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Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 24, 2009

CONTACT:
Joyce Weidler, Managing Director
American Skin Association
212-889-4858

American Skin Association Announces Another Successful Skin Health Education Training Workshop; Program Expands to another 45,000 students

New York, February 24 - American Skin Association (ASA) announced today that its signature skin health education program, The Wonders of Skin: Looking Good, Being Healthy, has expanded into the Fort Worth (Texas) Independent School District, affecting 45,000 school-age children in the Fort Worth region.

The New York Academy of Medicine's Office of School Health Programs, ASA's organization partner for its Skin Health Education Program, conducted a professional development training workshop for 55 health and physical education teachers of grades kindergarten through 12, representing 40 individual schools.

North Texas State University dermatologist, Patrick Keehan, D.O. conducted an informative presentation on contemporary skin health issues and reviewed many common skin diseases. The New York Academy of Medicine professionals described the major public health need to teach skin health for school-age children with the participants. Dr. Keehan was extremely impressed with The Wonders of Skin: Looking Good, Being Healthy curriculum and believes teachers who use this curriculum in their classrooms can have a positive affect in promoting overall skin health and preventing skin disease among youth.

The health and physical education teachers completed the workshop with a comprehensive understanding of The Wonders of Skin: Looking Good, Being Healthy curriculum and the vast array of skin health issues they would face in the classroom. Based on feedback garnered from the session's evaluations, all participants rated the workshop as outstanding, providing them with the informative and helpful materials to incorporate into the classroom.

In fact, one teacher expressed the following: "The Wonders of Skin: Looking Good, Being Healthy program was invaluable in raising my consciousness and ability to teach children about the importance of protecting their skin."

Since its humble beginnings in 1999 in New York City, The Wonders of Skin: Looking Good, Being Healthy program now runs in 2,019 schools across the nation, impacting the lives of over 3 million children. For more information about bringing the program to your school, please contact Edward Diller at The New York Academy of Medicine at 212-822-7267 or ediller@nyam.org.

ABOUT AMERICAN SKIN ASSOCIATION

Founded by volunteers in 1987, American Skin Association (ASA) is dedicated to saving lives and alleviating human suffering caused by the full spectrum of skin disorders and cancer through research, education and prevention programs. ASA supports urgently needed research, expands public knowledge and understanding of the skin's vital role in maintaining good health, and raises awareness about the often-devastating impact of skin conditions. ASA has sponsored groundbreaking studies of 150+ scientists, advancing research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of skin disorders. Its award-winning school health education program, The Wonders of Skin, has also provided vital lessons aimed at preventing skin disease and promoting early intervention to over three million children in over 2,000 schools across the U.S.