Harrison Evans, Author at West Virginia Public Broadcasting

WVPB Selected For PBS Kids STEAM Kit Initiative

WVPB was selected among thirty stations to participate in the PBS Kids STEAM Kit initiative, with primary focus on bringing families together for an engaging time of learning, building and creativity. WVPB has been assigned 50 kits, meaning 50 families will potentially be served.

The PBS Kids STEAM Kit initiative lasts for six weeks; four of the six weeks will be activity-centered: Science, Technology and Engineering, Arts, and Math respectively. The first week will introduce families to their kits and initiative expectations, while the last week will be a celebration of sorts, highlighting different families’ work throughout the four activity weeks.

Within each STEAM Kit, families will activities, pencils and colored pencils, a notepad, markers, and a PBS Kids app preview sheet.

The WVPB Education Department has strong, existing relationships with community partners, and this initiative has provided an opportunity to reach out to more.

Mason County Library, Burnsville Public Library, Suncrest Early Learning Center, Marshall University Early Education STEAM Center, and the West Virginia Department of Education have assisted in recruiting families that are interested in this unique opportunity.

WVPB education specialist Harrison Evans will lead this initiative, and said he is excited about the potential impact that is sure to result from it. “I think these kits will serve as a means to keep children engaged as we begin the transition from summer break to the first day of school” Evans said. “It’s great when we can offer ways for families to learn together and share educational experiences!”

WVPB education director Kelly Griffith is hopeful for what this initiative will offer for families. “We were thrilled to be 1 of the stations selected to participate in the PBS STEAM Kits initiative. After surviving the disruptions of the past school year, we are excited to offer this free opportunity to our parents, communities, and partners in education,” Griffith said. “This initiative will allow young learners to learn and discover with their family for 4 consecutive weeks focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math-related subjects. Harrison Evans, our education specialist, will host a virtual kick-off and support the families during this learning experience.”

Beth Anderson, Burnsville Public Library director, said she is thankful for how the STEAM Kits will benefit families of her library. “We are so privileged to be a part of this program; our families are very excited about this opportunity,” said Anderson. “Because of our past experience with PBS initiatives, our families know that they will be receiving top notch materials and activities that will benefit their children.”

Mason County Library program coordinator Cindy Williams said that she enjoys the content and opportunities the partnership with WVPB provides her community. “We are so excited to offer this opportunity to our community. The families in the program are going to be able to discover, build, experiment and play together while learning in a fun and safe-at-home manner,” said Williams. “So much learning happens when children are having fun and, as a WVPB community partner, we are always confident that the content we share with our patrons is fun, engaging and educational.”

For more on what the WVPB Education Department does for the Mountain State, please visit wvpublic.org.

Two Clay County Brothers Are First To Complete WVPB's Library Pathfinders Program

The Library Pathfinders program launched in June 2021, and the WVPB Education Department received its first two completions of the program earlier this week.

Zion, 4, and Malachi Davis, 7, brothers from Clay County, are the first “Pathfinders” to “create the path for others to follow,” the basis for which the program was built.

Library Pathfinders is a virtual experience offered to children pre-K through 5th grade across the Mountain State. Currently, five West Virginia libraries participate, and they can be visited by youth without leaving their homes.

The program exists to give children the ability to visit libraries across the Mountain State, an opportunity some may not normally get to experience.

Marion Davis, Zion and Malachi’s mother, was both pleased with the program and excited her children had this unique experience. ““I think it’s important to keep kids involved with our local libraries. They have so much to offer, and this program helps keep kids engaged”, said Davis. “Malachi and Zion enjoyed the videos, stories and virtual trips to libraries we might not otherwise get to visit. ‘I Know An Old Teacher’ was their favorite book from the series and they told me all about it.”

Tara Holstein, Boone-Madison Public Library interim director, is the librarian responsible for the “I Know An Old Teacher” segment of the program. When told that her segment was Zion and Malachi’s favorite, she was thrilled that they liked her choice. “I am just glad that the kids enjoyed the book,” said Holstein. “It is my go-to, and kids always love it. I am thankful for this program and the joy it produced for these children.”

WVPB education specialist Harrison Evans said it was gratifying to know that the program provides a strong enrichment activity for children across the state. “I am glad to see all the long hours and hard work put into this program pay off,” Evans said. “I am thankful for the people who helped make Library Pathfinders possible, and I hope to see more ‘Pathfinders’ as the year progresses.”

If you would like to become the next “Pathfinder,” visit https://tv.wvpublic.org/education/library-pathfinders/ and begin your journey today. To advance through the program, click a county on the Pathfinder Map, complete the associated activity and write the codeword in your Pathfinder Journal. More information about the program can be found in this article.

