Iowa Public Television’s Dan Wardell and The Cat in the Hat to Host Special Story Times in Waterloo and Storm Lake
Free, family-friendly events will launch next phase of “Ready To Learn” activities in these communities.
Dan with The Cat in the Hat
Families in Waterloo and Storm Lake are invited to join Dan Wardell and The Cat in the Hat for free library events to celebrate Iowa Public Television’s continued commitment to early childhood education in these communities.
On Tuesday, January 24 from 6-7 p.m., Iowa Public Television's (IPTV) KIDS Clubhouse host Dan Wardell joined by The Cat in the Hat hosted a story time at the Waterloo Public Library. On Thursday, January 26 from 7-8 p.m., Dan and the Cat will be at the Storm Lake Public Library for a similar event there.
Both events are free and open to the public, with a special emphasis on activities for kids ages two through eight. Families will enjoy a story, the chance to meet Dan and Cat, a fun math activity that doubles as a tasty snack, and more.
The federal government appropriated $93,800 to Iowa Public Television’s Ready To Learn initiative, in partnership with PBS, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the Ready To Learn Partnership.
Goals include:
- Partnering with Iowa Library Services/State Library and Iowa Department of Education to provide greater education opportunities for children, parents and educators from low-income communities;
- Implementing early learning resources and training with children, families and educators in Storm Lake and Waterloo, Iowa; and
- Collaborating with the Iowa Afterschool Alliance to disseminate transmedia content and best practices to afterschool providers statewide.
In addition to IPTV, 11 other public television stations nationwide received grants. Nationally, Ready To Learn is focused heavily on developing programs and resources that help young children build strong pre-reading, reading, and early math skills using scientifically-based research to guide teaching strategies.
In the pilot communities of Waterloo and Storm Lake, IPTV and its partners will launch new activities designed to help parents and educators in their quest to help children arrive at school prepared for success from the very beginning. In addition to these story time launch events, IPTV will initiate math mentorship programs in these communities. The network will also create a children’s advisory panel and offer professional development opportunities for educators.
Check out photos from the Waterloo event.
