A collaboration with the Westfield High School Journalism Program

Every afternoon after elementary school, I would drop my backpack by the door, grab a snack and drink in my awesome Snackeez and sit crosslegged on my living room carpet as the familiar theme songs of “Arthur” and “Sid the Science Kid” filled the room. In my eight-year-old mind, I found these shows entertaining, a relaxing break from my ever-so-exhausting day in second grade.

But what I didn’t realize until now is that these shows were truly my window into the world, and taught me how to navigate friendships, embrace curiosity and show kindness. They gave me more than nostalgic childhood memories; they gave me tools for life.

Earlier this month, the PBS Ready To Learn grant, a program responsible for funding beloved shows like “Sesame Street”, “Super Why!” and “Molly of Denali”, was cut, slashing $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, according to pbs.org. This loss of funding is a direct hit to children, especially those from underserved communities who depend on PBS for educational programming that commercial media doesn’t provide.

Public media in the United States has been more than just television for our youth, it’s been a lifeline. According to cpb.org, since 1967, PBS Kids has offered free, ad-free programming that not only prepares kids for school but shapes them into curious, compassionate human beings. Studies from the University of Maryland found that “Sesame Street” alone has improved early literacy and math skills so effectively that its viewers in low income areas performed as well as kids who attended highly funded preschools. These programs are also paired with digital tools and local community outreach that too address learning gaps especially for kids who may not have access to traditional educational resources.

But this isn’t just about missing “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” or “Arthur”. It’s about equity. Without public media, children in low-income families —ones who often can’t afford high-speed internet, and private tutors and expensive educational apps —are left behind. These kids are losing their access to content designed to teach them letters, numbers, empathy and problem-solving skills.

When PBS fades into the background, those children are left with what’s now ad-saturated, mindless media. Imagine what’s lost when “Molly of Denali” can no longer celebrate Indigenous cultures or when “Curious George” isn’t around to inspire curiosity. What happens when a child, so eager to learn, is left with nothing but a YouTube playlist full of toy unboxings and product placements? What happens to our collective future?

The numbers are certainly sobering. Research from Common Sense Media shows kids between 8 and 12 now spend nearly five hours a day on screens, much of it consuming lowquality content. With algorithmdriven platforms that push addictive and over-stimulating programs rather than anything educational, the result is a generation of children glued to screens that do little to spark their imagination or expand their minds. Kids today are now being left at the mercy of content designed to only entertain, not educate.

Being in a community with excellent schools and highly engaged parents, it’s important to remember this isn’t just about us. It’s about the kind of world we want for our children, all children. Again, public media doesn’t just educate, it also instills values like kindness and cultural understanding. Those values don’t stop at the Westfield border. They ripple outward and shape a generation that will one day lead, innovate and care.

We need to speak up. Cutting public media is not only shortsighted, it is also harmful. In the short term, we should demand congress to restore the Ready To Learn grant in its next appropriations cycle. In the long term, we must protect federal funding for public broadcasting to ensure it cannot be subject to political whims.

This is a fight worth having. Public media preserves the magic of childhood and ensures that every child, here in Westfield and beyond, has the tools to learn, grow and dream. Because if we don’t speak up, who will?