Iowa Public Television Announces 2015-2016
Ready for School Communities
Education specialists work to strengthen math and literacy skills of young Iowa children
Johnston, IA – Iowa Public Television’s (IPTV) commitment to early childhood education continues with the expansion of its Ready for School initiative. Educational specialists will work with educators, parents, care providers and community partners in 25 Iowa communities to implement literacy-based activities for children ages two through eight years old.
“Iowa Public Television uses the power of media to spark children’s curiosity and excite them about learning,” said Terry Rinehart, director of Educational Services at IPTV. “Ready for School activities are designed to enhance early reading and math skills for young children. This roll-out to twenty five new communities furthers IPTV’s efforts to serve families across Iowa with trusted educational content.”
IPTV’s third year of Ready for School will focus on giving all children equal opportunity to succeed. IPTV 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 Drake Public Library Children’s Department has been provided 3 iPads as a part of Ready for School, a collaborative project between Iowa Public Television and the Drake Public Library. 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!, The Electric Company, Odd Squad, Martha Speaks, Sid the Science Kid and Super WHY!
The program builds from the successful pilot testing of these methods and resources in Storm Lake, Perry and Waterloo that IPTV began in 2008. The initiative has been validated by scientifically-based research funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Ready for School has been deployed in fifty other Iowa communities prior to this year.
The 25Ready for School communities for 2015-2016 are:
Allamakee Community School District
Anamosa Community School District
Atlantic Community School District
Cedar Rapids Community School District
Centerville Community School District
Coon Rapids-Bayard Community School District
Des Moines Independent Community School District (2)
Estherville Lincoln Central Community School District
Fairfield Community School District
Green County Community School District
Howard-Winneshiek Community School District
Maquoketa Valley Community School District
Moravia Community School District
Mormon Trail Community School District
Mount Pleasant Community School District
Newell-Fonda Community School District
North Fayette Community School District
North Union Community School District
Oskaloosa Community School District
Postville Community School District
Saydel Community School District
Spencer Community School District
Starmont Community School District
Wayne Community School District
Learn more at Iptv.org.
For more information about Iowa Public Television, please contact Susan Ramsey at 515.725.9703 or Susan.Ramsey@iptv.org.
###
|
Iowa Public Television is Iowa’s statewide public broadcasting network. IPTV provides quality, noncommercial programming to make a difference in the lives of Iowans. As one of the last locally controlled media enterprises in the state, IPTV is committed to telling Iowa’s stories like no one else can. Our mission to educate, inform, enrich, and inspire Iowans enables IPTV to present an unequaled array of programs of lasting value to Iowans regardless of where they live or what they can afford. More than 2 million viewers a month turn to IPTV for programming that reflects a range of interests for Iowans in all demographic categories. Iowa Public Television offers three programming channels statewide: IPTV, IPTV LEARNS and IPTV WORLD. Iowa Public Television stations include: 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; Channel 36, Red Oak. Information on programming channels, reception and more can be found at Iptv.org.
