WQED Celebrates Super Teachers Digital Learning Group

WQED CELEBRATES FIRST YEAR OF SUPER TEACHERS DIGITAL LEARNING GROUP AND LOOKS FORWARD TO YEAR TWO

Event Welcomes Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning

PITTSBURGH – WQED hosts a celebration of the accomplishments of the first year of iQ: smartmedia Super Teachers on Friday, August 10 at the Foster Early Childhood Center in McKees Rocks. Special guest speaker for the recognition event will be Dr. Barbara Minzenberg, Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning.

WQED Super Teachers are 12 educators who advise WQED in the best ways for incorporating PBS digital media in early childhood classrooms and homes (pre-K through K) throughout Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 (AIU 3) representing 42 school districts in Allegheny County.

“The innovations we’ve seen in year one are phenomenal – teachers using the TV show SuperWhy to help children with speech delays, comprehensive training for Head Start across our entire region, and equipping parents with the ability to track their child’s literacy through a free gaming tool called PBS Kids Island,” says Jennifer Stancil, Executive Director of Educational Partnerships at WQED. “There is much more on the horizon…we are gearing up for the new school year with our new math curriculum, among other innovative projects.”

WQED’s iQ: smartmedia initiative, encompassing all of its educational projects, is at national forefront of helping teachers use PBS children’s programs and digital media to incorporate games, coaching, sharing via video, and applying those digital assets to science, numeracy, literacy, and social and emotional awareness. “We are even helping teachers understand the use of social networks, like My Street (from Sesame Workshop), for peer-to-peer sharing of best practices, says Stancil.”

In just the first year, the contributions of WQED’s SuperTeachers total $97,000 in value through curriculum development, training and implementation of digital assets for the early childhood classroom. In year two, the Super Teachers will incorporate new PBS children’s shows, training, and construct a new Head Start curriculum on math with PBS collaboratively.

PBS programming and digital assets are particularly important to kids who are at-risk: those with learning ability challenges, autism, and those in underserved communities in Allegheny County. WQED hopes to expand the program to other counties in western Pennsylvania with additional funding for the program.

Unfortunately, a child raised in poverty will hear far fewer words or affirmative statements from his or her parents than a child living in a higher-income family. One study estimated that the average child in a professional family heard 215,000 words weekly, compared to 125,000 in a working-class family and just 62,000 in a family on welfare. Over the course of four years (before a child enters school), that “word gap” grows to a 30-million-word gulf between children in low- and high-income homes. By the time a child from a low-income family enters kindergarten, he or she may be 12-14 months below national norms in language and pre-reading skills; these disparities continue as the child ages and are linked to “challenges later in life, including dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, and unemployment” (CCSSO, 2009). Around the nation and here in Pennsylvania, school systems fall short in meeting the needs of children: Pennsylvania ranks 24th in the country in terms of access to state Pre-K and Head Start for four-year-olds, and there are wide racial and income-based achievement gaps at all grade levels.

WQED’s investment in Super Teachers stems from research received from early childhood educators through preliminary research conducted in late 2010. WQED surveyed early childhood educators on their use of and familiarity with media and technology in the classroom. Most teachers surveyed do not use any kind of technology or media to assess student learning (60%).

A sample of the curriculum is available at www.wqed.org/education in the Teachers section.

WQED Multimedia (www.wqed.org) has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; the Pittsburgh Concert Channel on HD radio and online; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive and The WQED Education Department.
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Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

Dr. Seuss Turns 108, Let's Celebrate!

WQED PITTSBURGH CELEBRATES DR. SEUSS' BIRTHDAY ON MARCH 2 WITH THE CAT IN THE HAT-A-THON, A PBS KIDS MULTIMEDIA EVENT


WQED "SEUSS-IRIFIC" BIRTHDAY PARTY WITH THE CAT IN THE HAT CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF PITTSBURGH SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012 11 A.M. - 1 P.M.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 21, 2012


CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghazimanolis@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

