The Michigan Learning Channel Announces a Summer of Fun

The Michigan Learning Channel (MLC) will be presenting eight weeks of special Summer programming, beginning on June 21 and running through August 15.

The statewide education service is offering this schedule to help fill the gap for parents who want to ensure their kids are ready for school in the fall. Recognizing that many school districts may be unable to provide summer school options for students, MLC has worked with educators to create this innovative, curriculum-aligned and fun-focused eight-week program.

“We heard from both parents and teachers that students needed a break after what has been a very difficult school year,” said Georgeann Herbert, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Detroit Public TV, which created and manages MLC. “While the MLC’s programming in English language arts, math and other academic topics will continue, we are adding more summer camp-style activities – informal exercises that can help fuel a child’s curiosity and interests and reignite a love of learning.”

A number of new programs will be joining the MLC schedule, including:

  • “Extra Credit,” a program targeting 4th to 6th graders with math, writing, art and fitness activities.
  • A new season of “Camp TV,” featuring learning experiences and virtual field trips contributed by PBS stations nationwide.
  • “DIY Science Time,” hands-on activities for upper elementary and middle school students
  • “Live from the Opera House,” a focus on literacy and STEM for grades 3-5, produced by the Traverse City Opera House and Traverse City Public Schools.
  • “Illustrative Mathematics,” important math skills for grades 6-8 in addition to Algebra 1

These programs will be joining such MLC staples as “Read, Write, ROAR!” “Math Mights,” “Let’s Learn,” “SciGirls” and “Curious Crew.”

Each week throughout the summer, MLC’s schedule will highlight a particular theme, such as Animals, Sports and Games, Across America, Around the World, and Space.

MLC is partnering with organizations statewide to provide the content, as well as related activities that can be pursued away from the computer or TV monitor. Partners include:

  • The Detroit Zoo
  • The Michigan Science Center
  • The Henry Ford
  • The Detroit Institute of Arts
  • 4-H Michigan
  • MSU Extension
  • The Michigan Department of Natural Resources
  • The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
  • InPACT@Home from the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology
  • Code.org
  • Digital Divas at Eastern Michigan University
  • The Diatribe
  • The Belle Isle Aquarium
  • The Native Justice Coalition
  • Great Lakes Now
  • The Concert of Colors
  • Square One Educational Network
  • 826 Michigan
  • Wimee’s Words
  • NASA
  • WNET (New York PBS)
  • PBS North Carolina

Virtual Workshops and Activity Guides Will Support Programming

During the eight weeks of Summer programming, the Michigan Learning Channel will be presenting virtual workshops every Tuesday and Thursday. These workshops are open to students and families statewide. The presentations will feature either a hands-on activity suitable for the whole family or a special virtual tour guided by one of our partners.

Plans include a live presentation from inside the Penguin House at the Detroit Zoo and learning about the summer night sky with the Michigan Science Center. The full schedule is available at www.MichiganLearning.org/Summer.

Supplementing the programming and the virtual workshops are two Activity Guides compiled by the MLC team. One guide has activities for pre-K – 2nd Grade students, and the second focuses on grades 3-6. Each guide will have more than 150 pages of activities and fun to last all summer.

The guides will be distributed digitally through MichiganLearning.org, as well as from each of Michigan’s public television stations. A limited number of printed copies will be distributed at various summer events.

Families who need help printing the Activity Guides can contact their local MSU Extension office for assistance.

For more details, go to www.MichiganLearning.org/Summer.

About the Michigan Learning Channel

Launched by all the state’s public television stations, the Michigan Learning Channel (MLC) delivers instructional content to students, parents and teachers using a wide variety of media platforms including a system of dedicated broadcast channels. It makes curriculum-aligned and teacher-tested content universally available, overcoming limitations in online access for rural and urban areas alike. The programming has been developed in consultation with leading educators and community leaders across the state. The MLC was conceived and organized by Detroit Public TV. Initial funding for the Michigan Learning Channel is provided by awards totaling $3.5 million; 43% or $1.5 million of the budget is through a grant from the Michigan Department of Education supported by the Governors Education Emergency Relief (GEER) Fund Grant, part of the CARES Act. The remainder is through funding from the Michigan State Legislature. For more information and to access programs and resources digitally, visit MichiganLearning.org.