BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A summer enrichment program for city students and similar offerings at local libraries are back on track after a private donor replaced federal funding revoked through a President Trump executive order this month.
The Garrigan Foundation donated $25,000 to Lehigh Valley Public Media after learning the Trump administration had clawed back the remainder of a federal Ready to Learn grant.
The funding promoted literacy and job awareness among young children and allowed PBS staff to assist in training early childhood educators through local intermediate units.
LVPM Director of Education Cate Reifsnyder said she and her staff had started reaching out to its partners to cancel the free programming when she was contacted by Scott Garrigan, founder of the Garrigan Foundation.
"It was breathtaking to have someone step up and say they'll make this kind of donation to us. This is such a powerful investment in the future of the Lehigh Valley."LVPM Director of Education Cate Reifsnyder
He and a fellow trustee read about the cuts and wanted to support the program, Reifsnyder said.
"It was breathtaking to have someone step up and say they'll make this kind of donation to us," Reifsnyder said. "This is such a powerful investment in the future of the Lehigh Valley."
The federal funding — and now the donation — paid for books, games, food and part of the salary of a LVPM employee.
About 1,000 area children have participated in LVPM programming funded by the Ready to Learn grant since October.
'We're super grateful'
The Garrigan Foundation focuses on supporting established organizations that promote childhood education — particularly groups that serve underprivileged students.
It's possible that Trump's orders freezing the Ready to Learn grant will be thrown out by a judge, but the opportunity for the kids to enjoy the summer program would have passed by the time the dust settles, Garrigan said.
The foundation's trustees recognized they were in a unique position to help, he said. Larger organizations typically require months to process and vet funding requests, meaning the summer would be long over even if alternate funding materialized.
"We want to fund the operating expenses of people who are doing great, great work and have shown past success," Garrigan said.
"There was no question that [Reifsnyder and her team] clearly qualified for our criteria."
Garrigan previously worked for East Penn and Bethlehem Area school districts and currently is a professor emeritus at Lehigh University.
The restored funding will allow LVPM educators to head to Donegan Elementary School this summer for a two-week enrichment program.
"We're super grateful that this person recognizes the work that PBS does in the community, particularly with Donegan."Donegan Elementary School Principal Erin Martin-Medina
Reifsnyder said the program promotes critical thinking skills by teaching children about the basics of physics and engineering.
The students also get books that reinforce those lessons. The program is supplemented by educational cartoons, podcasts and games from PBS Kids.
Donegan Principal Erin Martin-Medina said the program helps bolster children at risk of backsliding academically over the long school break.
"We're super grateful that this person recognizes the work that PBS does in the community, particularly with Donegan," Martin-Medina said.
Reifsnyder said similar programming is offered at five area libraries. Those sessions include an additional goal of teaching parents techniques to get their children more engaged academically.
Brewing storm over funding
The restored funding marks welcome news for LVPM amid rough seas. This month, the Trump administration ordered the Corporation of Public Broadcasting to halt all funding to NPR and PBS.
He accused the two organizations of providing biased news coverage on the taxpayer's dime when citizens have plenty of privately funded news operations to chose from.
Both NPR and PBS39 have denied the allegations of biased reporting.
The funding cuts extend beyond journalism. Following Trump's order, PBS Kids announced it will not produce more episodes of the cartoon "Molly of Denali."
The Emmy Award-winning program followed the adventures of the titular 10-year-old Alaska native girl, her friends and family in a rural Alaskan village.
Also this month, a U.S. Department of Education spokesperson said the department would not financially support programs that present "divisive ideologies and woke propaganda."
NPR and the CBP each have sued the Trump administration. NPR alleges Trump lacks the authority to direct CPB funding; it's a private nonprofit created and funded by Congress.
The news agency argues the cuts are retaliation for its often-critical coverage of the president, making the cuts a violation of the First Amendment.
In its lawsuit, the CPB is suing Trump after he fired three of its five directors. As does NPR, the CPB argues Trump lacks the authority to fire appointed trustees.
'This is an unmet need'
The five-year, $200,000 Ready to Learn grant was awarded to LVPM in 2020 and had mostly been spent on past educational services. However, Trump's broader freeze on CPB funding could have more serious consequences.
Federal funding accounts for about $1 million, or about 20%, of LVPM's operations. Those include the education department, the PBS39 television station, the 91.3 WLVR radio station and the news website LehighValleyNews.com.
"That's the only way organizations like LVPM can continue to deliver the impact that the community needs. This is an unmet need. If we don't do it, it will go unfulfilled."LVPM Acting Chief Executive Officer Laks Srinivasan
All four operate out of the Univest Public Media Center on the SteelStacks campus.
LVPM's Acting Chief Executive Officer Laks Srinivasan acknowledged this month that a loss of federal funding would affect the organization, but said it's better positioned than other public media operations to withstand the cuts.
The non-profit has more than $70 million in investments thanks to about $82 million it received in a 2017 FCC spectrum auction.
As the fight over Trump's cuts is waged in the courts and the Capitol, Srinivan said it was gratifying to see a local nonprofit recognize the work LVPM performs and offer its support.
With future federal funding in question, public media organizations will be more reliant on private donors in order to make ends meet, he said.
"That's the only way organizations like LVPM can continue to deliver the impact that the community needs," he said. "This is an unmet need. If we don't do it, it will go unfulfilled."
