Cyberchase, an animated kids’ show that airs during the PBS KIDS GO! block, is getting a financial boost by investment firms Ernst & Young LLP and Northrop Grumman Corp. Making their first investments in children’s television, the entities have signed on as funders of the educational series, joining renewing supporters Intel, the National Science Foundation, PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding is provided by The Volckhausen Family.
Now entering its fifth season, Cyberchase has become one of the most successful offerings on PBS KIDS GO!, according to Tamara Robinson, VP and director of programming for Thirteen, the public television station that produces the series. “As that impact has grown, Cyberchase has attracted support from corporations and foundations that are committed to the future of math education.’
Aimed at kids 8-11, Cyberchase features a team of curious kids who, along with their ‘cyberbird’ pal Digit (voiced by Gilbert Gottfried), use math and problem solving to outwit the ultimate bad guy, Hacker (Christopher Lloyd). Season five will have the Cybersquad focusing on math and inventions, a theme that will carry over to online games and outreach activities, which include the fall launch of inventions-based activity kits to be used in children’s programs and science museums nationwide.
Produced by Thirteen/WNET New York and Nelvana Ltd., Cyberchase airs on more than 340 PBS stations and digital channels across the U.S. and reaches more than five million viewers weekly. In addition, Cyberchase Online recently surpassed 1.3 billion page views. For more information, go to PBSKids.org.
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