A new service being offered by WBGU-PBS allows parents and caregivers to receive important local information and expert-approved national resources via text. Bright by Text is a free service that provides early childhood education, developmental tools and local information about community services. The service is geared for caregivers of children from prenatal up to age 8.

Bright by Text sends out between two and four text messages per week with links to tips, short videos and related resources. The goal is to provide a quick, yet trusted source for information. To sign up, text the keyword PBSKIDS to 274448. Participants can opt out at any time.


 

“The internet can be overwhelming, there is so much out there, parents or caregivers may not have the time to search or know which sites to trust,” said Kelly Pheneger, WBGU-PBS Educational Services coordinator. “We want parents and caregivers to have easy access to tools to support their children at all stages.”

Bright by Text partners with national expert resources including PBS Kids, Vroom, Sesame Street and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to deliver its content. Text topics include brain development, learning activities, health and wellness and more.

“Not only do we want to provide educational information, we also want to be a source of local relevant information,” Pheneger added. “There are tons of local resources out there, many that are free, and this is a great way to let people in our 19-county viewing area know about them.”

Bright by Text is available in all 50 states and has partnered with numerous PBS affiliates and other nonprofit organizations. For information, visit brightbytext.org.

WBGU-PBS is a PBS affiliate and partner of Bowling Green State University serving a 19-county region. For more information, visit www.wbgu.org.