KBTC PBS Ready To Learn Initiative Welcomes Rep. Derek Kilmer to Salishan

Tacoma’s PBS Station Partners with Tacoma Housing Authority to Provide Free Ready To Learn Activities in Tacoma’s Salishan Neighborhood

TACOMA, WA, August 18, 2014 -- Representative Derick Kilmer will meet kids in Tacoma’s Salishan Housing neighborhood who are participating in KBTC’s free on-site Ready To Learn summer activities that make use of PBS transmedia educational content to engage kids and help prevent the “summer slide.”

Representative Kilmer will meet with neighborhood children and see them use the PBS transmedia educational content based on PBS children’s programs that include Curious George, Electric Company, Sesame Street and more. The Ready To Learn Initiative is a cooperative agreement funded and managed by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement supporting the development of innovative educational television and digital media targeted at preschool and early elementary school children and their families.

Date: 08/18/2014

Time: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Location: Salishan Family Investment Center, 1724 East 44th Street, Tacoma, WA 98404

 “KBTC is committed to encouraging and promoting early learning opportunities through our PBS Kids programs both on the air and on the ground here in our community. We are extremely pleased to be partnering with Tacoma Housing Association to provide these summer activities free to kids who are at high risk for the greatest summer learning loss,“ says Ed Ulman, KBTC General Manager.

KBTC is on site on Mondays and Fridays, offering hands on PBS Kids activities for anyone who would like to join as part of the community’s Brown Bags and Books program. The program starts at noon with lunch for all kids ages 18 and under, and then invites the kids to take part in an activity followed by time set aside for the Mobile Technology Lab, a drop-in session for kids to play PBS Kids games on computers.

In addition to participation with the Brown Bags and Books summer lunch program, KBTC also offered a three-week summer camp for elementary students at Lister Elementary School funded by an Internet Essentials learning zone grant from the Comcast Foundation. Continuing throughout the summer, the Mobile Technology Lab is available at Wright Park on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2pm to 4pm.

For more information about Ready To Learn visit http://kbtcreadytolearn.blogspot.com/.