PBS Parents® and iVillage Launch PBS KIDS® Summer Reading Challenge

ARLINGTON, Va., June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- PBS Parents and iVillage have partnered to launch the PBS KIDS Summer Reading Challenge, an online program to encourage parents and kids to read together this summer.  Hosted by iVillage, the leading digital brand for women, the Challenge features free research-based literacy-building resources for parents and children designed by the experts at PBS Parents and PBS KIDS. As Challenge Coach, Angela Santomero, Creator, Executive Producer and Head Writer of SUPER WHY!, will provide daily reading activity assignments, answer parent questions and offer advice throughout the online event.

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The PBS KIDS Summer Reading Challenge will tap the millions of parents within the iVillage community, giving them the tools they need to combat summer learning regression, which is the general loss of academic skills over summer vacation. The program will offer parents multiple fun, accessible ideas to keep kids engaged and learning this summer.  

"When kids are engaged, they learn, both inside and outside the classroom," said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children's Media, PBS. "The Summer Reading Challenge will provide parents with fun ideas and resources to turn everyday activities with their children into adventures that build reading skills."

"We are excited to partner with PBS on such a meaningful initiative for parents and their children," said Catherine Balsam-Schwaber, Senior Vice President, Marketing at iVillage. "We have such a passionate community of women who are constantly looking for new ways to engage with their kids. This Challenge gives women a way to connect with other mothers and share similar experiences, ideas and inspiration about how to promote education at home while having fun and spending time with their families."

The Challenge officially kicks off on July 5, but parents can sign up now at ivillage.com/pbs.  Once enrolled, parents will receive daily emails for the duration of the Challenge, offering literacy-building tips and activities. The iVillage Challenge website will also feature daily assignments and message boards where parents can ask questions and share success stories. To keep parents and kids motivated, printable items featuring beloved PBS KIDS characters are also available for download on the website.  The four-week challenge concludes on July 30, when participants receive their last assignment, downloadable certificates for their children and suggestions for related content to continue making reading progress.  After completing the challenge, parents will be equipped with the tools and ideas they need to encourage their kids to keep reading all summer long.

About PBS Parents

PBS Parents (pbsparents.org) is a free online resource that empowers parents as they prepare their children for success in school -- and in life.  Named a winner of the 2009 and 2006 Parents' Choice Gold Award and a 2008 iParenting Media Award, PBS Parents focuses on the important aspects of children's early years, from their social and emotional development to building school readiness.

About PBS KIDS

PBS KIDS offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and community-based programs.  PBS is a nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's nearly 360 public television stations, serving more than 124 million people on-air and online each month.

About iVillage

With approximately 34 million unique visitors per month (comScore March 2010), iVillage is the largest content-driven community for women on the web, where they can find the most meaningful content, real-life conversations and the tools they need for their busy lives. The site focuses on categories that best serve women's needs, including Food, Health, Entertainment, Family, Beauty & Style.  iVillage Inc., acquired by NBC Universal, Inc. in May 2006, is based in New York City, and is part of the NBC Universal Women & Lifestyle Entertainment Networks Group.  Join iVillage's Facebook group at www.facebook.com/ivillage and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ivillage.

SOURCE PBS; iVillage