education · HHS-OESE
Ready To Learn Programming
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education · ED-GRANT-26-055
Total Program Funding
$31.0M
Expected Awards
3
Deadline
July 8, 2026
GRANTQUICK SUMMARYPlain-English Overview
Dept of Education funds 3 grants for Ready To Learn Programming — developing educational television and digital media content for children from low-income families, focusing on literacy and STEM skills.
Who Should Apply
Major children's media producers (PBS, Sesame Workshop-scale organizations) with educational content development and distribution capacity.
Who Should NOT Apply
Small production companies, individual creators, organizations without national children's media distribution.
Key Requirements (Plain English)
- •Must develop educational media for low-income children
- •3 awards
- •Must focus on literacy and STEM
- •Must have national distribution
💡 GrantQuick Tip
Ready To Learn is a prestige program with very few awards going to major children's media organizations. If you're not PBS or equivalent, this isn't accessible. Shows must be research-based and freely available to low-income families.
Competitiveness: Very high — 3 awards for major children's media organizations.
What This Grant Funds
Description: RTL is designed to: (1) promote school readiness and academic achievement through the development and dissemination of accessible instructional programming for preschool and elementary school children and their families; (2) develop and disseminate programming and digital content containing Ready to Learn programming that is specially designed for nationwide distribution over public television stations’ digital broadcasting channels and the Internet; and (3) Produce educational outreach materials and programs that are designed to deepen and extend the effectiveness of the educational television and interactive. RTL accomplishes this by providing grants to support the creation of nationally distributed educational media content that meets the highest standards of educational quality. RTL television and digital media products focus on developmentally appropriate curriculum frameworks that align with widely accepted learning standards.
Attachments
Who Can Apply
Eligible Applicant Types
Funding Details
- Total Program Funding
- $31.0M
- Expected Number of Awards
- 3
- Cost Sharing Required?
- No
- Funding Instrument
- grant
Key Dates
Agency Contact
Tammy Proctor Supervisory Education Prog. Spec. Phone 202-260-7803
Readytolearn@ed.govReady to apply?
View the full NOFO and submit your application on Grants.gov