Sunbeatables highlight video
Ray and the Sunbeatables®
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Sun safety program for preschoolers through fifth-grade students
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center created and developed Ray and the Sunbeatables®: A Sun Safety Curriculum. The evidence-based curriculum educates children, parents and teachers about sun protection and promotes sun safety behaviors in an effort to reduce children’s lifetime risk of developing skin cancer.
MD Anderson also teamed up with Scholastic to develop a sun-safety curriculum for students in 3rd to 5th grade.
Visit the Sunbeatables digital platform to access these programs for free.
The Sunbeatables program would not exist were it not for the generous support of Mr. & Mrs. Mark W. Albers, Baker Botts LLP, Farmer Family Foundation, The Lyda Hill Foundation, The John G. and Marie Stella Kenedy Memorial Foundation, Linn Energy LLC, LyondellBasell Industries and The Mays Family Foundation.
Be a Sunbeatables champion
Advocate. Model. Educate. Empower.
ADVOCATE by promoting sun safety and the Sunbeatables program to:
- Preschools
- Elementary schools
- Community-based organizations
And many more!
MODEL the Sunbeatables sun safety superpowers by:
- Using sunscreen
- Playing in the shade
- Wearing protective clothing, hats and sunglasses
EDUCATE our children about the importance of practicing sun safety by implementing the Sunbeatables program at your school. Involve:
- Administrators
- Nurses
- Physical education coaches and teachers
- Classroom teachers
EMPOWER families, educators and the community to practice sun protection. Use the Sunbeatables program resources to make sun safety engaging for children.
In the community
Mom demonstrates sunscreen application for her daughter. Parent and teacher role modeling are important components of the Sunbeatables curriculum.
Student becomes a Sunbeatables superhero by making his own sun safety cape.
Children participate in the “Are Our Shadows Long” activity to learn how shadow length can show the time of day when the sun’s rays are more harmful.
Teacher and her students demonstrate some of their sun safety superpowers on the playground by wearing hats, sunglasses, and protective clothing.
Kindergarten student finds Ray’s superpower of shade on the playground.
Preschool teacher and her student participate in the “Make a Sun Safe Hat” activity using newspaper and art supplies to make a wide-brimmed hat.
Students show off their sun safety superpower of protective hats.
Lessons teach sun safety to preschoolers, first-graders
This summer, many preschoolers across Texas are safely enjoying their vacation time outdoors thanks to Ray and the Sunbeatables, a sun-safety program developed by researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The program has taught sun-safety to more than 3,500 Texas preschoolers in school districts, community organizations and YMCA locations. Nationally, more than 7,000 preschoolers in more than 120 sites have access to the curriculum through a partnership with the CATCH Global Foundation.
Moon Shots Program
Based on years of MD Anderson research, the Sunbeatables program was developed as part of MD Anderson's Melanoma Moon Shot, which focuses on preventing and developing better treatment for the most lethal skin cancer.
Learn more about the Melanoma Moon Shot