Ready to Learn

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 6, 2025) – On May 2, the U.S. Department of Education notified the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) that its 2020-2025 Ready To Learn grant is terminated, effective immediately. CPB then informed PBS and 44 public media stations in 28 states and the District of Columbia that receive Ready To Learn grants to stop work immediately, pausing the program in rural and urban communities throughout the country.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 30, 2024) -- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS today announced partnerships with 14 public media stations to extend the impact of Ready To Learn-funded early childhood educational resources across their states. The 18-month contracts will allow the stations to work with partners to expand educator, parent, and caregiver trainings, as well as use digital media resources and hands-on learning activities from PBS KIDS, especially in underserved areas.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 7, 2023) -- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS today announced partnerships with 19 public media stations across the country centered on an innovative model of community engagement, extending the reach and impact of Ready To Learn-funded PBS KIDS early learning resources to local communities. Each station will receive $150,000 over the next two years, contingent on congressional funding, through the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

The stations are:

ARLINGTON, VA (August 30, 2023) – As podcast popularity soars among kids and families, PBS KIDS continues to deliver free, engaging, and entertaining content for young audiences nationwide. Just in time for the back-to-school season, things will kick off in September with a new original podcast series, JAMMING ON THE JOB, which introduces kids to a variety of interesting jobs while helping them see how their own interests and skills relate to those of the professionals they meet in the series.

ARLINGTON, VA (August 2, 2023) – On February 5, 2024, PBS KIDS will debut LYLA IN THE LOOP, a funny and engaging new animated series for kids ages 4-8.

PASADENA, CA (January 16, 2023) – Today at the Television Critics Association Press Tour, PBS KIDS announced the production of LYLA IN THE LOOP, a funny and engaging animated series for kids ages 4-8 from Mighty Picnic and Pipeline Studios.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 23, 2022) — Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), made the following statement today following the House and Senate passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which includes funding for public media: 

“We are grateful that bipartisan negotiations have resulted in increased funding support for CPB, providing $535 million for CPB's FY 2025 advance appropriation, ensuring that public media’s high-quality programs and services are available for free to all Americans.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 1, 2022) -- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS today announced collaborations with 24 public media stations across the country to develop Learning Neighborhoods, an innovative model of community engagement designed to extend the reach and impact of Ready To Learn-funded PBS KIDS early learning resources to local communities. Each station will each receive approximately $10,000 to develop a Learning Neighborhood plan through the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

BOSTON (May 3, 2022)––PRX, PBS KIDS, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) today announced a Ready To Learn Podcast Accelerator training program for five teams of public media producers from stations across the United States to develop new educational on-demand audio programming for children ages 2-8 and their caregivers. This podcast training is part of the CPB-PBS Ready To Learn Initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education.  

ARLINGTON, VA (January 18, 2022) – Today at the Television Critics Association Press Tour, PBS KIDS announced WORK IT OUT WOMBATS!, a new animated series for kids ages 3-6 from GBH Kids and Pipeline Studios. WORK IT OUT WOMBATS! stars Malik, Zadie, and Zeke—three energetic and creative marsupial siblings who live with their grandmother in her treehouse apartment complex.