MPT BRINGS RAISING READERS INITIATIVE TO BALTIMORE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

On Thursday, September 16, 2010, Maryland Public Television (MPT) presented a back-to-school special with Sesame Street’s Elmo, performed by Baltimore native Kevin Clash at John Edgar Howard Elementary School in Baltimore, MD. The students engaged in a interactive program with ELMO that spotlighted PBS KIDS Raising Readers’ technology-rich resources that are inspiring today’s digital-savvy kids and preparing them to enter school ready to learn. In attendance were Sesame Street Workshop COO Mel Ming and MD CSSO Dr. Nancy Grasmick, in addition to a “standing-room-only” gathering of young children, parents, caregivers and educators. The Baltimore Sun and two Baltimore television stations covered the event.

PBS KIDS Raising Readers is a national initiative funded as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Ready To Learn grant and created to help build the reading skills of children ages one to eight, especially from low-income families. Maryland Public Television was selected as one of 20 stations nationwide to participate in the program, which uses research-based, dynamic PBS KIDS programs and related multimedia content to help young children learn to read.

MPT has played a vital role in helping young students enter school ready to learn. For 40 years, Sesame Street and other public television children’s programming have promoted preparedness, engagement and curiosity in our young students.

For more information on this MPT event, click here.