JOHNSTON, IOWA (September 4, 2020) — Iowa PBS's commitment to early-childhood education continues with the expansion of its Ready for School initiative. Educational specialists will work with educators, parents, child-care providers, and community partners in several Iowa communities to implement STEM and literacy-based activities for children 2 through 6 years old.
"Iowa PBS uses the power of technology and media to spark children's curiosity and excite them about learning," said Ken Harrison, director of Educational Services at Iowa PBS. "Ready for School activities are designed to enhance early reading, math, science, and social-emotional skills for young children. This roll-out to the 2020-2021 communities furthers Iowa PBS's efforts to serve families across Iowa with trusted educational content."
Iowa PBS's eighth year of Ready for School will focus on giving all children equal opportunity to succeed. Iowa PBS will provide access to high-quality educational media-resources including online games, instructional materials, and educational activities that help children increase their school-readiness and success. The multimedia content and related activities are based upon the work of educational children's programming from PBS, such as The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, Odd Squad, Molly of Denali, Peg + Cat, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, and Super WHY!
The initiative has been validated by scientifically-based research funded by the US Department of Education. Ready for School has been deployed in more than 125 other Iowa communities prior to this year.
The 2020-2021 Ready for School communities are associated with the following school districts:
Adair-Casey-Guthrie Center
Albert City-Truesdale
Andrew
Central Lee
Delwood
Des Moines
Emmetsburg
Graettinger-Terril
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn
Maquoketa
Morning Sun
Okoboji
Olin
Postville
Rock Valley
Sibley-Ocheyedan
Sioux Center
WACO
Learn more at iowapbs.org.
Iowa PBS is formerly known as Iowa Public Television. New name. Same essential mission.
As Iowa's only statewide television network, Iowa PBS's mission to educate, inform, enrich, and inspire Iowans guides its quality, non-commercial programming that tells Iowa's stories like no one else can. Four statewide, public channels offer programs of lasting value to Iowans, regardless of where they live or what they can afford: Iowa PBS .1, Iowa PBS KIDS .2, Iowa PBS WORLD .3 and Iowa PBS Create .4 on Channel 11, Des Moines; Channel 12, Iowa City; Channel 21, Fort Dodge; Channel 24, Mason City; Channel 27, Sioux City; Channel 32, Waterloo; Channel 32, Council Bluffs; Channel 36, Davenport; and Channel 36, Red Oak. More information can be found at iowapbs.org.
