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PBS Kids and CPB Provide Educational Apps to Low-Income AreasMar 13, 2012 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- PBS and the Corp. for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced that they are providing free educational apps to Head Start centers, local PBS stations, and other organizations in underserved communities nationwide. The group said the apps will be downloaded onto devices that families have access to in local Head Start centers and other community organizations. This unique outreach effort is a service of the Ready To Learn Initiative, an early learning effort led by PBS and CPB with funding from the U.S. Department of Education. Recent research has shown that access to computers, smartphones and tablets is much less prevalent in lower-income households, limiting children's exposure to educational apps. Through this program, PBS, CPB and Head Start are working to help bridge this "app gap," increasing access to educational mobile content for children from low-income families at the community organizations that serve them and are equipped with mobile and tablet devices. "A growing body of research shows that educational apps can open up learning opportunities for kids, so we are committed to extending the reach of our apps to more and more of America's children," said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children's Media, PBS. "Through this new initiative with Head Start, we are taking a step towards helping bridge the achievement gap by offering access to the latest educational media content to kids in underserved communities across the country." According to a release, the apps, All Aboard the Dinosaur Train! for iPad and Dinosaur Train Camera Catch! for iPhone, launched on the App Store. Based on the Dinosaur Train series produced by The Jim Henson Company, the apps are designed to help kids ages 3 to 5 build critical math skills. "Public media's mission is to serve un-served and underserved audiences, especially children," said Debra Sanchez, Senior Vice President, Education and Children's Content at CPB. "This unique partnership with PBS and Head Start gives children a new way to engage with trusted public media content through mobile devices - one of the most popular technologies in their lives today." From now through September, the group noted that PBS and CPB will work with Head Start centers and PBS stations nationwide to distribute app codes at no cost. The codes will be used to download the two apps onto devices that serve children in Head Start centers, Title I schools, and other community-based organizations in low-income areas. Educators and families in these communities will be able to obtain codes for use on their professional or at-home devices. "Head Start teachers are always looking for ways to bring new educational content, especially in math and science, into their classrooms," said Yasmina Vinci, Executive Director of the National Head Start Association. "We are excited for this opportunity to make PBS KIDS' educational apps available to Head Start programs." The latest PBS Kids app to utilize virtual reality, this app challenges players to snap photos of flying dinosaurs by moving their iPhone around. Kids "catch" the dinosaurs with their phone's camera function in a designated pattern, building patterning skills. Dinosaur photos will be stored in a child's private gallery. PBS Kids, an educational media brand for children, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and community-based programs. CPB, a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress, is a steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. The Ready To Learn Initiative is a grant program managed by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement. Head Start is an investment in early childhood education and provides a window of opportunity to the nation's most vulnerable children during the key developmental years from birth through age five. The Jim Henson Company is a company focused on family entertainment. More information: PBS.org/pressroom www.itunes.com/appstore www.nhsa.org www.henson.com ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) |