Tuning in to the weather: URI’s Sara Sweetman sharing expertise on award-winning PBS Kids show

KINGSTON, R.I. – Jan. 30, 2026 – Like most Rhode Islanders, University of Rhode Island environmental education professor Sara Sweetman has been watching the weather this winter, and hopes that youth are watching, too.

A show she is contributing to, Weather Hunters, has received the Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award from the American Library Association. The PBS KIDS animated STEM series aimed for children ages 5-8 is produced by Al Roker Entertainment, helmed by the Emmy-winning weatherman and beloved TODAY show host. The award is given to the producer of the most distinguished digital media for an early learning audience produced in the United States.

Weather Hunters recently won an award from the American Library Association. (Photo courtesy Weather Hunters Inc.)

Sweetman provides curriculum development and expert review for the show, which is designed to support children learning about Earth science and meteorology through adventure and comedy to cultivate their awareness, curiosity, and interest in how weather impacts individuals, communities, and our global society. And, since the show’s July premiere, young viewers are tuning in to the topic.

An associate professor in URI’s Feinstein College of Education, Sweetman also leads the new environmental education degree program at URI, one of a few such degrees in the country, where URI students engage in place-based education at zoos, aquariums, and nature centers across the region. She also is an advisor for a variety of children’s media, including Sesame Street and The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, where she works with show teams to ensure that content being delivered will provide meaningful learning opportunities for children and their families. She also has played a lead role in the Guiding Education in Math and Science Network (GEMS-Net), a school-university partnership focused on continual improvement in STEM teaching and learning in Rhode Island.

Sweetman describes the team she’s working with on Weather Hunters as “passionate and thoughtful.”

Producers WeatherHunters Inc. and Silver Creek Falls Entertainment Inc. are the 2026 recipients of the Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award for Weather Hunters. The award was announced earlier this week by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, during the ALA’s Youth Media Awards announcements in Chicago.

Weather Hunters explores kid-relatable, STEM-based themes and activities, showcasing the wonder and science of weather in ways that are accessible to all learners. Kids can even create their very own weather reports. Characters on the show are voiced by Roker, along with Holly Robinson Peete, Sheryl Lee Ralph, LeVar Burton, and more.

“Weather is a great topic to teach science to young learners,” says Sweetman. “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.”