WQPT is your community partner for a variety of Educational Outreach Activities Help build reading, science and math skills through WQPT! We bring the best resources from PBS KIDS to the Quad City region through workshops, school visits, library activities and special events. These resources provide support for parents, teachers and caregivers who touch the lives of our children and strengthen our community's future. For more information please contact us.

Ready To Learn Workshops
Let us create a workshop for your group, classroom or organization. WQPT has been committed to helping children be “ready to learn” when they enter school by offering workshops on child development, age appropriate programming, limited television viewing, reading strategies, hands-on activities and online media resources. We've hosted over 1,250 free workshops over the past 15 years for kids and adults, and we can create a workshop for your group or classroom.

First Book
As part of the PBS Raising Readers initiative, WQPT has provided free books five times during the year to selected school and literacy sites. Since 1995 we have distributed 110,000 books to children whose families cannot afford them. Teachers pick the books for their early readers, who are from low literate, low income, English as second language and special needs families, and use them in class before sending them home with their students. Currently we support more than 600 students at approximately $15 per student. Read more

Martha Speaks Reading Buddies
This year, WQPT was funded by the producers of Martha Speaks to provide books and resources for a reading buddies program that pairs older and younger students together to build vocabulary and comprehension skills. The PBS series is based on the famous books about Martha, a dog who eats vegetable soup and is able to talk. Working with 8 teachers and 150 kids from Frances Willard and Longfellow Schools in Rock Island, WQPT will host a celebration at the end of the 10 lessons.

Ready To Learn Conference
This annual event offers workshops for parents, childcare providers and other early childhood professionals to get up-do-date information on a variety of important topics, such as active listening, behavior and discipline, chemistry for kids, and many other topics related to early childhood. Ready to Learn Conference participants receive training certificates. CEU/CPDU credits and/or a college credit course through Black Hawk College will be available for an additional fee.

PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest
Each Spring WQPT and its partners, Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House, Family Museum, Figge Art Museum and Midwest Writing Center, receive stories from young writers and illustrators in kindergarten, first, second and third grades. Sixteen winners (four from each grade) are selected and awarded prizes at a special event for families. First place winners go on to compete in the national contest. All stories are returned, and every entrant receives a Certificate of Achievement. We invite area kids and classrooms to send us their original stories! Read more

PBS Learning Media
PBS Learning Media is the destination for easy, instant access to thousands of classroom-ready, digital resources including videos perfect for the interactive whiteboard, plus audio and photos, and even in-depth lesson plans. You can search, save and share with ease—and it's all free for educators! Teachers who participated in an Illinois pilot program on how best to use the digital library said they'd definitely continue to use it in their classrooms. Learn more

Community Events
WQPT participates in events across the community through our ambassadors, volunteers, resources and programming. We host the children's activity areas for Blossoms at Butterworth and 19th Century Christmas. We donate activity sheets at Music on the Lawn. We supervise the Book Give-Away at Reading Adventures and promote educational activities at Reading Readiness, library and summer activities.