The Melanoma Research Foundation to Acquire the SunAWARE for Life Curriculum for Melanoma Prevention in Youth


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The Melanoma Research Foundation, the largest independent organization devoted to melanoma, today announced that it will be acquiring the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation’s (CMPF) SunAWARE for Life curriculum to ensure that the wonderful work that has been done over the past 18 years continues and grows into an even larger national program.

The SunAWARE for Life program is a school curriculum and community education initiative aligned with the National Health Education Standards that is designed to promote sun protection and skin cancer prevention in children, teens and adults. The program is divided into content groupings for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12 to ensure the material is easy to understand and relevant to each age group. The virtual content of the program allows educators to facilitate an engaging, entertaining and interactive program customized to the individual needs of the school or organization, illustrating UV exposure, sun damage and proper sunscreen application.

“We share the strong commitment of CMPF to educate and prevent skin cancer in our most vulnerable population,” said MRF CEO Kyleigh LiPira. “Experiencing just 5 blistering sunburns during childhood and adolescence increases your risk of melanoma by 80%, making sun protection especially important in these early years.”

The SunAWARE for Life curriculum will be integrated into the MRF’s Education Institute, making this critically important resource available to the millions of users who visit the MRF website annually. Thanks to the forward looking, innovative work of the CMPF, new video lessons make the program completely accessible in a digital format designed for home, hybrid or in-school learning.

“Following this 18-year journey, we are so pleased to now be part of the largest independent organization devoted to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of melanoma,” shared CMPF Founder and Executive Director Maryellen Maguire-Eisen. “We have been working with their team to help plan for the utilization and implementation of our SunAWARE curriculum and program resources through the MRF platform. It is abundantly clear that their culture, work ethic and commitment to preventing melanoma is perfectly aligned with ours.”

“Melanoma education is a foundational pillar of the MRF’s mission with a strategic focus on prevention,” said MRF Board Chair Doug Brodman. “We applaud the exceptional leadership of the CMPF staff and board to promote a lifetime of sun safe behaviors and are proud to share this with an even wider audience through the MRF Education Institute.”

To learn more about the life-saving importance of melanoma prevention at every age, visit http://www.melanoma.org/prevention.

About the Melanoma Research Foundation

The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) is the largest independent organization devoted to melanoma. Since 1998, the MRF has funded over $20.1 million in melanoma research, transforming the landscape of treatment development. 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 a committed advocate for the melanoma community, helping to raise awareness of the disease and the need for a cure. The MRF’s website is the premier source for melanoma information seekers. More information is available at https://www.melanoma.org. Find the MRF on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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