Welcome to the SunAWARE FAQs page!

 A sun safety eLearning interactive educational program developed by the Melanoma Research Foundation. It is designed for children in grades K–5 to promote healthy habits that help to prevent melanoma, skin cancer and sun-related skin damage.

Melanoma is a type of cancer, most often of the skin. It occurs in melanocytes, the cells that produce the pigment melanin that color the skin, hair and eyes. These cells also make moles, or nevi.

How: SunAWARE™ was originally developed as a sun safety curriculum by the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation (CMPF) based in Massachusetts. For years, CMPF worked with educators in schools to teach students the importance of sun safety and melanoma prevention. In 2021, the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) acquired CMPF and the SunAWARE™ curriculum. In order to make this vital curriculum more widely available, the MRF gamified it so that it can be used as a nationwide online e-learning curriculum in elementary schools.

Why: SunAWARE™ is a critical educational tool to teach sun safety and skin cancer prevention for elementary school students in Kindergarten through 5th Grade. By providing fun, engaging, and accessible educational lessons, SunAWARE™ empowers children and families to build lifelong sun-safety habits that help prevent skin cancer.

The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) is the largest independent organization devoted to melanoma. Committed to the support of medical research in finding effective treatments and eventually a cure for melanoma, the MRF also educates patients and physicians about prevention, diagnosis and the treatment of melanoma. The MRF is an active advocate for the melanoma community, helping to raise awareness of this disease and the need for a cure. The MRF’s website is the premier source for melanoma information seekers: m. Find us at melanoma.org. 

All you need is internet access and an email account. Use it in classrooms, as a prerequisite for camps, after school programs, as part of awareness campaigns, and more!

Yes, you can speed up or slow down the audio using the speed icon.

Closed captioning is not currently available. We recognize the importance of accessibility and are exploring options to add this feature in the future.

Currently, SunAWARE™ is available in English only. We recognize the importance of making this resource accessible to more communities and are exploring options to offer it in additional languages in the future.

The MRF does not sell or share student data or use it for advertising. Only the student’s school, teachers, and approved administrators can access their data through Canvas

It depends on the grade level. While all lessons can be either teacher or student-led, we know that younger students benefit from guided instruction, while older students can engage more independently. We recommend the following:

Each grade has its own set of age-appropriate lessons designed to meet students’ developmental needs and learning styles. If a lesson ever feels too advanced or not advanced enough, educators can easily explore content from other grade levels to find the best fit for their students.

Each lesson takes about 20–30 minutes to complete. Students can work through the content at their own pace. Lessons are flexible to fit into existing classroom schedules.

Any device with internet access and an email account. A printer is optional, and no extra supplies are needed.

No training is necessary. The platform is intuitive, user-friendly, and includes built-in guidance and support.

No. The program is completely free, with no subscriptions or additional materials required.

SunAWARE™ supports the National Health Education Standards (NHES) and promotes lifelong sun safety habits, skin checks, and overall health awareness. To see how the standards are addressed, refer to the grade-level content descriptions. For the full NHES list, visit the National Health Education Standards website.

We’re excited you want to join the initiative! Check back soon for details on our SunAWARE™ Ambassador Program, which will offer ways to spread sun safety in your community. You can also email us at education@melanoma.org for guidance on how to bring SunAWARE™ to your school.

Yes! Parents, caregivers, and community leaders are encouraged to use the curriculum.

Just a device with internet access, an email address and a printer (optional) – no training or materials required.

Feel free to jump to a different grade lesson plan. The program is self-paced and flexible for all learning levels.