For questions, Evans can be reached at hevans@wvpublic.org.

WVPB Education And Ceredo-Kenova Elementary Partnered For An "Energetic" Day

Students participating in Energy Express and Summer Exploration Camp were met with an “energetic” surprise last Wednesday, June 23 at Ceredo-Kenova Elementary. WVPB education director Kelly Griffith and Alpha Pig read “Enemy Pie” to 19 Energy Express students and 17 Summer Exploration Camp students.

Both groups were ecstatic to spend time with a beloved PBS Kids Character and enjoy story time.

Griffith and WVPB educational specialist Harrison Evans were humbled by the gratitude of attending students by receiving personally handwritten/illustrated cards thanking both Alpha Pig and WVPB for the visit, story and experience of the day.

“This was a refreshing reminder of the important work WVPB Education does,” Evans said. “Seeing the smiles on each child’s face as well as how engaged they were with the book and PBS character brought me great joy! Receiving handmade cards from the students was an addition to an already rewarding experience.”

From left to right: Samantha Hensley – Mentor, Bethany Raby – Mentor, Morgan Christian – Mentor, Delaney Waugh – Mentor, Matthew Jones – Site Supervisor, Alpha Pig (Harrison Evans), Kelly Griffith and Nathan Green – Mentor.

“It was a pleasure to visit with Mr. Jones and his Energy Express team in Ceredo Kenova,” Griffith said. “Energy Express is a valuable program that serves many children across the Mountain State. I applaud the efforts of all teachers, workers and volunteers that dedicate their summers to helping West Virginia students, thank you!”

“I just wanted to say thank you to WVPB, Alpha Pig, Harrison Evans, and Kelly Griffith for making lots of children’s day and for also helping to inspire a love of reading within our youth that will span a lifetime,” site supervisor Matthew Jones said. “The Energy Express team at Ceredo – Kenova Elementary are extremely grateful for the work you do for education!”

To learn more about Energy Express and WVPB Education, visit https://tv.wvpublic.org/education/.

Alpha Pig Does The Chicken Dance On National 'Dance Like A Chicken Day'

Students from Bridgeview Elementary and Chesapeake Elementary danced like chickens alongside PBS Kids’ Alpha Pig from Super Why! during an event for West Virginia Department of Education’s Communities in Schools program on May 14. The event was hosted by the First Lady of West Virginia.

May 14 was national “Dance Like A Chicken Day,” and more than 300 elementary students and a handful of teachers participated. Additionally, a chicken mascot, and the Chik-Fil-A cow mascot joined the day’s festivities.

At its core, the Communities in Schools program seeks to build community relationships that contribute to student success. This event brought two groups of elementary students together for a day of fun and community engagement. They also had the opportunity to meet with a PBS Kids character in person.

Alpha Pig is joined by one of the winners of the Chicken Dance. She was best in her grade level.

Kelly Griffith is WVPB’s Education Director. “We were excited to join the First Lady and her staff for the event. Like everyone else, we have missed community events and gatherings. This past year has been such a challenge for us all. So, being able to attend and watch the kids as they participated brought us great joy. This event was a great way for us to reengage with students and connect as a community!”

For more information about WVPB Education, visit https://tv.wvpublic.org/education/.

Beckley Branch Library Joins WVPB Inquire Within Program

Children from the Raleigh County/Beckley area now have access to beloved PBS Kids content and characters at their local library, thanks to West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Inquire Within program and sponsorship by the Beckley Area Foundation.

Raleigh County Public Library-Beckley Branch has joined WVPB’s Inquire Within Library Program. The Inquire Within library-support program, at its core, serves to promote early elementary learning and literacy by making learning fun, engaging, approachable and beneficial to children grades K-5.

Further, this program is offered to participating libraries throughout the Mountain State as an after-school program for children to learn STEM content and other West Virginia Standards through PBS Kids material.

In its first event centered around Martha Speaks and Mother Goose, Raleigh County Public Library-Beckley Branch reached 16 children and 7 adults.

According to Amy Stover, library director, there were several things participants were able to do throughout the event, from a PBS Kids-themed scavenger hunt designed to familiarize children with the library space to gathering pieces of Humpty Dumpty to reassemble him.

“PBS Kids has taken some of the best known and most loved characters from children’s literature and created wonderful programs for children to enjoy,” Stover said. “It was our great pleasure to introduce the children, or re-introduce as the case may be, to the books those characters come from and connect it with fun activities that promote reading and critical thinking.”

This is the 14th library to join WVPB’s Inquire Within program. It’s part of the mission of WVPB’s Education Department to provide community-focused initiatives.

For more information about the Inquire Within Library Program, click here. If you have questions about how your community library can join the program, please contact WVPB Education Specialist, Harrison Evans.