CPB and Sesame Workshop

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is a private, nonprofit corporation created by the United States Congress in 1967. CPB is the largest single source of funding for public television and radio programming, investing in more than 1,000 local radio and television stations. CPB-funded television, radio, or online programs extend to nearly all households in the United States through PBS, NPR, and other distribution vehicles.

As part of its mission to help every child learn, CPB partners with Sesame Workshop to help fund projects such as Talk Listen Connect, When Parents are Deployed, and most recently, a new version of The Electric Company. CPB’s support for The Electric Company is part of a grant from the United States Department of Education’s Ready To Learn initiative.

The Electric Company’s mission is to create an immersive, hip, and funny literacy experience that appeals to children in underserved communities. Much like the original, today’s Electric Company is designed specifically for struggling readers between the ages of six and eight, with a particular focus on second graders. In addition to a national broadcast and richly interactive online environment, The Electric Company curriculum will be implemented through community-based outreach activities.