Cinch bags with fun activities will be distributed to kindergarten through fifth-grade students, while supplies last
Harrisburg, PA– WITF invites students and their families to celebrate back to school at the free event “Ready Set Go Kindergarten and Friends” to watch “Wild Kratts: Cats and Dogs” on Friday, September 24 at the Cumberland Drive-In Theatre. WITF will distribute cinch bags with a book and fun activities to students, while supplies last. Kindergartners will receive the book “Kindergarten, Here I Come!” and first through fifth graders will receive the bilingual edition of “Curious George Home Run.”
WITF hosted its first “Ready Set Go Kindergarten” event at the WITF Public Media Center ten years ago but had to adapt the event because of COVID.
“Celebrating our early learners beginning school is important to WITF,” said WITF Director of Education Debbie Riek. “We want families to know that we care about this big milestone, that there is a community supporting them, and that we believe in their success. Last year due to COVID, we adapted the event to the drive-in format to provide for social distancing. We’re thrilled once again to invite all young students, “Wild Kratts” fans and families to enjoy the movie, back-to-school tips and free resources!”
“Wild Kratts: Cats and Dogs” is an hourlong adventure that explores the creature powers of wild cats and dogs through a mix of live-action film with brothers Martin and Chris Kratt, and an animated story where the villain Zach Varmitech devises a scheme to capture and sell wild cats and dogs.
Hosted by musician Billy Kelly, the event also includes sharing back-to-school tips during breaks in the movie.
“As the PBS and NPR member station for Central Pennsylvania, part of WITF’s mission is to inspire lifelong learning by connecting our neighbors to educational experiences,” said WITF Senior Vice President and Chief Impact Officer Blake Lynch. “We are a part of your learning neighborhood and your community. We sincerely thank our sponsors The Hershey Company, Volvo Construction Equipment, Allied Milk Producers Cooperative, The GIANT Company, UPMC and Milton Hershey School. Without their support, we would not be able to celebrate students and families at ‘Ready Set Go Kindergarten and Friends.’”
The PBS KIDS program “Wild Kratts” airs on WITF TV weekdays at 7:30 a.m., as well as on WITFK PBS KIDS 24/7 weekdays at 7:00 & 7:30 p.m., and weekends at 5:30 p.m. It’s available to stream for free anytime on the PBS KIDS Video App.
Doors open for “Ready Set Go Kindergarten and Friends” at 6:45 p.m. and the program will begin at dark. Tickets are free but must be reserved to secure a parking spot. Tickets and more information are at witf.org/events.
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About WITF
WITF is a trusted provider of public media news and programming for approximately 2.3 million people in 19 counties of Central Pennsylvania, encouraging children and adults to Live Inspired®. A member station of PBS and NPR, WITF children’s programming includes public television on WITF TV, WITFK PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and the PBS KIDS app. Other services include an English and Spanish website for caregivers of early learners at ready.witf.org, an EITC program Explore in the Classroom and a variety of free family events that bring PBS KIDS Characters, STEAM activities and families together. WITF’s mission is to inspire lifelong learning by connecting people and communities of Pennsylvania through trusted journalism, thoughtful discussion and educational experiences. For more information, visit witf.org.
For more information, please contact:
WITF – Sarah Sheehan, sarah_sheehan@witf.org, 717.919.8924
