In the past month, the IdahoPTV Education team has participated or hosted 9 events around the state, reaching a total of 1,001 children and 294 adults, from Sandpoint to Pocatello.
Here's a look at what's happening in June:
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For Idaho Parents: Raising Resilient Kids—Mental Health Matters
Raising Resilient Kids: Mental Health Matters (airing Tuesday, June 28, at 8 PM) is a powerful hourlong special produced by Idaho Public Television featuring some of Idaho’s top mental health experts. They share their ideas on how to talk with kids about mental health so parents and caregivers can be more effective in these critical conversations.
Learn what to do when your child is not okay, when to seek professional help, and how to help your kids be more resilient and hopeful, even when dealing with anxiety and stress. Hear ideas about how to keep children healthy over the summer when school is out. Learn as a parent how you, too, can stay resilient, even when life is difficult. You can do this!
The panel discussion will be facilitated by Nicole Sanchez who, along with Hank Nystrom and Pat Metzler, produced the award-winning documentary Resilient Idaho: Hope Lives Here. It explores Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and shows how resilience is the antidote.
“We know there are young people in our communities who are really struggling. A lot of times it can be scary and hard to talk about mental health,” Sanchez says. “We want to take as much stress out of these conversations as possible. We hope to normalize these discussions and empower parents to help their children be more resilient and hopeful.”
Watch or stream Raising Resilient Kids on Tuesday, June 28, at 8 p.m. on Idaho Public Television.
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It's a Summer of Possibilities!

When we spend time on in Idaho's incredible outdoors, take a walk around the neighborhood, or visit a nearby park, our senses come alive! We can inspire our children to observe and understand nature by listening for animal sounds, feeling the texture of rocks, seeing the shade made by the trees, smelling freshly cut grass, and tasting raindrops as they fall from the sky.
PBS KIDs for parents has a wealth of ideas and activities to get you exploring the outdoors together this summer.
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Another Busy Month in Southwest & Eastern Idaho

Nature Cat visited libraries in Meridian, Boise, Glenns Ferry, and Gooding to encourage families to explore the outdoors this summer and to sign up for summer reading programs at the respective libraries.
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To help second-graders at STEAM Day at the Idaho Falls Zoo learn about potential and kinetic energy and persistence, we guided kids in building and testing designs for spool racers.
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In May we wrapped up IdahoPTV Education's second-annual Storytime in a Box program, sending this year's last batch of kits to 24 Idaho libraries.
Although the 2022 program is over, librarians can still access the digital materials we've created for the program by visiting our website.
Coming in late summer or early fall: a special Early STEM Storytime in a Box program for libraries and early child care centers.
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Cara Marchbanks:
IdahoPTV in Your Neighborhood
Cara Marchbanks is an energetic community schools resource coordinator for the Notus School District in Notus, Idaho. With a population of less than 600, it’s the smallest town in Canyon County.
Working with kids preschool through twelfth grade, Marchbanks says that sees firsthand how access to early childhood education helps students succeed. She focuses on community engagement for early learners and their families, bringing resources into the schools. But in tiny Notus, access to funds to purchase quality materials is particularly challenging.
“We had been creating our own school readiness kits for kids starting kindergarten, but we didn’t have the proper resources,” Marchbanks says. Then, in April 2022, she met Idaho Public Television’s Family Education Specialist Florina Ruvio.
“I can’t sing her praises enough,” says Marchbanks.
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Ruvio and the Idaho Public Television Education team put together comprehensive school-readiness resources—including markers and dry-erase sheets for practicing letters, numbers, shapes, and more; flash cards; scissors; triangular crayons, which are easier for youngsters to hold correctly; parent information; and copies of the popular children’s book “The Night Before Kindergarten,” and more—and compiled them into backpacks. Idaho Public Television provided the kits to the Notus School District for free.
“I was blown away,” she says. “All the things we wanted to give to our kids, Florina had in these school readiness kits.” She adds that everything in the pack was high-quality, well-rounded, and appropriate–and straightforward for parents to use with their early learners.
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Starting June 14:
The Startup Teacher Playbook Virtual Book Study
From June 14 to July 12, we'll meet every Tuesday for two hours on Zoom. Earn 1 professional development credit for participating and a FREE copy of the book! Space is limited so register now to reserve a spot.
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Science Trek: Climate
What is the difference between climate and weather, and how do greenhouse gases change the climate?
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In May, Science Trek's 360-video "Geocaching" won a Platinum Award in the Children's Interactive/Educ. category of the 55th Worldfest Houston Awards.
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Wednesday, June 8, 11 a.m.
Summer STEM at Caldwell Public Library, Caldwell, Idaho
IdahoPTV Community Education Specialist Trisha Mick leads STEM cartesian diver activity.
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Fri. and Sat., June 10-11
Idaho AEYC Professional Development Institute, Boise
IdahoPTV's Education team join other early educators from around Idaho to promote discussions about best practices in the field of early education. Come see us at our exhibit booth!
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online game
Ages 3-8
Help Donkey Hodie
run her own froyo stand.
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online game
Ages 3-8
Help Purple Panda explore our solar system by flying his spaceship.
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