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WSRE Selected as One of 20 PBS Stations in National PBS Kids Raising Readers Literacy Initiative

WSRE, PBS for the Gulf Coast, has been selected as one of 20 PBS member station partners in the country to participate in the new national PBS KIDS Raising Readers literacy initiative. This initiative will use research-based, dynamic and entertaining PBS KIDS® programs and related multi-media content to help meet the urgent literacy needs of kids, ages 2-8, from low-resource families. The national project is funded as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Ready To Learn grant and is managed by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), PBS and WTTW-TV through a cooperative agreement. WSRE is also partnering with WFSU, the PBS television station in Tallahassee, and the Florida Center for Reading Research to work on a collaborative effort to develop programs and resources that help young children build strong pre-reading and reading skills, using PBS resources and programs and scientifically-based reading research to guide teaching strategies.

The content and materials to be used in the initiative are based on PBS KIDS Raising Readers series –Super WHY!, WordWorld, Between the Lions and Sesame Street. Two additional new programs Martha Speaks launching Labor Day and The New Electric Company launching in early 2009(multimedia content) will be added.

Equipped with this content and corresponding educational materials, CPB and PBS, working with WSRE, will employ a "Literacy 360" approach to surround children from low-resource families in our viewing area with opportunities to read. The program will also engage parents, teachers and communities in the effort. Social marketing research will enable the PBS KIDS Raising Readers partners to target and identify low-resource families at the neighborhood level. WSRE will identify local community organizations and members with whom PBS KIDS Raising Readers initiative proponents can join forces to achieve the broadest-based results. With the help of the community, WSRE will be able to offer a wealth of information and resources through a multimedia marketing campaign, fun family events and online PBS Teacherline “Raising Readers” literacy courses for early childhood professionals.

While the content will be made available through all local PBS member stations and their web sites, the PBS KIDS Raising Readers initiative is focusing its community engagement efforts at the local level on low-resource families in 20 specific markets over the next three years.

"WSRE has a strong track record in community service and education, and we are delighted to have the station as a partner in our targeted community engagement efforts to help children from low-resource families learn to read and improve their chances for future educational success," said Jayne James, CPB’s executive director of the Ready To Learn initiative.

"We think this project exemplifies the mission and power of public broadcasting," said Jill Hubbs, director of outreach and educational services at WSRE. "By reaching children and families through television, libraries, local educators and daycare centers, we can use the broadcast programs and educational resources at our station to increase understanding of phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, letter recognition and comprehension."

About WSRE, PBS for the Gulf Coast
WSRE is a PBS member station that is locally owned and operated by Pensacola Junior College. The public broadcasting station has been serving the needs of the Gulf Coast community through programming, educational services and outreach since 1967. WSRE produces, acquires and distributes programs that address local interests and reflect the diverse cultural, political, geographic and demographic characteristics of its audience. The Educational Services unit for WSRE serves as the connection to teachers, parents, caregivers and children to extend the rich resources found in public television. For more information about WSRE, it services, programs or available resources, visit wsre.org.

About CPB
CPB, a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1000 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related on-line services.

About PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO!
PBS KIDS, for preschoolers, and PBS KIDS GO!, for early elementary school kids, are committed to providing the highest quality non-commercial content and learning environment for children across the country. Providing age-appropriate, diverse programming for kids, PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! programs consistently earn more prestigious awards than any other broadcast or cable network. Only PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! have earned the unanimous endorsement of parents, children, industry leaders and teachers. With additional PBS resources to complement its programming, including PBS KIDS online (pbskids.org), PBS KIDS GO! online (pbskidsgo.org), PBS Parents (pbsparents.org), PBS Teachers (pbs.org/teachers), PBS Ready To Learn services and literacy events across the country, PBS is providing the tools necessary for positive child development. PBS is a nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation’s 355 public television stations, serving nearly 90 million people each week and reaching 99% of American homes.