“The best part of what I do comes from the expressions on kids’ faces. Faces looking up at Princess Presto in awe. Faces straining to remember the next letter in their name. Faces jubilant when they figure out the answer. Those faces, and the brilliant minds behind them, are what brought tpt to Rondo Days this past summer,” says Leah Defenbaugh, tpt’s Engagement Coordinator.

Rondo and the surrounding community comprise the St. Paul Promise Neighborhood, a community-wide initiative to provide the academic and social supports children need to succeed in school and in life. Twin Cities Public Television has made a commitment to this neighborhood, providing family nights at schools in the area, and a presence at community events like Rondo Days.

The energy from both kids and parents was infective. The station’s SUPER WHY! Spell Your Name Game became a family affair, with older siblings helping younger ones to sound out words. SUPER WHY! himself even got in on the fun. Kids were able to bring home PBS KIDS activity books and reading lists to keep the learning going. In addition, tpt encouraged parents to explore its Ready to Learn site at tpt.org/learn to keep the excitement around learning going all summer long.

“Ready to Learn is all about fostering a love of learning. One look at the faces of the kids at Rondo Days, and I know we are succeeding, “ reflected Defenbaugh.