The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS have been awarded Ready To Learn grants by the U.S. Department of Education, fueling impactful initiatives like Pbs Kids Ready To Learn. These grants champion early childhood education by harnessing the power of media to build crucial skills in young learners. Through strategic partnerships and innovative content, PBS KIDS Ready To Learn is dedicated to equipping children, particularly those in underserved communities, with the foundational knowledge and abilities necessary for future success.
Fostering Foundational Skills for the Future (2020-2025)
The current grant cycle (2020-2025) emphasizes the development of essential skills for the modern world. PBS KIDS Ready To Learn is collaborating with early learning experts to introduce young children to diverse career paths and cultivate functional literacy, critical thinking, collaboration, and “world of work” competencies. Recognizing the crucial role of the community, this initiative also empowers parents, caregivers, and communities to actively participate in children’s learning journeys. This holistic approach aims to set children on a trajectory for lifelong achievement.
This phase of PBS KIDS Ready To Learn is bringing to life a wealth of new resources, including:
- Work It Out Wombats!: This animated series for 3-6 year olds, developed by GBH Kids and Pipeline Studios, introduces computational thinking through the adventures of marsupial siblings. Children learn core computer science concepts in an engaging and accessible way.
- Lyla in the Loop: Aimed at children aged 4-8, this multiplatform animated series from Mighty Picnic and Pipeline Studios follows a resourceful 7-year-old girl who uses creative problem-solving and critical thinking to tackle everyday challenges.
- Molly of Denali: The Big Gathering: Through short-form videos and interactive games, this series extension prepares children for real-world scenarios by showcasing Molly and her friends organizing a convention inspired by the Alaska Federation of Natives convention. Activities involve functional texts and practical problem-solving.
- What Can You Become: This short video series focuses on career readiness, connecting children’s hobbies and interests to potential future job opportunities, broadening their understanding of the professional landscape.
- Tiny Time Travel: In these live-action shorts, an 11-year-old inventor and his friend use time travel to resolve neighborhood misunderstandings using social language skills, highlighting the importance of communication and social-emotional learning.
- Jamming on the Job: This multigenerational podcast from PBS North Carolina features the musical duo 123 Andrés as they explore diverse careers across the country, creating original songs about different professions with their magic BoomBox.
- The Plate Show: This comedic podcast from WNET, designed for children aged 6-9 and their families, follows Spoonie the talking spoon and her sidekick Tongs as they discover global cultures and cuisines, promoting social competencies in new environments – a vital skill for navigating the world of work.
Local PBS stations play a critical role in the PBS KIDS Ready To Learn initiative by establishing Learning Neighborhoods. These networks collaborate with diverse community partners to address the early learning needs of children in underserved areas and work with state-level partners to expand the reach of Ready To Learn resources. The Education Development Center (EDC) is rigorously evaluating the five-year initiative to measure its impact and success.
Building on a Legacy of Learning (2015-2020)
The previous grant cycle (2015-2020) laid a strong foundation for PBS KIDS Ready To Learn, focusing on creating personalized media experiences to advance children’s science and literacy skills. CPB and PBS partnered with early learning experts to produce engaging television series, videos, games, mobile apps, and resources rooted in science and literacy.
Key outcomes of the 2015-2020 PBS KIDS Ready To Learn grant included:
- Development of new content for popular PBS KIDS series like The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! and Ready Jet Go!, enhancing their educational value and reach.
- Creation of a science-focused version of the PBS KIDS for Parents Play & Learn app and innovative short-form videos from The Ruff Ruffman Show, expanding digital learning opportunities.
- Launch of two new PBS KIDS Ready To Learn series: Molly of Denali, emphasizing informational text literacy, and Elinor Wonders Why, fostering scientific inquiry skills in young children.
- Personalized and adaptive learning experiences and resources for parents, caregivers, and educators were developed to maximize the impact of the content.
Evaluations of the 2015-2020 PBS KIDS Ready To Learn initiative demonstrated significant positive learning outcomes for children. Data indicates that millions of children engaged with RTL-funded science television content and STEM games and apps. The initiative’s accomplishments are summarized in The Ready To Learn Initiative: Improving Children’s Science and Literacy Learning Through the Power of Public Media. Further information and resources are available on PBS LearningMedia.
Sustained Impact and Meaningful Outcomes
Through both grant cycles, PBS KIDS Ready To Learn has consistently demonstrated positive impacts on children, families, educators, and public media station communities. Evaluations by EDC and SRI International continue to highlight the effectiveness of the initiative in fostering crucial skills and promoting early childhood development. PBS KIDS Ready To Learn remains committed to leveraging the power of public media to create equitable and enriching learning experiences for all children, paving the way for a brighter future.
