Free Shade for Playgrounds: Inside the AAD's 2025 Shade Grant
Your child's school or daycare can get up to $8,000 to build permanent shade that blocks more than 90% of UV — here's how to apply before the 2025 deadline.
The American Academy of Dermatology's Shade Structure Grant Program awards up to $8,000 to schools, childcare centers, and nonprofits serving children under 18 to install permanent shade structures that block more than 90% of UV radiation. The 2025 grant funds were released in March 2025 for use through November 30, 2025.
Dermatologists emphasize that no single measure is enough on its own and that physical shade is an essential layer alongside clothing, hats, and sunscreen — especially for children, whose lifetime UV exposure is heavily shaped by their early years outdoors.
Questions we get a lot
Who is eligible for the AAD Shade Structure Grant?
The program is open to schools, childcare centers, and other nonprofit organizations that serve children younger than 18. Applicants must also have an ongoing sun-safety or sun-awareness program in place. The grant covers a permanent shade structure plus an accompanying sign noting the AAD's support.
How much funding does the grant provide and what's the deadline?
The program awards up to $8,000 toward a permanent shade structure. The 2025 funds were released in March 2025 and had to be used for installations completed by November 30, 2025. Because cycles and deadlines change yearly, always confirm the current dates on the AAD's program page before applying.
Why does permanent shade matter if kids already wear sunscreen?
Sunscreen needs reapplication every two hours and is easily missed or sweated off during recess, so it can't be the only line of defense for a whole playground. A permanent structure that blocks more than 90% of UV protects every child at once, all day, with no reapplication required. Dermatologists treat shade as a core part of layered sun protection, not an optional extra.
r/Teachers: 'Our playground is full sun with zero cover and recess is brutal in spring. Is there actually grant money out there to build shade, or is that a myth?'