The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has awarded Maryland Public Television (MPT) and 34 other public TV stations a total of $177,697 in grants, approximately $5,000 per station, to connect new PBS KIDS channel science and literacy resources to children and families in underserved communities and high-needs areas.
The grants are part of the CPB – PBS Ready to Learn (RTL) initiative supported by the U.S. Department of Education, which focuses on maximizing the impact of PBS KIDS educational media, content, and programs through community collaboration and personalized learning experience for children. According to CPB, the Ready to Learn Initiative reaches millions of children and families across America.
The U.S. Department of Education says Ready to Learn supports development of educational television and digital media targeted at preschool and early elementary school children and their families. Its general goal is to promote early learning and school readiness, with a particular interest in reaching low-income children. In addition to creating television and other media products, the initiative supports activities to promote national distribution of programming, community-based outreach, and research on educational effectiveness.
“MPT received this $5,000 grant so that we can work with community partners in developing a proposal to implement RTL science and literacy resources with families, caregivers and educators. We’re collaborating with Baltimore City partners including Liberty Elementary School, the Judy Center, Child First Authority and others during this planning phase,” explained Krista Respass, MPT’s managing director of Early Childhood Education Projects. “The planning grant period concludes on April 30, at which time we’ll submit our final proposal to CPB.”
Respass noted that MPT has supported early learning needs of Baltimore communities for more than 20 years through Ready to Learn grant initiatives and grant funding.
About MPT
Launched in 1969 and headquartered in Owings Mills, MD, Maryland Public Television is a nonprofit, state-licensed public television network and member of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). MPT’s six transmitters cover Maryland plus portions of contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Frequent winner of regional Emmy® awards, MPT creates local, regional, and national television shows. Beyond broadcast, MPT’s commitment to professional educators, parents, caregivers, and learners of all ages is delivered through year-round instructional events and the super-website Thinkport, which garners in excess of 14 million page views annually. MPT’s community engagement ;connects viewers with local resources on significant health, education, and public interest topics through year-round outreach events, viewer forums, program screenings, and phone bank call-in opportunities. For more information visit mpt.org.
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