WQED Multimedia names Wylandville Elementary School as a Ready to Learn (RTL) Learning Neighborhood partner. This five-year cycle project will be funded by a CPB and PBS comprehensive multimedia learning and station engagement initiative, which will connect children’s media and their learning environments to build key skills for success. The grant will provide resources to twelve PBS stations, including WQED, to implement local partnerships in the Pittsburgh region.
The initiative will result in the development of new content that helps young children build vital skills to help them succeed in school and life, including functional literacy, critical thinking and collaboration — and will show them career options in age-appropriate ways. It will also help parents, caregivers and communities support children’s learning and growth, with a goal of putting children on a path to success in learning, work and life. Funding from this grant will brand Wylandville elementary as a WQED Smart School.
The RTL grant will provide all supplies and materials for RTL events, family engagement, a kickoff event, and teacher incentives, at no cost to the school. The school will participate in all RTL events and will collaborate in the creation of new programs. The school will also have access to PBS curricula and programs.
WQED will work with community partners, including schools, public libraries, museums, businesses, local Chambers of Commerce and other stakeholders, as part of a national network devoted to supporting the early learning needs of children in under resourced communities. Critical national partners include the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Parents As Teachers.
The Education Development Center (EDC) will lead a research effort to assess the success of the five-year initiative, with emphasis on the new content’s ability to build key skills and inspire children to explore the “world of work.” Project research will also provide new insights into the ways in which newer media and intergenerational engagement can support children’s learning. Data analytics will advance the understanding of how games can influence learning gains, and formative studies will drive informed content creation.