Work It Out Wombats! An animated series for children ages 3-6 from GBH Kids and Pipeline Studios features marsupial siblings who demonstrate a way of thinking that uses practices, processes, and ideas at the core of computer science.

Jamming on the Job: This multigenerational podcast from PBS North Carolina features the music duo known as 123 Andrés touring the country, meeting people with different jobs and composing original songs about those careers with the help of their magic BoomBox, voiced by Pierce Freelon.

Lyla in the Loop: This multiplatform animated series for children ages 4-8 from features a dynamic 7-year-old girl who teams up with others to use creative and strategic problem-solving and critical thinking skills to solve everyday problems.

Tiny Time Travel: This series of live-action shorts follows and 11-year-old inventor and his best friend as they use their time machine to go back in time a tiny bit to solve misunderstandings and other problems in their neighborhood using social language skills.

Molly of Denali: The Big Gathering This short-form video series and interactive game features Molly and her friends preparing for a convention, inspired by the real-life Alaska Federation of Natives convention.

What Can You Become: This series of shorts focuses on career readiness skills for kids while demonstrating how their interests and hobbies can lead to future job options and opportunities.

Through the Ready To Learn Initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, WCTE PBS collaborates with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS to advance critical early learning skills for children ages 2-8. This initiative empowers children to succeed in school, work, and life by providing high-quality educational media and resources.

Since its inception over 25 years ago, the Ready To Learn Initiative has been instrumental in transforming early education. CPB and PBS have received six competitive grant awards, allowing public media to produce and distribute pioneering, research-based educational materials. These resources, developed in partnership with talented children’s media producers, researchers, and local public media stations, are designed to foster math, literacy, and science learning while also improving school readiness.

Local PBS stations, including WCTE PBS, work with diverse community partners as part of a network of Learning Neighborhoods devoted to supporting the early learning needs of children in underserved communities. Additionally, state-level partnerships extend the reach of Ready To Learn resources across Tennessee.

The Education Development Center (EDC) leads research assessing the success of this five-year initiative, ensuring continuous improvement and measurable outcomes.

Research-Backed Approach

The Ready To Learn Initiative combines the power of quality educational content with community engagement, family involvement, and technological innovation. All of these efforts are supported by rigorous research, which demonstrates the effectiveness of these resources in improving educational outcomes for young learners. This collaborative model ensures that children across Tennessee, including those in underserved communities, have access to the tools and opportunities they need to thrive.

WCTE PBS’s Role in Ready To Learn

As part of this national initiative, WCTE PBS plays a vital role in extending the impact of Ready To Learn throughout Tennessee. By partnering with community organizations, educators, and families, we distribute innovative and effective multi-platform learning tools that:

• Enhance math, literacy, and science learning
• Improve children’s school readiness
• Foster a lifelong interest in learning
• Support the use of educational media in classrooms and early learning settings

Current Grant Cycle Initiatives

In this grant cycle, CPB and PBS are working with early learning experts to:

• Expose young children to career and workforce options
• Build vital functional literacy, critical thinking, collaboration, and "world of work" skills and knowledge

This effort also empowers and equips parents, caregivers, and communities to support children's learning and growth in these areas, putting children on a path to lifetime success. 

Learn More

WCTE PBS is proud to be part of this groundbreaking initiative. By leveraging the resources and expertise provided through the Ready To Learn Initiative, we continue to support families and educators in preparing children for a bright future. To learn more about the research and resources available, visit Ready To Learn for additional information.