like to report on a community-based intervention using the viral effect of child-generated posters to disseminate public health information about sun safety in a rural community. The initial seed started with a single person – a local public health prevention expert – who presented evidence-based materials about sun-safety awareness (SunSafe: http://rtips.cancer.gov/rtips/programDetails.do?programId=180266) to one high school teacher. This teacher then shared the materials with her high school student community mentor group (N=36). These student mentors brought the program to the local third grade class (N=66). The third graders, coached by the high school mentors, each created hand-drawn posters with sun safety messages. Of the posters generated, 64 were displayed throughout the community through local businesses. The posters featured sun safety themes such as remembering to wear sunscreen and using cover-up materials (umbrellas, hats, shirts, sunglasses). These posters were featured in the local newspaper serving over 10,000 people, as well as the community outreach newsletter from the local hospital. Employers reported having a sense of community engagement by being involved with poster display. They reported seeing children expressing enjoyment in looking for their posters in the community. Parents reported children acting as teachers to their parents, for example reminding them to wear sunscreen. Local residents, particularly seniors, reported enjoying seeing student work displayed throughout the community. Engaging stakeholders ranging from youth to local businesses using simple tools such as youth-generated hand-drawn posters is an effective strategy for community engagement and public health dissemination in rural areas.