PNC Financial Services has announced two partnerships to kick off Great Month, its annual push to advance high-quality early childhood education. Focused on promoting outdoor learning and classroom innovation, PNC is joining forces with Sesame Workshop and DonorsChoose.
A $6.2 million grant to Sesame Workshop
According to a press release, the PNC Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the US banking giant, awarded a $6 million grant to Sesame Workshop. The capital injection will support Sesame Workshop’s efforts to help children build school-readiness skills.
Per the announcement, the funds are earmarked for initiatives on outdoor and play-based learning. Already, Sesame Workshop has hit the ground running with new Sesame Street Muppet videos, printable activity sheets, and an outdoor science web-based app.
“These new resources will help families build on children’s curiosity to learn through simple daily activities, from counting bounces of a ball at the playground to noticing how birds blend into tree branches,” said Sally McCrady, president of the PNC Foundation.
Sesame Workshop, makers of the TV show Sesame Street, has launched Go Outside, Grow Outside-type resources as part of a broader initiative for young children to learn through everyday outdoor experiences.
For families who may not have easy access to traditional green spaces or parks, Sesame Workshop told Charity Journal that the initiative still supports outdoor learning even in urban spaces.
“Nature is everywhere and for everyone,” said a spokesperson. “The content helps expand perceptions of what is considered nature, especially in urban settings and inspires families to explore their neighborhoods differently or to appreciate overlooked outdoor elements.”
Several studies have shown that outdoor spaces are key to better cognitive development. However, outdoor learning spaces are shrinking, with urbanization considered a major factor, while new data indicate that 1 in 3 children do not play outside after school.
PNC invests $600,000 on DonorsChoose classroom projects
Meanwhile, PNC continues its red-hot streak for Great Month, confirming funding for nearly 1,000 DonorsChoose classroom projects. Costing the PNC around $600,000, the project will directly fund the classroom needs for public school teachers.
Akin to partnership with Sesame Workshop, PNC’s collaboration with DonorsChoose will also focus on outdoor play and learning experiences. During the Great Month, public pre-K and Head Start teachers will pitch outdoor-focused classroom projects via DonorsChoose, with qualifying projects receiving a $500 jumpstart donation to launch.
Apart from the partnerships, PNC is also looking inwards, doubling volunteer grants for individual and team members. A PNC spokesperson told Charity Journal that doubling volunteer grants often leads to employees committing volunteer hours, as seen in previous milestone years.
“During milestone years for PNC Grow Up Great, including our 15th and 20th anniversaries when we offered Double the Impact grants, we saw significant increases in the overall number of volunteer grants earned,” said a PNC spokesperson. “That history gives us confidence this change will drive even greater employee engagement.”