WQED PITTSBURGH CELEBRATES DR. SEUSS’ BIRTHDAY ON MARCH 2

WITH THE CAT IN THE HAT-A-THON, A PBS KIDS MULTIMEDIA EVENT

WQED “SEUSS-IRIFIC” BIRTHDAY PARTY WITH THE CAT IN THE HAT

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF PITTSBURGH

SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2012

11 A.M. – 1 P.M.

PITTSBURGH – On March 2, WQED Pittsburgh will celebrate the 108th birthday of Dr. Seuss with THE CAT-IN-THE-HAT-A-THON, a two-hour marathon of PBS KIDS series THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! THE CAT IN THE HAT-A-THON will air on WQED-TV from 8-10 a.m., with encore presentations from 2-4 p.m. that day and Saturday, March 3 from 7-9 a.m. on WQED: The Create Channel. Kids will also be able to engage with the Cat and friends through games and video content online and on mobile.


“Families, schools and communities around the country celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday every year,” said Jennifer Stancil, Executive Director of Educational Partnerships. “WQED honors the legacy of Dr. Seuss’ original thinking, whimsy and curiosity everyday on air with The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! which offers kids new ways to approach science, critical thinking and problem solving. With THE CAT IN THE HAT-A-THON and our “Seuss-irific” Birthday Party, we will offer kids a first-hand Seussian adventure to continue fostering their curiosity and build their science skills.”

THE CAT IN THE HAT-A-THON will feature two brand new episodes, “Seasons – Spring and Summer/Fall and Winter,” which takes the Cat, Nick and Sally on a journey through the four seasons, and “When I Grow Up/Doing It Differently,” in which Nick and Sally explore what it means to grow up and learn that trying a different approach can sometimes be the best way to solve a problem. The marathon will also include encore presentations of “Hooray for Hair/Ice Is Nice” and “Chasing Rainbows/Follow the Prints.”

In addition to broadcasting the marathon, WQED will host a “Seuss-irific” Birthday Party with the Cat in the Hat at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on Saturday, March 3 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Families will have the opportunity to meet the one-and-only Cat in the Hat, sneak preview two new episodes. Also in recognition of the 75th anniversary of Dr. Seuss’ And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, children will be able to beautify their “Mulberry Street” by making “seed balls,” a mixture of clay powder, compost and seeds that can be placed on barren patches of land for growing. For more information on this event visit the WQED EDU Facebook® page at facebook.com/wqed.edu.

The celebration will continue online and on mobile. Video clips from all four episodes featured in THE CAT IN THE HAT-A-THON will be available for free online at PBSKIDS.org/video and on the PBS KIDS Video App for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! has ranked among the top ten programs for children ages 2 to 5 since it premiered on PBS KIDS in September 2010.* The series is a key part of WQED and PBS KIDS’ commitment to helping kids build critical STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – skills through engaging content across platforms.

Images from these episodes are available on PBS PressRoom.

Following is a listing of the episodes airing during the March 2 CAT-IN-THE-HAT-A-THON on WQED-TV from 8-10 a.m. and 2-4 p.m.

“Seasons – Spring and Summer/Fall and Winter” *NEW*

“Seasons – Spring and Summer” – For Show and Tell at school, Nick and Sally must bring something from their favorite season. But how can they choose which is their favorite? The Cat in the Hat takes them to the magical Garden of Seasons, where they can visit any season they like, any time they like! They meet three young animals and journey with them as they begin to grow up. Sally decides that she has two favorite seasons, and with the pictures taken from the Snaparama camera, she now has a scrapbook of pictures to show why!

“Seasons – Fall and Winter” – It’s Nick’s turn to choose a favorite season. Back to the Garden of Seasons to visit Fall and Winter! In Fall, they meet up with their friends from Spring and Summer to have a going away party for Candy the goose who’s about to fly south. In Winter, they have a great time playing with Sam the hare while all his other friends hibernate. Nick can’t decide on just one season, so he makes a picture of all the fun they had in both seasons!

“When I Grow Up/Doing Things Differently” *NEW*

“When I Grow Up” – Sally and Nick are trying to guess what they’ll be when they grow up when the Cat drops in for a visit. Cat is sure Nick and Sally will never guess what his friend Puggle will be when she grows up. When they see her, they start guessing right away! A frog? A duck? No, a beaver! They discover that, while Puggle may have some similarities to other creatures, she will grow up to be a duck billed platypus.

