On Friday, September 25, Beverly Dorn-Steele "Ms. Beverly," WTVI's Director of Community Engagement, visited Myers Park Traditional Elementary School, in Charlotte. Ms. Beverly and Seemore Goodstuff, WTVI's purple elephant mascot, read stories to the children and discussed the creative costumes the children wore to become their favorite storybook characters. WTVI provides more than 50 hours per week of award-winning children's programs that are safe, non-violent, educational and entertaining. For more information on WTVI's reading curriculums for teachers or the WTVI Kids Club for children, contact Ms. Beverly at bds@wtvi.org.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
WTVI’s Campaign for Love & Forgiveness Begins Fourth and Final Year
WTVI will hold the kick-off event for the final year of the Campaign for Love & Forgiveness on September 30, from 6-8 p.m. in the Sykes Auditorium at Queens University. A project of the Fetzer Institute in Kalamazoo, MI, the campaign is a community engagement initiative that helps people discover the transformative power that love and forgiveness can bring.
Through facilitated conversations in six cities, and a robust Web site (http://www.loveandforgive.org/) that offers a thorough curriculum, the campaign has touched thousands of people since its launch in 2006. At least 70 percent of participants have reported that as a result of their participation, they would be more likely to forgive themselves for mistakes and offer forgiveness to others.
Six public television stations receive funding from the Fetzer Institute to develop partnerships with local organizations and host events unique to the communities they serve. In addition to WTVI Charlotte, the stations are KEET Eureka, CA; KPBS San Diego, CA; Maryland Public Television; WGVU Grand Rapids, MI; and WXXI Rochester, NY.
The symbol of WTVI’s local campaign is the Red Bench of Love. WTVI has partnered with local organizations including Mothers of Murdered Offspring (MOM-O). In 2006, as part of the campaign, the MOM-O held a memorial service at Charlotte’s Frazier Park in honor of Jin Joo Byrne, a female missionary slain at a Charlotte apartment complex in 2002. Isabella and Martin Byrne sat on the Red Bench and shared a moment of understanding and forgiveness for the man convicted of killing their daughter. They then traveled to the prison in Raleigh to forgive him in person.
“I’ve seen walls come down and burdens lifted through this project, which is open to anyone,” says Beverly Dorn-Steele, WTVI’s Director of Community Engagement. “I’m eager to see the impact in the Charlotte area this year.”
As a special treat at the kickoff event, all participants may view the “Freedom in Creation” Exhibit at the Max L. Jackson Gallery on the Queens University Campus. The exhibit displays art and peace-building efforts for child victims of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda.
Registration is available at: www.wtvi.org/CampaignforLoveandForgiveness_000.cfm
Through facilitated conversations in six cities, and a robust Web site (http://www.loveandforgive.org/) that offers a thorough curriculum, the campaign has touched thousands of people since its launch in 2006. At least 70 percent of participants have reported that as a result of their participation, they would be more likely to forgive themselves for mistakes and offer forgiveness to others.
Six public television stations receive funding from the Fetzer Institute to develop partnerships with local organizations and host events unique to the communities they serve. In addition to WTVI Charlotte, the stations are KEET Eureka, CA; KPBS San Diego, CA; Maryland Public Television; WGVU Grand Rapids, MI; and WXXI Rochester, NY.
The symbol of WTVI’s local campaign is the Red Bench of Love. WTVI has partnered with local organizations including Mothers of Murdered Offspring (MOM-O). In 2006, as part of the campaign, the MOM-O held a memorial service at Charlotte’s Frazier Park in honor of Jin Joo Byrne, a female missionary slain at a Charlotte apartment complex in 2002. Isabella and Martin Byrne sat on the Red Bench and shared a moment of understanding and forgiveness for the man convicted of killing their daughter. They then traveled to the prison in Raleigh to forgive him in person.
“I’ve seen walls come down and burdens lifted through this project, which is open to anyone,” says Beverly Dorn-Steele, WTVI’s Director of Community Engagement. “I’m eager to see the impact in the Charlotte area this year.”
As a special treat at the kickoff event, all participants may view the “Freedom in Creation” Exhibit at the Max L. Jackson Gallery on the Queens University Campus. The exhibit displays art and peace-building efforts for child victims of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Uganda.
