Public Broadcasting Service Kids, a network that reaches nearly 95% of American children, is a part of what makes America great, according to associate professor of elementary and environmental educations Sarah Sweetman.
Navigating federal grants has become challenging for people who work in the area, according to Sweetman. Sweetman works closely with PBS and the University of Rhode Island, and those involved are trying to stay true to what their research in educational television tells them: to broaden participation.
With these difficulties in navigating new conditions to receive federal grants comes a lot of uncertainty and efficiency geared toward the Trump administration, according to Sweetman. Uncertainty around grants hinders PBS’ mission and makes it challenging for researchers, like Sweetman, to work with the funding.
Part of what makes PBS so crucial is that it reaches children who don’t have access to preschool education, such as those in rural communities, according to Sweetman.
Federal funding that has supported PBS and the National Science Foundation allows them to be thoughtful and rigorous in what they design for kids to watch, according to Sweetman. Not all screen time is equal; PBS aims to create engaging and enriching content for children that encourages them to take action towards their futures.
“Without the funding, you know, my worry would be that to create educational TV, it does take resources, it takes both mental and financial resources to be able to do that,” Sweetman said.
Sweetman began working with “Sesame Street” 20 years ago through URI’s Guiding Education in Math and Science Network, which supports Pre-K through grade eight public schools, according to Sweetman. When “Sesame Street” started teaching STEM-related subjects, they needed someone to talk to them about what STEM education looked like in classrooms, which Sweetman was well-versed in.
“They were able to take those ideas of what was happening in the classroom here and turn them into a very playful script for their monsters and characters that are on the street,” Sweetman said. “That was really fun to watch, the creativity and joy of learning science.”
Since then, Sweetman has been an advisor for many science shows, all of which she is proud of.
“I think that [Sesame Street and PBS Kids] put so much thought and research, and you might have an 11-minute show, and in that 11 minutes, that’s going to reach 95% of the US population, what can you do with that to make the best experience possible?” Sweetman said. “They work really hard to make sure that those 11 minutes count.”
On May 10, URI will be hosting an event with PBS Kids and the NSF to celebrate the foundation’s 75th anniversary. The NSF has an expansive impact on the US and early learning, according to Sweetman. The event will celebrate its many accomplishments as well as those who work on the project.