“Doing It Differently” – Nick and Sally can’t seem to find Harvey the guinea pig. They find the Cat in the Hat instead! Cat suggests that Sally and Nick might find Harvey by meeting three friends who always do things differently – like a bird that runs instead of flies, or a cat that swims, or a fish that walks on the mud! Nick and Sally are sure to find Harvey now – by doing it differently!

“Hooray for Hair/Ice Is Nice”

“Hooray for Hair” – Sally and Nick are getting their hair cut today; maybe they should try new hairstyles! A trip to meet three of Cat’s friends (and some styling help from the Wig-o-lator) will help them decide! Should they have Yak hair? No, too hot! How about hair like a fur seal? Not quite, too short. A porcupine? No way! How will they ever get a hug from their moms with hair that spiky? They decide that the hair they have is what’s perfect for them!

“Ice Is Nice” – Nick and Sally want some nice cold lemonade, but there are no more ice cubes in Sally’s fridge! A trip to Freeze-your-knees Snowland will fix that! They meet Cat’s friend Polly the polar bear who introduces Sally and Nick to all the different kinds of ice that make up her home. After trying many types of ice, they find the kind that will be perfect for their lemonade!

“Chasing Rainbows/Follow the Prints”

“Chasing Rainbows” – The kids are painting a picture of a rainbow but can’t remember all the colors to use. Luckily for them, Cat takes them to Color-ga-lore to meet King Kaleidoscope, an expert on rainbows! A musical number teaches them the proper color order, and a silly spray of water leads them to discover how to make their very own rainbow!

“Follow the Prints” – Nick and Sally are enjoying a backyard picnic when they discover their last strawberry has gone missing! Who could have taken it? Cat’s friend Cluey Looey can help them! They are off to Muddyfeet Waterhole where they learn about how the differently shaped feet, paws, or hooves of various animals make differently shaped footprints. Back home, they follow the prints and discover their strawberry was taken by a squirrel! Luckily, the Cat has some more!


About WQED Multimedia

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.


About THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!

THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! was created in response to recent findings that children graduating from kindergarten are less prepared to learn about science than about other subjects. The series supports young children’s science learning by introducing scientific inquiry skills, teaching core science concepts and vocabulary, and preparing preschoolers for kindergarten and first grade science curriculum — all in whimsical style.

A team of science and early childhood experts developed the curriculum for the first season’s 40 episodes, each of which begins with a question posed by Sally or Nick. Although the Cat knows a lot of things, his insatiable curiosity to learn more about the world leads to adventures with Sally and Nick in his one-of-a-kind Thinga-ma-jigger, a marvelously Seuss-ian contraption that sprouts wings, pontoons, booster rockets, skis, and just about anything else needed to find the answer. The inquisitive gang travels to the bottom of the sea to observe giant sea worms, zips to the rain forest to visit animals living in Kapok trees, and shrinks to bee-size to visit a hive and learn how honey is made. Guided by the Cat, the kids figure things out by observing, collecting and managing clues, making connections, constructing and evaluating theories, and having discussions – all in a preschool-appropriate manner. Produced by Portfolio Entertainment Inc. and Collingwood O’Hare Productions, in association with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Random House Children’s Entertainment, Treehouse, and PBS KIDS, THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! is based on Random House’s best selling Beginner Book collection, “The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library.”


ABOUT RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINMENT, LLC

Random House Children's Entertainment, a division of Random House Children's Books, is dedicated to expanding the reach of children's stories beyond books to a variety of traditional and new media platforms. Drawing from the rich and varied library of books published by Random House, the company's mission is to create, produce, and distribute quality projects for young people that will educate, enlighten, and entertain. Random House Children's Books is the world's largest English-language children's trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books, novels, ebooks and apps, the imprints of Random House Children's Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. Random House is also the longtime home of the beloved and bestselling Dr. Seuss books which continue to make learning to read fun for millions of children everywhere. Seussville (www.seussville.com) -the official home of Dr. Seuss on the Web-is the place for children of all ages to play and learn with Dr. Seuss's wonderfully whimsical books and classic characters. Random House Children's Books is a division of Random House, Inc., whose parent company is Bertelsmann AG, a leading international media company.


ABOUT DR. SEUSS ENTERPRISES, L.P.

