Arkansas PBS > Engage > Pressroom > New summer learning program ‘Rise and Shine’ now airing weekdays on Arkansas PBS
Posted 06 Jul 2021
Arkansas families encouraged to tune in to new six-week series to support summer learning;
free bilingual ‘Rise and Shine’ learning activity packets available online, by mail
CONWAY, Ark. (Arkansas PBS) — “Rise and Shine,” an extensive educational program designed to make summer learning fun and help K-5 students gain knowledge that aligns with Arkansas academic standards, is now airing on Arkansas PBS weekdays from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Families and students across the state are encouraged to tune in to the six-week long program centered on their favorite PBS KIDS series and original lesson segments from Arkansas Teachers of the Year.
“We are proud to announce the launch of this new statewide program to provide more educational value by not only promoting learning during the summer months, but also by helping fill the void for students who do not have internet access outside of school or have otherwise been challenged during the pandemic,” Arkansas PBS CEO Courtney Pledger said. “We want to encourage families across the state to tune in to this free educational resource and to visit our website for additional tools available at no cost to families.”
Consisting of more than 100 hours of high quality programming including mini-lessons from Arkansas Teachers of the Year, these segments are grounded in the learning targets provided by the Arkansas Department of Education’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education. With over 15 original songs, five original digital shorts, more than 30 field trip segments and dozens of mini-lesson segments featuring Arkansas teachers, much of “Rise and Shine” is locally produced. Also available are supplemental printed learning activities in both English and Spanish.
“We are proud to continue working with Arkansas PBS to bring much-needed educational resources to our state, especially during such a critical time,” Johnny Key, commissioner of education and cabinet secretary at the Arkansas Department of Education, said. “As educators we must do what we can to help our students achieve academic success. The launch of this new program is doing just that.”
Each weekday, students can tune in to lessons led by Arkansas Teachers of the Year, featuring virtual field trips with partners. Field trips for week one will include:
Field trips for week two will include:
Other original segments each week will include science with “Robbie Rocket,” nutrition information with “Zach Lunch,” fitness through dance in “Time Out With Tay,” and Mr. Steve, the Music Man literacy music videos.
“As an organization dedicated to improving student academics across our state, we are excited to officially launch this new statewide summer learning initiative,” Stacy Smith, deputy commissioner for ADE’s Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, said. “Students have faced many challenges in light of the pandemic, and as we are all enjoying our summer months, we are happy to work with Arkansas PBS to provide vital supplementary educational resources to promote summer learning.”
Arkansas families are encouraged to follow along with the program with "Rise and Shine" Power Packets, which are free summer activity kits for kids that extend the learning of the mini-lessons aired during the broadcast. Power Packets are bilingual, with activities printed in both English and Spanish. They can be downloaded from the Arkansas PBS website or requested to be mailed directly to homes, daycares, summer camps and more.
In addition to broadcast, the programming is now available on-demand through streaming devices, the Engage Arkansas PBS app and on the Arkansas PBS website. More information about the “Rise and Shine” program, including PDFs of the Power Packets to download and the request form to receive printed Power Packets by mail, is available at myarpbs.org/riseandshine.
For photos of the program, visit bit.ly/NRPhotosArkansasPBS.
About Arkansas PBS
Arkansas PBS, Arkansas’s only statewide public media network, enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. Arkansas PBS delivers daily, essential, local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers through multiple digital platforms, including livestreaming at myarpbs.org/watchlive, on-demand services and YouTube TV, and the distinct channels Arkansas PBS, Arkansas PBS Create, Arkansas PBS KIDS, Arkansas PBS WORLD and Arkansas PBS AIRS on SAP. Members with Arkansas PBS Passport have extended on-demand access to a rich library of public television programming. Arkansas PBS depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at myarkansaspbs.org. Arkansas PBS is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), KETZ (El Dorado) and KETR (Lee Mountain).
About Arkansas Department of Education
The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is a division of the Arkansas Department of Education which provides leadership, support and service to schools, districts and communities so every student graduates prepared for college, career, and community engagement. For more information, visit dese.ade.arkansas.gov.
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