The Department of Education has terminated a federal grant program that funded children's educational shows and games, eliminating $23 million intended for public broadcasting initiatives. The termination of the program, known as Ready To Learn, took effect immediately after notification May 2.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting confirmed the grant's termination. CPB oversees federal funding for public media and provides support to organizations like PBS and NPR. The CPB stated the grant program has historically funded well-known children's programming.
The Ready To Learn grant has supported shows for decades, including "Sesame Street," "Reading Rainbow," and "Clifford the Big Red Dog." The current grant cycle, set to expire on Sep. 30, had funded series such as "Molly of Denali," "Work It Out Wombats!", and "Lyla in the Loop." The first installment of the terminated grant was awarded by the first Trump administration in 2020.
The grant cut affects 44 public media stations across 28 states and the District of Columbia that receive Ready To Learn funds. These stations were instructed to halt work on related projects immediately.
Twin Cities Public Television in Minnesota is among the affected stations. The station announced furloughs for employees working on an animated show called "Skillsville," which launched in March and aimed to teach executive functioning skills. TPT received the grant in 2020 and is exploring a possible appeal to the decision.
CPB President Patricia Harrison criticized the grant's termination. She noted that nearly all parents have had their children watch content funded by the program. In a press release, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting said Ready To Learn has received bipartisan support over 30 years due to its educational value. CPB said it would work with Congress and the Administration to try and preserve funding for the program.
The termination follows a broader push by the Trump administration to reduce federal spending, including proposed cuts to the Department of Education and eliminating funding for CPB entirely if approved by Congress. The news also comes after an executive order directing the CPB to stop public funding flow to PBS and NPR, a move public broadcasting outlets have vowed to challenge.
If the executive order stands, stations like TPT would lose the ability to use federal funds to acquire PBS programming, impacting access to other PBS KIDS shows.
The Ready To Learn program has distributed grants from the U.S. Department of Education every five years since 1995. CPB and PBS have won grants in each cycle. Renewals beyond the standard five-year period are contingent on Congressional appropriations.
"Nearly every parent has raised their kids on public broadcasting’s children’s content," said Patricia Harrison, President and CEO of CPB. "For the past 30 years, Ready To Learn-funded PBS KIDS content has produced measurable, real-world impacts on children’s learning."