The primary focus of the Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. is to protect the integrity of the Dr. Seuss books while expanding beyond books into ancillary areas. This effort is a strategic part of the overall mission to nurture and safeguard the relationship consumers have with Dr. Seuss characters. Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) said he never wanted to license his characters to anyone who would “round out the edges.” That is one of the guiding philosophies of Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Audrey S. Geisel, the widow of Dr. Seuss, heads Dr. Seuss Enterprises as President.


About PBS KIDS

PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and community-based programs. For more information on specific PBS KIDS programs supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit PBS.org/pressroom. Follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.

*Ratings Source: NTI NPower, PBS KIDS’ Monthly Ranker
September 2010 – December 2011

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

NOVA Chemicals Invests in WQED Teacher and Education Initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 15, 2011

CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghaziman@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

WQED Invests in Area Teachers and Education Innovation

NOVA Chemicals Provides Support to WQED’s iQ: smartmedia initiative

PITTSBURGH – WQED today announced three new opportunities for 21st century educators – a new broadcast television series called tch, extended online resources through PBS Learning Media, and an upcoming webinar series for educators as part of its iQ: smartmedia strategy.

iQ: smartmedia is a new concept of the way public media influences children’s intellectual development. NOVA Chemicals’ support extends the strategy to provide programming and resources for educators.

“Teachers change the lives of their students, forever. Investing in these educators and infusing the classroom with high quality media resources helps even the most experienced educator engage and develop 21st century learners,” said Jennifer Stancil, Executive Director of Educational Partnerships at WQED.

"We are pleased to support WQED in these new initiatives through broadcast and online resources. Developing 21st century learners depends on educators having innovative resources to transform the learning experience and NOVA Chemicals is proud to support WQED in changing educational experiences in the region," said Wendy Lomicka, Community Relations at NOVA Chemicals.

Airing on the Teaching Channel series on WQED-TV and on the Internet is a video showcase of inspiring and effective teaching practices in America's schools. Twenty new episodes, ranging from math to differentiated instruction, reading comprehension and science will air weekly on WQED-TV on Saturday mornings at 6:00am.

Additionally, WQED has partnered with national television producers and PBS to bring teachers a new, free research tool of multimedia assets for classroom use. PBS Learning Media is an online service that showcases 14,000 video resources from math and engineering to art and theater. The resources are categorized by topic and match national standards in grades pre-K – 12 as well as many advanced high school and college like “courses” that include physics lessons from NASA.

Beginning in February 2012, WQED will launch the iQ:smartmedia academy. The iQ: smartmedia academy offers a series of webinars that help educators and care providers incorporate PBS resources into their daily routines. From gaming to geography, music to science, WQED has resources proven to help kids realize their potential. These free webinars are available to educators and care providers in all settings – formal, afterschool, home, cyber – and will be held in the afternoons via video conference. PAEYC (Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children) will be providing corresponding professional development credits to early childhood educators for these courses.

About iQ: smartmedia

iQ: smartmedia is a six-year comprehensive plan that incorporates research, outreach, creative partnerships, and online engagement. The strategy addresses the need for a strong public media company integrated with Pittsburgh’s technological, creative, and educational assets. iQ: smartmedia allows WQED to create and curate multimedia and corresponding educational opportunities toward a best-practices model for our region, nation, and the world in integration of media and education.

About (Tch) Channel Series

Teaching Channel (Tch) is a comprehensive showcase -- online and on television -- of inspired teaching in America's public schools. A nonprofit organization, Tch engages teachers across the country to reinvent and revolutionize professional learning through video content and online innovation. The Tch mission is simple: Working with teachers to improve instruction so that every student can succeed. On the web at TeachingChannel.org, and on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, @TeachingChannel.

About PBS Learning Media

In summer 2011 WQED launched PBS Learning Media, raising the number of K-16 resources it offers educators from 2,000 to 14,000 modules. At wqed.pbslearningmedia.org, teachers and students in Southwestern Pennsylvania have immediate access for their lesson and homework to research-based instructional resources – including videos, interactives, images, audio files, mobile apps, lesson plans, and worksheets.

