Kid-friendly civics lessons are at the heart of Well Versed (pictured), a new 2D-animated series from LA-based prodco ATTN: that launched today on Nickelodeon and Paramount+.

Featuring music videos for kids that demystify topics like the branches of government, the importance of voting and understanding rights, this 12-ep toon is a passion project for ATTN: co-CEO and executive producer Matthew Segal. He previously set up the nonprofit org OurTime to help register and educate US voters, and now he’s expanding on this work with a focus on America’s youngest demo. 

Owned by Candle Media, ATTN: specializes in providing informative content to Gen Z and Millennial audiences. Its portfolio includes With One Voice, an MTV News hour-long special about four Jewish activists; and A Year of Firsts, an Instagram series about first-year college students that was produced in partnership with former First Lady Michelle Obama.

With Well Versed, ATTN: is taking on the unique challenge of aging down the topic of civics—which is underrepresented, even on the educational side of kids media, says Segal. “Democracy doesn’t just start at age 18. It can start at age five, seven, 11 or whenever you can basically grasp the concepts.” 

Well Versed seeks to address a learning deficit in civics education in a manner similar to the classic animated shorts series Schoolhouse Rock!, Matthew Segal notes.

There’s an ongoing crisis in civics education, he adds, pointing to the fact that eighth graders’ (ages 13 and 14) scores in the subject hit a record low this year, according to the US Education Department.

While Well Versed mostly targets six to 11s, four of the episodes were designed specifically for preschoolers. These segments focus on age-appropriate subjects like the purpose of rules, navigating disagreements and why volunteering is important. These preschool eps will roll out on Nick Jr. and Nickelodeon’s Noggin app. 

Moonbug Entertainment (also owned by Candle Media) has done some of the animation work on Well Versed, along with ATTN:’s own in-house animators. Segal also recruited iCivics—an educational nonprofit in Massachusetts—to help design the series’ curriculum. 

Looking ahead, ATTN: plans to develop more educational content for kids using a similar model, Segal says. The company is already working on a series that will help kids understand money, another under-explored topic. “You’ll be seeing something from us in that realm in the not-too-distant future.”