KINGSTON, R.I. – May 12, 2025 – “Weather Hunters,” a new PBS KIDS animated STEM series for children ages 5-8 from Al Roker Entertainment (ARE), the production company helmed by Emmy-winning weatherman and beloved host from the TODAY show, will premiere July 7 on PBS KIDS, in English and Spanish. The series includes curriculum development and expert review led by Sara Sweetman, associate professor of environmental education at the University of Rhode Island.
“Weather Hunters” is designed to support kids’ learning about Earth science and meteorology through adventure and comedy to cultivate their awareness, curiosity, and caring about how weather impacts individuals, communities, and our global society.
Sweetman is overseeing the educational mission and content development of the show. With over 15 years of experience in children’s educational STEM media development and research, she has been on project teams developing video, digital games, and learning materials for “Sesame Street,” “The Cat in the Hat Knows a lot about that,” Super Sema,” “Molly of Denali,” and “Elinor Wonders Why,” among others.
“Weather is a great topic to teach science to young learners. It impacts our daily decisions, our clothing, our activities, our mood, our health, our history, and our plans for the future,” said Sweetman. “Our youngest learners will face more severe weather events in their lifetime than generations past. By educating children through media and storytelling we can encourage children to investigate weather phenomena, make sense from data, and take action to prepare and respond as weather interacts with their communities.”
“Weather Hunters” main character is 8-year-old Lily Hunter, voiced by Tandi Fomukong, an observant weather detective who shares her investigations with her family and friends, including dad Al Hunter, voiced by Roker; mom Dot Hunter, voiced by Holly Robinson Peete; sister Corky, voiced by Kapri Ladd; brother Benny, voiced by Lorenzo Ross; neighbor Ms. Joyce, voiced by Sheryl Lee Ralph; and Al’s grandfather Walter Reed Hunter, voiced by LeVar Burton.
“Weather has always been a passion of mine, and inspiring young minds to explore its wonders has been one of the most fulfilling parts of this journey,” said Roker in a media release announcing the project. “With Weather Hunters, I’m thrilled to share that passion with a new generation, including my granddaughter, Sky, who reminds me every day of the importance of leaving a better planet for our kids.”
“Weather Hunters” will explore kid-relatable, STEM-based themes and activities, showcasing the wonder and science of weather in ways that are accessible to all learners. Among the key topics are observing and tracking weather patterns, investigating the weather at different times of the year and in different places around the world, and the connection between weather, humans, and their environment.
Digital content for kids, parents, and teachers will launch in tandem with the series to reinforce the show’s messages and encourage further engagement and learning, with the first game from the series allowing kids to create their very own weather reports.
“Weather impacts all of us every day, from our activities to our health and well-being, and we’re so happy to be collaborating with Al Roker and his team at Al Roker Entertainment on this timely new series that helps teach foundational science concepts in a fun way,” said Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager at PBS KIDS. “Weather Hunters” will help equip kids with the building blocks to start to understand weather overall, and encourage them to use these STEM skills to make observations, collect data, and investigate the weather where they live, too.”