Combining dynamic and engaging instructional content with professional development support, PBS LearningMedia empowers educators to create media-rich curriculum lessons that meet the needs of 21st century learners. Through PBS LearningMedia, teachers can:

• quickly and easily find relevant resources, localized to their needs, to differentiate instruction for a diverse range of learners;

• personalize the site by tagging resources and sharing ideas, recommendations and comments on how they’ve used media assets in their teaching with their professional learning networks via e-mail or social media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter; and

• develop “class pages” - curated content lists - for student viewing, feedback and instruction on interactive white boards and school-based intranets and other networking tools.

The PBS LearningMedia platform also offers a flexible infrastructure designed for customization and seamless media integration into existing services provided by state and local school district systems.


About WQED Pittsburgh

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive; and The WQED Education Department.


About NOVA Chemicals

NOVA Chemicals develops and manufactures chemicals, plastic resins and end-products that make everyday life safer, healthier and easier. Its employees work to ensure health, safety, security and environmental stewardship through our commitment to sustainability and Responsible Care®. NOVA Chemicals is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Petroleum Investment Company of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Visit NOVA Chemicals on the Internet at www.novachemicals.com.

WQED Launches iQ: smartparent

WQED Announces iQ: smartparent A New Way for Parents to Connect with 21st Century Kids




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 15, 2011

CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghaziman@wqed.org

WQED Announces iQ: smartparent

A New Way for Parents to Connect with 21st Century Kids

PITTSBURGH – WQED today announced the launch of iQ: smartparent as the newest project of its educational initiative iQ: smartmedia. iQ: smartparent was made possible by a $250,000 signature investment by an anonymous donor.

For a generation of children raised in the digital age and in a time when teachers are being uniquely equipped to help children express themselves through multimedia, what role do parents play? As part of The iQ Network initiative, WQED will launch a companion “university” at WQED for parents, called iQ: smartparent. Over two years, WQED will conduct research and develop eight free in-person workshops that offer parents the best techniques in the ways to empower and protect their kids in the face of today’s omnipresent media environment.

Featuring the region's and nation's best thinkers on children and media, all workshops will air on WQED-TV and be archived online. Handouts, activities, and supporting materials will be provided at each session and also made available online. More than just media literacy for parents, iQ: smartparent will equip parents with new ways to connect with their children – in 21st-century terms – and encourage lifelong learning and critical thinking.

WQED will focus its efforts both on research and outcomes, including conducting core research on the way parents perceive and use media with children. iQ: smartparent workshops will redefine media for a new generation and will engage families in the best ways to consume, create, and curate media. Currently, 44,000 moms watch WQED daily and PBS is the #1 trusted media source for parents.

“A unique niche exists for WQED to define how public media connects on-demand, user-generated social media, creativity, and education," said Jennifer Stancil, Executive Director of Educational Partnerships at WQED.

“WQED is poised to fill this niche while leading the nation’s PBS affiliates in best practices for the use of transformative multimedia and to be a model for serving parents.”

iQ: smartmedia is a six-year comprehensive plan that incorporates research, outreach, creative partnerships, and online engagement. The strategy addresses the need for a strong public media company integrated with Pittsburgh’s technological, creative, and educational assets. iQ: smartmedia allows WQED to create and curate multimedia and corresponding educational opportunities toward a best-practices model for our region, nation, and the world in integration of media and education.

WQED Pittsburgh (www.wqed.org) has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive; and The WQED Education Department.

UPS Foundation Awards WQED School Supplies Grant

WQED PITTSBURGH RECEIVES $5,000 GRANT FROM THE UPS FOUNDATION FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE TO BENEFIT AT-RISK CHILDREN IN SIX COUNTIES


Donate school supplies December 6 - 9, 2011 from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. and meet characters from the Super Why! Series

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 30, 2011



CONTACT:
George Hazimanolis
412-622-1366
ghazimanolis@wqed.org

Maria Pisano
412-622-1459
mpisano@wqed.org

WQED PITTSBURGH RECEIVES $5,000 GRANT FROM THE UPS FOUNDATION

FOR SCHOOL SUPPLIES DRIVE TO BENEFIT

AT-RISK CHILDREN IN SIX COUNTIES

Donate school supplies December 6 – 9, 2011 from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. and meet characters from the Super Why! Series at:

WQED Pittsburgh
4802 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213


PITTSBURGH--WQED Pittsburgh will be collecting school supplies for at-risk children at its Oakland headquarters.

