KERA Launches New TV Lineup of Curriculum-Based Educational Programs

The public media station also adds free streaming platform with TEKS-aligned programs for students in more than 120 school districts across region

DALLAS/FORT WORTH – KERA announced a new lineup of curriculum-based television programs supporting At-Home Learning for students in more than 120 school districts across North Texas. As many schools and districts have suspended classes to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the PBS and NPR member station will provide free programs and digital resources that are aligned with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards.

“North Texas families have relied on KERA for educational support for nearly 60 years,” says KERA President and CEO Nico Leone. “As school closures present new challenges for children and educators alike, KERA is excited to expand our services, both on the air and online, and turn every home into a classroom.”

Beginning March 30, KERA will provide a new weekday television schedule of educational programs for students at all grade levels, supplemented by a suite of free digital learning resources accessible from home. The new At-Home Learning schedule will air weekdays from 6 am to 6 pm on KERA TV with specific blocks of time for pre-K through 12th grade levels. The subjects covered will include English language arts, social studies, science and math.

In addition to broadcasting on KERA TV, the schedule will stream live on kera.org/learn, expanding access to this free educational content and enabling students to watch the programming on mobile devices. KERA also is sharing free online access to PBS Learning Media, featuring curated TEKS-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans and more. These resources correspond to the programs airing as a part of KERA’s At-Home Learning programming block.

Also at kera.org/learn, parents and teachers can find an At-Home Learning Toolkit, which includes a curated list of educational resources and a weekly calendar with fun and engaging KERA Kids activities for the entire family. The Toolkit includes links to subscribe to KERA’s two education email newsletters – one for parents of young children and one for educators.

The services available to parents, teachers and caregivers include:

• Educational TV schedule: KERA is broadcasting curriculum-based programs like Nova, SciGirls, History Detectives, American Masters, Breakthrough: The Ideas That Changed The World, and Africa’s Great Civilizations weekdays from 6 am through 6 pm. Daily schedule here.
• Digital Media Collections: KERA is providing resource collections from PBS LearningMedia that correspond with the TV broadcast schedule. Collections include curated media and lessons, sorted by grade level and subject area.
• Curated Tips and Tools for Teachers: KERA Learn offers blog posts and online guides for At-Home Learning activities, lesson plans, discussion questions, student writing and much more.

For more about KERA’s learning resources for students, parents, caregivers and teachers, please visit kera.org/learn.

Educators at North Texas schools and districts can contact KERA’s education staff directly at education@kera.org with At-Home Learning support questions and requests.

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About KERA

KERA is a not-for-profit public media organization serving North Texas through KERA TV, KERA Create, KERA Kids 24/7, KERA 90.1 and the Triple-A music station KXT 91.7 FM. For over 50 years, North Texans have turned to KERA as a vibrant destination for community engagement and lifelong learning. KERA produces original multimedia content, carries the best in national and international public television and radio programs, and provides online resources at kera.org.