PENSACOLA, Fla., March 2, 2023 ― Amazing Kids Day, hosted by WSRE PBS in partnership with other community organizations, will be an autism friendly event for kids and their families on Saturday, April 1, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the WSRE Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio. Admission is free. The event will accommodate a limited number of children, so registration is required. Online registration is available at wsre.org/education.
The following organizations will be participating with educational resources and fun activities designed for kids with autism: The Arc Gateway, Autism Pensacola, Canine Companions, the Early Steps program at Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart, Escambia County Public Schools, Pensacola Symphony Orchestra and Santa Rosa County District Schools.
“We are hosting Amazing Kids Day as a free, fun-filled day especially for children identified as autistic and their families. Our goal is to provide an event where children with special needs can come and explore some fun activities—like the symphony’s instrument petting zoo—while their grown-ups learn about the many resources available to them from WSRE and other community organizations,” said Jeri Shaffer, WSRE Director of Education and Outreach.
Resources from WSRE include educational games and videos from favorite PBS KIDS television shows and a digital library of free educational resources from PBS LearningMedia.
Children’s programming on WSRE PBS KIDS features are a number of autistic characters, including Julia on “Sesame Street,” Dennis Deinocheirus on “Dinosaur Train,” Carl on “Arthur,” Max on “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” and A.J. Gadgets on “Hero Elementary.”
“These characters and story lines help raise awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder in children—both autistic kids and their peers, who can learn about acceptance,” said Shaffer.
Amazing Kids Day is limited to families impacted by autism. Event information and registration can be found at wsre.org/education.
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About WSRE: WSRE, a PBS member station licensed to the Pensacola State College District Board of Trustees and supported by the WSRE-TV Foundation, serves as a critical media source for trusted content and a safe media space for children to grow and learn.
MEDIA CONTACT: Mary Riker: 850-484-1211