CalDerm Sun Shade Program

The AAD awards $8000 shade structure grants to public schools and non-profit organizations every year. But every year there are numerous worthy applicants, children and communities in need, that go unfunded. To address this gap, AAD's Adopt a Shade program encourages local dermatologists, community members, and regional organizations to adopt otherwise unfunded shade structure applicants.  

Donate to the Sun Shade Program

This is the inaugural year of CalDerm's partnership with the AAD to fund Adopt-a-Shade applicants in California.   

  • Our first recipient will be Loma Vista Elementary School, a public K-5 school in Ventura, California. The school and its PTA are committed to improving sun protection strategies for their 450 elementary school students, 34% of which qualify for free and reduced school lunch.  

  • As part of our site selection process, we spoke to Dan Stayne, Vice-President of the Loma Vista PTA, and were impressed with his passion for this project and the level of need. Students currently have zero shade in their outdoor spaces, which are used daily and during peak UV hours for lunch, recess, and other outdoor activities.   

  • Loma Vista ranked very highly in the AAD's metrics for determining grant funding, but just missed being funded last cycle. 

With the AAD’s support, CalDerm plans to fundraise amongst our own membership and also fundraise alongside the Loma Vista school community, which is close-knit and highly supportive of this endeavor.

The centerpiece of our fundraising efforts will be a Sun Shade Walk held in Ventura, California. In line with CalDerm’s mission to represent and serve all California dermatologists and their patient communities, the Sun Shade program will also allow us to build alliances with regional dermatologic societies and hopefully recruit dermatologists local to Ventura as on-the-ground volunteers for our Sun Shade Walk.  

Learn More About AAD's Sunshade Program

Following this inaugural effort, CalDerm would love to continue adopting shade structure applicants across the state – including both southern and northern California sites.   

We're very excited about this new collaboration and its goals of providing a direct service to those in need, raising sun protection awareness, and creating an opportunity for local dermatologists to engage with each other and their patient community.