Young Sheldon Does More For American Schools Than You Would Believe
Sheldon Cooper is not the only young genius who deserves to be supported.
After the runaway success of The Big Bang Theory and the way it completely changed the sitcom game, there was almost no way to create a spinoff that was half as good and popular as the original. The stakes were high, and viewers would only accept greatness from the showrunners.
Young Sheldon did something that was considered almost impossible: it made The Big Bang Theory prequel even better than the original show. With fewer inappropriate jokes, the elimination of laugh tracks, and a story that resonated with more people, the life of young Sheldon Cooper captured the hearts of thousands of viewers within one season.
As hard as it may be to believe, there are entire groups of Young Sheldon fans who have not watched The Big Bang Theory and have no plans to do so. Despite the title, people are there for the entire Cooper family, not just Sheldon.
Considering the huge impact the show has had on so many viewers, it would only be fair to extend that impact to create a truly honorable initiative. Chuck Lorre, the creator of both The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon, has taken it upon himself to ensure that Young Sheldon leaves its mark on American history.
Beginning in 2018 and continuing today, the Chuck Lorre Family Foundation is running a special Young Sheldon program that will fund up to 20 public schools in Southern California and East Texas with two-year grants totaling $600,000.
These grants are specifically designed and used to support each school's STEM teachers and their classroom curriculum, after-school programs, and experiential field trips. In addition, the foundation itself has made a commitment to donate large amounts of money to support public schools outside of the Young Sheldon program.
If Sheldon's school in Medford had a program of the same quality, he might never have to move to Germany so soon. Fortunately, this is one of those rare cases where fictional reality lacks a little something that the world around us already has.
Young Sheldon is set to return for season 7, which has already been greenlit by CBS. However, like many other scripted series, it will skip the fall season as production is stalled due to the ongoing WGA and SAG AFTRA strikes. Stay tuned for more news and behind-the-scenes updates!