"What are those rusty pieces of metal?" my 5-year-old asked me recently at his favorite playground, pointing to a 9/11 memorial. Living in northern New Jersey, they're a frequent sighting and one my son never fails to miss. "They're from a building," I awkwardly reply each time, unsure of an age-appropriate way to talk to him about the tragic events of that day. Thanks to PragerU Kids, however, that will soon change.
Ahead of the 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, the nonprofit is coming out with a new book titled, "Otto's Tales: Today Is September 11th," which follows the dog, Otto, and his best friend, Dennis, as they travel back in time to that fateful day, explaining what happened, why it happened, and most importantly, how America united in its aftermath.
The original book is among the new content available through PragerU Resources for Educators & Parents (PREP), which offers material that helps parents and educators celebrate American values and push back on leftist indoctrination in the classroom. This includes kids' shows, books, magazines, resources, and action guides for K-12 students.
Launched in April, PREP has become so popular so quickly that it's been difficult for PragerU Kids to keep up with the demand.
"Last year our eyes were opened as parents, and frankly, teachers who were on the inside, that were very, very unhappy with a lot of the direction that their administrators were taking," Jill Simonian, director of outreach for PREP, told Townhall. "So, what we're trying to do now is to really amplify the message and mission that PragerU Kids is here for you."
In order to do that, PragerU Kids has "ramped up" all of its programming, she said, noting that they now have eight content lines and more coming.
There are hardcopy books and storytime videos with Otto for K-2nd grade, Leo and Layla's History Adventures, which is an animated cartoon geared toward 3rd-5th graders, TBH (To Be Honest) History, which teaches 6th graders and up about significant historical figures and events that "are not taught in an unbiased way anymore," according to Simonian, and much more.
All the videos are available for free thanks to its membership group—a $25 donation that opens up access to discussion forums with like-minded parents and educators, plus virtual events.
Simonian recommends taking the material to schools boards and teachers to incorporate into their lessons.
"It's up to us to course correct the crazy direction that everything is headed in," Simonian said. "As long as there's balance, that's what we want."
