This week, KLRN, as part of a national launch, introduced The New Generation Initiative. This initiative leverages the power of public television, communities and families, research-based content, and text message technology to provide expert child development information to parents and other adults who care for children from birth to age five.
“KLRN is proud to be a leader in the education space in our community and the New Generation Initiative is enabling us to extend our reach to parents and caregivers in a new and different way,” said Arthur Emerson, KLRN President and CEO. “By intertwining the teacher and parent tips that we provide in our professional development programs with the educational messages that are communicated through our programming, this project makes perfect sense for our mission and the families that we serve.”
The New Generation Initiative is a collaboration between Bright by Text, seven PBS stations, and state and community partners. Bright by Text is an innovative texting program that delivers age-specific child development tips and activities to adults caring for young children in Texas and six other states.
This initiative, with funding from The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and The David & Lucile Packard Foundation, builds on a successful partnership between Rocky Mountain PBS and Bright by Three in Colorado. Bright by Text, a program of Bright by Three, is designed to be collaborative, delivering the research-based Bright by Three curriculum and other expert content from PBS Kids, Vroom, and more.
Once signed up, parents and caregivers receive free text messages customized to the age(s) of the child(ren) in their care. To sign up, simply text KLRN to BRIGHT (274448). Parents and caregivers who provide their zip code can also receive information about resources specific to their local community.
KLRN is collaborating with community partners like the United Way of San Antonio & Bexar County, San Antonio Public Library, and The Children’s Shelter to bring localized resources to families.
About KLRN
KLRN is the Emmy-Award winning Public Television station for South Central Texas broadcasting to a 30-county radius. “The mission of KLRN is to use the power of communications to provide quality programs and services which advance education, culture and community, to enrich the lives of people throughout our community.” KLRN cultivates programs that support the station’s mission and commitment to education. It is this “beyond television” strategy that forms KLRN’s educational outreach model — to prepare children for kindergarten and academic success; to positively impact the quality of care; and to share resources that will enhance classroom instruction.
About Corporation for Public Broadcasting:
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of nearly 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television and related online services. For more information, visit www.cpb.org, follow us on Twitter@CPBmedia, Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe for email updates.
About Bright by Text:
Bright by Text is a free parent and caregiver messaging program that sends tips and resources promoting child development, targeted to a child’s age from 0 to 5 years old. It is designed to be relevant to today’s families, providing quality information and trusted resources to any caregiver, including hard-to-reach low income families and informal caregivers. The messages are comprised of research-based content from Bright by Three and other trusted providers, such as PBS Kids, PBS Parents, and Vroom. Bright by Text was developed by Bright by Three, a Colorado-based nonprofit that has been providing parents and caregivers with the tools needed to promote lifelong learning and success for over twenty years.
