Reading Rainbow and YouTube Have an Announcement!
almost 9 years ago
– Mon, May 11, 2015 at 04:59:49 AM
Dear Backers,
What a truly incredible whirlwind of a year it has been for us. We are so thankful and humbled for all of the new opportunities and doors that have opened for us thanks to Y-O-U contributing to our massive Kickstarter campaign! We have some very exciting February news to share and want you to be one of the FIRST to know!
As part of bringing Reading Rainbow to “Every Child, Every Where”, we PARTNERED WITH YOUTUBE and their all-new kid-friendly video platform, YouTube Kids to bring an exclusive Video Field Trip series to our children. Reading Rainbow’s uTech series is designed to do for kids and technology today what the Classic Reading Rainbow series did for kids and reading 32 years ago: to make science and technology fun, understandable, and relatable. In this brand new series Reading Rainbow plans to address technology ranging from electric toothbrushes to the Mars Rover, from kids and computers to space travel—and we’ll do it all in a way that makes technology exciting and easy for kids to understand!
Watch Episode 1 of “uTech” right here:
Reading Rainbow will be releasing a new uTech segment EVERY WEDNESDAY in the YouTube Kids App and the Reading Rainbow YouTube channel for the remainder of the 2015 year! uTech includes 100% BRAND NEW and EXCLUSIVE content all surrounding kids and technology in everyday life. LeVar and our Reading Rainbow video production team are traveling from coast-to-coast filming new shows, and scouting exciting locations all over the world in preparation to continually deliver new educational adventures right to your kids!
Have you heard of YouTube Kids? Probably not. Why not? Because it’s a brand new service available for your kiddos RIGHT NOW. YouTube Kids is making it easy for children (who may be too young for the full YouTube experience) to find great videos from Reading Rainbow and other channels they already like in a safe and easy to navigate environment. This partnership puts us one step closer to reaching MORE children in even MORE ways than we ever thought imaginable.
LeVar delivered this message in regards to this exciting partnership with YouTube Kids:
"At a time when a child's access to media can be overwhelming and filled with empty calories, I'm excited that YouTube Kids is making this commitment to give families a safe environment to spark curiosity while still entertaining. Reading Rainbow and I are proud to have been asked by YouTube to celebrate the launch of YouTube Kids with the debut of an exclusive original series we're creating called "uTech" that explores the technology our next generation will have as an ever-present part of their lives.”
YouTube Kids. Made for curious little minds. Download the free app:
We are so thrilled about this amazing opportunity to partner with YouTube. We are honored to be part of a greater mission to provide kids with a digital service to have free reign to safely explore family friendly educational content.
Here are some GREAT features about YouTube Kids:
- YouTube Kids offers a safe environment for kids to watch educational content. That means there’s ZERO opportunity for inappropriate material to pop-up. How does that work exactly? Upon content submission, all content is carefully screened prior to being released on YouTube Kids to make sure it’s 100% kid appropriate. No if’s about it!
- Much like an adult experience on YouTube, Kids can create their OWN playlists, catered to their personal interests. A Reading Rainbow FAVORITES playlist will be continually updated to include all of your family-friendly favorites: Story Time videos, Video Field Trips, Classics and the new uTech shows!
- All content will be 100% family-focused. For years, families have come to YouTube, watching countless hours of videos on all kinds of topics. Now, parents can rest a little easier knowing that videos in the YouTube Kids app are narrowed down to content appropriate for kids. You can browse channels and playlists in four categories: Shows, Music, Learning and Explore.
Backers, thank you so much for already making our year so memorable, and it’s just the beginning! We hope you and your family check out all of the great content on YouTube Kids starting this week...but you don’t have to take our word for it. We will be sending out another backer update shortly. Have a wonderful week, and if you need anything in the meantime, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Your Friends,
Reading Rainbow Team