Registration is available at: www.wtvi.org/CampaignforLoveandForgiveness_000.cfm
Monday, September 21, 2009
WTVI's "National Parks" preview draws more than 200 to the Mint Museum
More than 200 people from around the region attended WTVI’s free, special preview screening of Ken Burns’s new documentary The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, Thursday, September 17 at the Mint Museum of Art.
Filmed over the course of more than six years in some of nature’s most spectacular locales — from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska, the narrative traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s and follows its evolution for nearly 150 years. Burns uses archival photographs, first-person accounts of historical characters, personal memories and analysis from more than 40 interviews, combined with stunning cinematography.
To kick off the evening, WTVI announced four winners of its national parks personal story and photo contest, including Hickory Grove Baptist Christian School chemistry teacher Larry McAfee. McAfee participated in the National Park Service’s Teacher to Ranger to Teacher Program in Badlands National Park this past summer. The winners received gift baskets including the The National Parks: America’s Best Idea companion book by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns.
“We look forward to sharing this amazing educational and cultural masterpiece with the people in our region,” says Beverly Dorn-Steele, WTVI’s Director of Community Engagement.
WTVI will air the six-part, 12-hour series over six nights, from Monday, September 28 to Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 8 p.m. each evening. Printed and online educational materials created around the film are available to support formal and informal classroom settings with lesson plans and hands-on learning activities.
Visit www.wtvi.org for details on the program.
Filmed over the course of more than six years in some of nature’s most spectacular locales — from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska, the narrative traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s and follows its evolution for nearly 150 years. Burns uses archival photographs, first-person accounts of historical characters, personal memories and analysis from more than 40 interviews, combined with stunning cinematography.
To kick off the evening, WTVI announced four winners of its national parks personal story and photo contest, including Hickory Grove Baptist Christian School chemistry teacher Larry McAfee. McAfee participated in the National Park Service’s Teacher to Ranger to Teacher Program in Badlands National Park this past summer. The winners received gift baskets including the The National Parks: America’s Best Idea companion book by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns.
“We look forward to sharing this amazing educational and cultural masterpiece with the people in our region,” says Beverly Dorn-Steele, WTVI’s Director of Community Engagement.
WTVI will air the six-part, 12-hour series over six nights, from Monday, September 28 to Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 8 p.m. each evening. Printed and online educational materials created around the film are available to support formal and informal classroom settings with lesson plans and hands-on learning activities.
Visit www.wtvi.org for details on the program.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
WTVI’s HealthWise show provides free healthcare information for fourteenth year
On Sunday, September 13, at 6 p.m., host and broadcast veteran Joey Popp kicked off the fourteenth season of HealthWise, a live, medical television program educating viewers on the latest prevention and treatment methods.
“In an economic environment where people are losing jobs and health insurance, we’re proud to be able to offer health education to anyone who wants to watch the show,” says Popp. “I make sure all medical terms are defined and that the program is presented in layman’s terms for the general public.”
Appealing to all ages, topics this fall include heart attacks, diabetic retinopathy, childbirth anesthesia, cosmetic dentistry, Alzheimer’s disease, headaches, cataracts, and depression.
HealthWise viewers can phone in and ask questions of local physician guests live on the air. As a new feature this year, viewers can also submit questions via WTVI's Facebook fan page. Podcasts are available for viewing the next day.
“HealthWise has been one of WTVI’s most popular Community Outreach programs since it began in 1996,” says Elsie Garner, WTVI’s President and CEO. “As a community service, HealthWise is funded entirely by educational grants, and we hope to see continued support for this show”.
View the complete HealthWise topic and speaker schedule at www.wtvi.org/healthwisepd.cfm.
Submit topic or funding ideas to Suzanne Mielke, executive producer, at smielke@wtvi.org.
Monday, September 7, 2009
"In Our Words" gives community resources for children coping with loss
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
WTVI hosts League of Women Voters' debate series for primary elections
On Monday, August 31, WTVI hosted debates for: City of Charlotte Mayor (Republican); Charlotte City Council At-Large (Democratic); Charlotte City Council At-Large (Republican); Charlotte City Council District 5; Charlotte City Council District 2. View the debates online at http://www.wtvi.org/lwv.cfm