As schools across the country close in response to the COVID-19 virus, PBS and WGBH Boston have partnered to support distance learning. Beginning on Monday, March 30, the WORLD Channel from WGBH will provide a daily, five-hour At-Home Learning Service, for students in grades 6-12, to PBS stations nationwide, including WTIU.

Weekdays from 12-5pm, WORLD will offer programs on science, history and English language arts, and include related learning resources from PBS LearningMedia, a free online service of thousands of educational resources.

“With WORLD channel available free over the air, these educational programs can reach all families, including those who do not have internet access or computers at home,” said Liz Cheng, general manager of television at WGBH and WORLD Channel. “We are proud to work with PBS stations across the country to make this service widely available.”

The new broadcast programming will be supplemented with additional resources from PBS LearningMedia, which is partnering with the WORLD Channel. The resources in PBS LearningMedia, which were developed based on feedback from educators, are aligned to curriculum standards in every state and contextualized for educational use. These resources include grab-and-go activities, lesson plans, interactive lessons, and media that illustrate specific topics or themes and support materials across subjects.

“PBS is proud to support distance learning during this critical time, further extending our mission by providing free access to high-quality educational resources through PBS LearningMedia and PBS KIDS. With on-air offerings like the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and At-Home Learning on WORLD Channel, we are committed to reaching students who don’t have access to broadband and providing them with the same opportunities for learning,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, Children’s Media & Education, PBS.

WTIU World is available on cable and over the air for free as channel 30.2.