Governor Phil Scott and the Agency of Education (AOE) announced Monday, April 6, a partnership with Vermont PBS to provide educational content to supplement remote learning for Vermont students and school districts during the COVID-19 outbreak. This initiative will give over 83,500 Vermont students access to free, high-quality educational resources via television broadcast and online content throughout the duration of school closures to help complement distance learning efforts by Vermont school leaders.
“I recognize there is no replacement for in-person instruction and the learning that takes place in a classroom but this is an unprecedented public health situation, and we must work together to provide the best possible remote learning opportunities for Vermont’s kids,” Governor Scott said. “Educators and parents are working hard to achieve these goals, and this initiative will help support their work. I am grateful to Vermont PBS as this partnership will give those already doing so much another tool to reach and educate students,” Governor Scott added.
Vermont PBS will use two statewide channels to broadcast content across the age spectrum from pre-K through the 12th grade. Vermont PBS also will provide resources that allow teachers and caregivers to access at-home curriculum that includes activities and assignments at vermontpbs.org/at-home-learning.
“From ‘Sesame Street’ to ‘NOVA,’ education has been the heart of our mission for over 50 years. We are honored to join the state of Vermont in meeting the educational needs of families and children in these challenging times. Our combined statewide broadcast and Internet systems will provide free access to high-quality PBS educational resources. We are committed to reaching all Vermont students and providing them with the same opportunities for learning,” said Holly Groschner, CEO of Vermont PBS.
This Vermont PBS content can augment the distance learning programs and tools Vermont schools are launching statewide to help students continue to learn during the state’s COVID-19 response.
“We know schools have to reach students of all ages and in all corners of Vermont, including areas without robust connectivity,” said Secretary of Education Dan French. “While this is tremendously challenging for our educators, they are stepping up to provide both hands-on, non-digital lessons and online learning on a variety of platforms. Having one more widely-accessible and high-quality tool available will be helpful to their efforts.”
A full schedule of programming started April 6 and includes paired lesson resources for educators and students. Vermont PBS will be offering this content through the end of the school year to support the efforts of school districts statewide in providing varied, accessible, high-quality learning to all Vermont students.
Beginning Monday, April 6, Vermont PBS will modify its regular broadcast schedule to offer curated programming and digital resources that will be broadcast as follows:
Vermont PBS Main Channel
7-9 a.m. Grades pre-K-3
9 a.m.-3 p.m. Grades 4-8
Vermont PBS Plus Channel
12-5 p.m. Grades 6-12
Please note that times are subject to change, and weekly schedules will be published online at vermontpbs.org/at-home-learning.
This curriculum-supported pre-K through 12th grade programming is aligned with national, and customized for Vermont, standards. The programming includes interactive lessons and paired suggested activities for educators, students and families. Both channels are broadly available on all cable systems, and available for free over the air through a digital antenna without the need for cable subscription or broadband internet access.
Vermont PBS Main Channel will offer programming starting each weekday at 7 a.m. with programs for students pre-K to 8th grade. The programming features popular, award-winning PBS programs for these age groups such as “Nature,” “Nova,” “American Experience” and children’s programs like “Peg + Cat” and “Xavier Riddle.”
Vermont PBS Plus Channel will offer science, history and English language arts programming for students grades 6-12. Vermont PBS is collaborating with WGBH-Boston to provide education content and resources geared towards middle and high school students, including the Emmy® Award-winning series “Nova,” “American Experience” and “Rick Steves’ Europe.”
Resources for educators, parents, and caregivers found at vermontpbs.org/at-home-learning will be paired with the broadcast content weekly to facilitate learning. These resources, culled from the vast offerings at PBS Learning Media, offer activities, questions and additional video content to support the broadcast schedule and include printable resources. Educators and families will also be able to access the PBS site and additional strategies and resources on AOE’s website.
This digital toolkit for educators and students includes: standards-aligned PBS video content, associated lesson plans, and support materials. Developed based on feedback from educators, these materials are aligned to curriculum standards and contextualized for educational use. These resources include grab-and-go activities, lesson plans, interactive lessons, and media that illustrate specific topics or themes and support materials across subjects.
Vermont-PBS is Vermont’s only statewide independent TV station. For more info visit vermontpbs.org.
