TVO is fulfilling its plan to focus on digital and niche kids content, part of a restructuring roadmap the Ontario pubcaster unveiled in November.

TVOKids is rolling out a week of new, multiplatform programming as part of its Back to School Week, starting Aug. 26, to be added to its existing slate of interactive kids content.

The content is aimed at helping kids develop literacy and learning skills through Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education. Online, TVOKids is also launching new resources for parents and kids to support the Ontario curriculum and skills development, aimed to engage users throughout the school year and integrate TVOKids programming into everyday learning activities.

The Space, the TVOKids live and interactive after-school block, will introduce two new science series.

ISS Space News will explore aspects of the International Space Station, including using archival footage from space, and The Media Lab teaches children tools and skills for digital media.

Online offerings for The Media Lab will include a digital literacy quiz on tvokids.com. The block will also air new eps of TVO’s literacy series The Reading Rangers, launching in conjunction with two related e-books, Rangerpalooza and The Mayor’s Muffins.

And new STEM series, produced by TVO, will launch as part of Gisele’s Big Backyard, the kidscaster’s preschool block for kids ages two to five. Let’s Build It shows kids how to measure and use different materials for building, while Sandy Math teaches kids about numbers and counting. Also rolling into the preschool block is Zerby Derby, a problem-solving series based on STEM education.

Returning to the fall lineup are animated preschool series Jack, live-action science series Finding Stuff Out, Wild Kratts and math program Prime Radicals.

Online, TVOParents.com, which is integrated with the tvokids.com main site, is launching a Back to School page, which shows how TVOKids programming supports the Ontario curriculum. The TVOKids Homework Zone, in addition to offering activities and homework resources, will launch the Math Monster customizable game for kids in grades three to six to help with math practice.