What is the Early Learning Initiative?

WTTW's Early Learning Initiative begins with the broadcast of quality educational public television programs for children every day on WTTW Kids.    Through community partnerships we take the learning beyond the screen.

To extend the educational impact of WTTW Kids programming, the Early Learning Initiative:

• broadcasts 11.5 hours of award winning children's educational programming each weekday.
  
• delivers educational messages between programs that build on learning and social skills.
  
• conducts workshops and seminars for parents, caregivers and early childhood educators.
  
• provides educational family fun events and activities for children and their parents. For example, opportunities such as the Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrarors contest and WTTW Kids Scout Tour Day.

Our Goals:

The core goals of our Early Learning workshops and seminars are:

• To explain the curriculum behind the programs.
  
• To provide simple and practical ideas for parent, caregivers and early childhood educators for extending the learning beyond the screen.
  
• To encourage school readiness, emergent literacy skills and healthy child development.
  
• To provide helpful tips to parents, caregivers and early childhood educators regarding the appropriate use of television with small children through media literacy training.
  

Support

WTTW's Early Learning Initiative is made possible in part by a Ready To Lead in Literacy grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting and by the support of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and the Dr. Scholl Foundation. Thank you!

For information about the Early Learning Initiative, please contact Carmen Schmidt at (773) 509-5533.