Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) is placing some employees on furlough after losing a major source of federal funding. The U.S. Department of Education has decided not to renew a grant that supported TPT’s educational programming.
TPT President Sylvia Strobel shared the news with staff in an internal email. She explained that the Ready to Learn grant, which funded the production of a new children’s show called Skillsville, officially ended on Friday. Strobel said the station is “exploring a possible appeal.”
Skillsville is an animated series aimed at helping young children develop executive functioning skills. The show also introduces them to a range of career paths. It launched in March and was led by childhood development researcher Momo Hayakawa.
TPT first received the Ready to Learn grant in 2020. The Department of Education has issued these grants every five years since 1995. Continued funding depends on approval from Congress.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which distributes federal funds to public media outlets, released a statement following the decision. “Ready to Learn has received strong bipartisan support from Congress and every Administration for the last 30 years because of the program’s proven educational value in advancing early learning skills for all children,” the CPB said. The agency also said it will work with lawmakers and the White House to protect future funding for the program.
TPT is one of 44 public media stations that relied on this grant. According to the CPB, all recipients have been instructed to halt activities related to the program immediately.
The loss of funding comes as the Trump administration pushes for large-scale cuts to federal spending. President Donald Trump’s latest budget proposal includes $12 billion in cuts to the Department of Education. It also proposes eliminating funding for the CPB entirely, if Congress approves.
In a related move, an executive order recently directed the CPB to stop distributing federal funds to PBS and NPR. Both broadcasters have stated they will challenge the order in court. If the order is upheld, local stations like TPT would lose access to federal dollars used to purchase PBS programming, including other educational shows on PBS Kids.