With a $5,000 grant from The UPS Foundation, WQED is collecting school supplies to be distributed to 5,200 at-risk students in a six county region in support of The Education Partnership’s Holiday Campaign. Individuals wishing to donate school supplies may bring them to the parking lot at WQED’s 4802 Fifth Avenue location December 6 – 9 daily from 2:30-4:30 p.m. WQED is matching the donations with curriculum for all 14 schools involved. Kids will also have the opportunity to meet their favorite characters from Super Why! during collection hours.

“The UPS Foundation is committed to funding impactful programs that make a meaningful difference in our communities – so we are proud to support WQED’s efforts to collect school supplies and donate high-quality curriculum for our area’s at-risk children,” said Ken Sternad, president of The UPS Foundation.

The supplies that are needed include: markers, pens, erasers, binders, glue, notebooks, paper (construction, copy and filler) and backpacks. For a complete list visit: http://wqed.org/education/holidaydrive2011.php. Cash donations or items not on the list can not be accepted by WQED.

In addition to the school supplies collected from the community WQED will also distribute high-quality PBS educational materials to the students, teachers and school libraries receiving these materials. These materials include a 16 week curriculum on phonics from The Electric Company, a workforce and career education video set called Teens OnQ, literacy tracking games for parents and librarians, Dr. Seuss and Curious George books, and lots of science curriculum from Sid the Science Kid, Wild Kratts, SciGirls, Design Squad and Dinosaur Train. WQED is donating 1700 pounds of educational curriculum to area students and challenging the Pittsburgh community to match that amount.

“Nothing is more important to our kids than a great education. WQED provides free access to education for everyone. Partnering with key organizations such as The Education Partnership to reach even more students, especially those in public schools, is an exciting way to extend our iQ: smartmedia initiative. With support from The UPS Foundation, WQED can deeply support the young people in our region who are most at-risk for not learning to read, failing to engage in science or math, and dropping out of school,” said Jennifer Stancil, Executive Director of Educational Partnerships at WQED.

“The Education Partnership does not receive government funding and relies on the generosity of foundations, corporations, and organizations like WQED and their members. Together, we can provide critically needed school and classroom supplies to local students, setting them up for educational success,” says Katherine Harrell, Director of Communications and Programming for The Education Partnership about the innovative new relationship with WQED.

More information about the partnership, the holiday drive, and the supplies can be found at: http://wqed.org/education/holidaydrive2011.php.

Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, GA, The UPS Foundation identifies specific areas where its backing clearly impacts social issues. In support of this strategic approach,The UPS Foundation has identified the following focus areas for giving: nonprofit effectiveness, economic & global literacy, encouraging diversity, community safety and environmental sustainability.

In 2010, The UPS Foundation distributed more than $44.6 million worldwide through grants that benefit organizations or programs such as the school supplies collection by WQED Pittsburgh and provide support for building stronger communities.

WQED Pittsburgh has a proud history of honors, including 128 National and Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards, an Academy Award, and many, many others, including two Emmy® Awards for Station Excellence. WQED was founded in 1954 as the nation’s first community-supported broadcaster. The people of WQED create, produce and distribute quality programs, products and services to engage, inform, educate and entertain the public within their community and around the world. WQED Pittsburgh is one of the first broadcasters in the country to be fully high-definition (HD) in its studio and field production capabilities. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED: The Neighborhood Channel; WQED: The Create Channel; WQED Showcase; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and The WQED Education Department.

iQ: smartmedia is WQED’s six-year strategy for education, and it reflects WQED’s commitment to help children reach their potential. Around it revolve all of WQED's educational goals and objectives: to provide new tools and models, thought leadership, research, and training on the intersection of media and learning to prepare our children for a competitive world. WQED provides content in the areas of science and technology; literacy; global cultures and connections; expression; social and community responsibility; numeracy; and behavioral wellness. For more information about iQ: smartmedia, follow WQED’s Education Department online at wqed.org/edu or follow us on Facebook.com/wqed.edu and Twitter.com/wqed_edu.