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Education News
MPR News Staff

TPT announces furloughs after federal grant for kid's show wasn't renewed

entrance to Twin Cities Public Television
Twin Cities Public Television is among 44 public media stations that received funding from the U.S. Department of Education and have been told to stop work immediately.
Megan Burks | MPR News

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Twin Cities Public Television is furloughing some employees after a U.S. Department of Education grant wasn't renewed.

TPT's president Sylvia Strobel announced the news in an email to TPT employees. She said the Ready to Learn grant was terminated on Friday and that the station is, "exploring a possible appeal."

The affected employees worked on an animated show called “Skillsville,” which is designed to improve children's executive functioning skills and teach them about possible careers. It launched in March, led by childhood development researcher Momo Hayakawa.

TPT received the grant in 2020. The Department of Education has awarded such grants every five years since 1995. Renewals beyond five years are contingent on Congressional appropriations.

“Ready To Learn has received strong bipartisan support from Congress and every Administration for the last 30 years because of the programs’ proven educational value in advancing early learning skills for all children,” the Corporation for Public Broadcasting said in a press release. “We will work with Congress and the Administration to preserve funding for this essential program.”

The CPB, which awards federal funding to public media organizations across the country, said TPT is among 44 public media stations that receive Ready to Learn funding and have been told to stop that work immediately.

The news comes as the Trump administration looks to drastically cut federal spending and clamp down on grants that don’t fit its political agenda. President Donald Trump’s budget proposal calls for $12 billion in cuts to the Department of Education. It also would also eliminate CPB funding if approved by Congress.

The news also follows an executive order directing the CPB to stop the flow of public funding to PBS and NPR. The outlets have vowed to challenge the order in court. If it stands, stations including TPT would not be able to use federal funding to buy PBS programming, including other PBS Kids shows.

Editor's note (May 6, 2025): MPR News pays NPR for content, and MPR receives money from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. When reporting on the business of MPR, we do so independently from news executives and do not let them review material before it runs.