Reading Rainbow is coming back, on computers and in the classroom. As of today, a Kickstarter to bring the show back has raised more than double its initial goal of $1 million. That's enough cash to bring the educational program back as a cross-platform app, complete with a digital library, interactive resources, and virtual field trips—and to offer it for free to cash-strapped schools.
Hosted by actor LeVar Burton (aka Star Trek's Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Reading Rainbow ran on PBS from 1983 through 2006, and for another three years in reruns, garnering a Peabody and a staggering 26 Emmys, and leaving an indelible impression on generations of kids. Burton continued to advocate for childhood literacy, and in 2012, Reading Rainbow returned as an iPad app. By January of this year, it was the No. 1 educational and kids' app for iPad. With the new Kickstarter, Burton wants to extend the app's reach, making it platform-agnostic and putting it in the hands of kids without access to tablets or computers at home.
There's something a little sad about seeing Reading Rainbow on Kickstarter—even if, as Burton points out, the program has always been made possible by the support of viewers. At the same time, though, its success is a striking commentary on both the project's continuing relevance—and the joint power of nostalgia and altruism.
"The fact that so many people have become a part of this, and are donating $1, $5, $10—this is, I believe, a response to the need for people to feel like they can make a difference," Burton wrote in a Reddit AMA earlier today. "It's been interesting, because along this journey we have heard from many people in terms of our business model—do you think Reading Rainbow is still relevant? Yesterday proved beyond the shadow of a doubt the relevancy of Reading Rainbow's mission."
The Reading Rainbow Kickstarter will be active through July 2. Check out Burton's reaction to the campaign hitting its $1 million goal in the video below.
