Target Audience: Families with children birth to age eight in Massachusetts
Subjects/Skills: English Language Arts; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math; Social/Emotional Learning; and the Arts
With virtually all schools, preschools, child care programs, and libraries in Massachusetts closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, parents and caregivers were called upon to take the lead in supporting their young children’s learning, often on their own. While there was no shortage of information and online resources, the ongoing challenge facing many families was how to sort through the mountain of options to find trusted, high-quality, turnkey activities and resources that appeal to their children, and that have educational value. For families with limited access to the internet or dedicated devices, and for those facing financial hardship, the difficulties were even more acute.
To support children’s learning and family engagement during this challenging time, and with funding from the PNC Foundation, GBH Education teamed up with the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (MA EEC) and New England Public Media to launch Family Fun at Home/Diversión en familia y en casa, a 12-week bilingual summer learning initiative that invited Massachusetts families with young children to do fun hands-on activities, play online games, download and play learning apps, and watch programs—all featuring their favorite PBS KIDS characters. From catching up on what’s happening in Qyah, Alaska with the MOLLY OF DENALI podcast to drawing and telling a story about feeling scared with ARTHUR, families that completed four activities per week were eligible to enter a weekly raffle for a chance to win a $25 gift card.
To ensure easy access for families, GBH Education also curated weekly collections of digital resources (in English and Spanish) on a special Family Fun at Home/Diversión en familia y en casa webpage: over 100 free digital resources in all. For families with limited internet access, GBH Education produced a bilingual activity guide featuring 40 offline activities (available for download here).
Reach/Impact
In partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), GBH Education distributed over 110,000 copies of the activity guide, more than 1,000 gift cards, and over 20,000 picture books to Massachusetts families.
A survey of outreach coordinators affiliated with MA EEC found the activity content well balanced (98%) and appealing to families with young children (93%). It also found that providing print materials for families was extremely or very important (67%).
Contact Us: education@wgbh.org.