SUPER WHY! Around the World Adventure Kicks off PBS KIDS Summer Learning Initiative This June

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

On Friday, June 15, PBS KIDS premieres the SUPER WHY! Around the World Adventure, an on-air event featuring two new episodes of SUPER WHY!. This new special is the cornerstone of PBS KIDS summer learning initiative, an effort to help kids continue building key literacy skills throughout summer vacation. Research shows that students experience significant learning loss when they do not participate in educational activities during the summer months. To help bridge this summer learning gap, PBS KIDS is providing families with the SUPER WHY! Around the World Adventure, along with a host of other fun and educational content and activities across platforms.

When children go back to school in the fall, teachers typically spend between four and six weeks re-teaching material that students have forgotten over the summer, said Lesli Rotenberg, senior vice president, Childrens Media, PBS. We want to equip families with tools to prevent this summer slide, and to make summer a time for learning and exploring. At PBS KIDS, we know that kids learn the most from content that is both educational and engaging, which is why were offering a range of activities across platforms to help kids and parents build key skills while having fun this summer.

SUPER WHY! Around the World Adventure June 15

Two new episodes of the award-winning series created and produced by Out of the Blue Enterprises Super Why and the Around the World Adventure and Super Why and Naila and the Magic Map take the Super Readers around the world in back-to-back adventures in the SUPER WHY! Around the World Adventure. Both episodes will also be available online at PBSKIDS.org/video and on the free PBS KIDS Video App for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Episode descriptions follow. Images are available on PBS PressRoom.

Super Why and the Around the World Adventure With the help of their teacher, Wyatt and his friends have contacted a girl from another school over the computer and are wondering where she lives.The Super Readers take a trip around the world with a wacky explorer named Wobblebottom, who is on the hunt for his friend Sophie.Will they be able to help Wobblebottom find his friend?

Super Why and Naila and the Magic Map Pig and his friends are playing when they find what looks like an Egyptian treasure map, but they cant make out the symbols!To search for some answers, the Super Readers soar into the book Naila and the Magic Map and explore the world of ancient Egypt.Will they be able to help Naila unravel the mysterious code that will unlock where the treasure lies?

PBS KIDS summer learning initiative will also include themed programming on-air, online and on mobile, as well as partnership activities to support literacy.

Summer Learning Theme Weeks Starting June 4

This summer, PBS KIDS will focus on literacy with 10 weeks of themed programming (check local listings). Each week will feature reading-related episodes from a different PBS KIDS series. Select episodes and clips will also be featured on PBSKIDS.org/video and on the free PBS KIDS Video App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, and games and activities will be available for kids at PBSKIDS.org/read and for parents at PBSPARENTS.org/read. Starting June 4, free episode downloads, video playlists and other downloadable content will also be available on iTunes. Episodic images and episode descriptions are available on PBS PressRoom. The line-up includes: