Vegas PBS received a generous grant from Aetna Medicaid to support the station’s Bright by Text initiative. The $10,000 grant will support the initiative to provide tips and information to parents and caregivers to assist in the development of children up to the age of five.
Vegas PBS teamed up with Bright by Text to send free activities, games, and resources right to parents’ and caregivers’ cell phones. Messages are targeted to a child’s age and include information on child development, language and early literacy, health and safety, behavioral tips, and more.
Bright by Text offers parents and caregivers expert tips and resources. Interactions a child has with adult caregivers at this stage of their life set the foundation for future learning, behavior, and health. Bright by Text shares fun and easy activity ideas, positive parenting tips and resources, and information about the child’s physical development.
In addition, Bright by Text sends occasional messages about events and resources specific to Southern Nevada, like free museum days, health clinics, and preschool open enrollment periods. To sign up, simply text the word “SHINE” to 274448.
“Thanks to our collaboration with Aetna, Vegas PBS will continue to provide important information to parents and caregivers in Southern Nevada,” said Jessica Russell, Vegas PBS Ready To Learn Coordinator. “This station’s commitment to child education and supporting caregivers in our community has only grown stronger with the support of Aetna.”
“We are committed to supporting families on their path to better health and appreciate the opportunity to be part of an initiative bringing awareness to the importance of early childhood development,” said Lorry Bottrill, Southwest Territory Leader, Aetna Medicaid. "By offering tips and resources that encourage educational growth, health and wellness, we hope to make a positive difference in the lives of local families."
About Vegas PBS
Vegas PBS is a member-supported public television service providing educational content for over 50 years. Vegas PBS builds community through television, education services, and unique experiences that create a sense of place, civic and social capital. For 12 consecutive years, Vegas PBS has remained among the top five most-watched PBS stations in the country. The station offers five unique secondary channels: Create, VEGAS PBS KIDS, WORLD, Rewind and Jackpot! The station collaborates with community partners to create award-winning content that examines informational, cultural, historic, and educational regional issues.
Vegas PBS provides a robust variety of education services that extend the educational experience beyond the broadcast. Resources and services include Vegas PBS’ Ready To Learn educational workshops for children and families, professional development for teachers, online learning courses and certifications for adults, multimedia educational support for educators, 25+ channels of educational and local news for in-classroom viewing, and a Special Needs Resource Library serving those with special needs throughout the state of Nevada.
Vegas PBS viewers can access their favorite shows across multiple platforms including broadcast, vegaspbs.org, the PBS Video App and the PBS KIDS Video App. For more information, visit vegaspbs.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
About Aetna Medicaid
Aetna Medicaid Administrators LLC (Aetna Medicaid), a CVS Health business, has over 30 years of experience managing the care of the most medically vulnerable, using innovative approaches and a local presence in each market to achieve both successful health care results and effective cost outcomes. Aetna Medicaid has particular expertise serving high-need Medicaid members, including those who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. Currently, Aetna Medicaid owns and/or administers Medicaid managed health care plans under the names of Aetna Better Health and other affiliate names. Together, these plans serve approximately 2.7 million people in 15 states, including Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Texas. For more information, see www.aetnabetterhealth.com.
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