The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), as part of its 2015-20 Ready To Learn (RTL) initiative funded by the Ready To Learn Television Program of the U.S. Department of Education, intends to fund up to 25 public television stations to receive hands-on training with advanced digital and educational community engagement resources, developed through the RTL initiative, and assistance to develop and implement these resources in low-income communities that they serve, with children ages two to eight, and their families and caregivers (collectively, the target audience). The goal is to strengthen the target audiences’ early science and literacy learning through programs designed by the stations, using these resources.
These RTL Station Training & Implementation Grants are funded through the grant project, “CPB-PBS RTL Content, Community, and Collaboration: Advancing Children's Learning through Personalized Media Experiences,” which is funded by a grant award from the Ready To Learn Television Program of the U.S. Department of Education (No. U295A100025, CFDA No. 84.295A). The total amount available for up to 25 planning grants is $375,000 and contingent on CPB’s continued receipt of its annual RTL federal appropriation.
Stations selected for funding must use RTL funds to send two staff to an in-person training, conducted by CPB and PBS, in May 2020. The training will include, at a minimum, hands-on instruction in the following RTL engagement resources:
• PBS KIDS Family & Community Learning;
• Playful Learning for Educators; and
• out-of-school time activities and camps.
Following the training, stations will have seven weeks to create a plan to implement at least two engagement resources, selected from those introduced in the May 2020 training, in their communities, subject to CPB’s approval. All implementation activities must conclude no later than September 30, 2020. Extensions may be granted only in exceptional circumstances.
Technical support will be made available to the station following the training and through the implementation period, by CPB, PBS and select mentors, i.e. PBS stations that are experienced in developing and using these resources. At the projects’ conclusion, stations must submit a final narrative report to CPB describing in detail their implementation experience, project outcomes and their plans for using the resources within their communities beyond September 2020.
