WVPB Education Story Archives - Page 9 of 10 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Mason County Library's Inquire Within Event Offered Unbe-leaf-able Fun For Kids

West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s PBS Kids show, Elinor Wonders Why, is all about exploring and learning. This week, that came in handy for a special Inquire Within event at the Mason County Library.

Six children and seven adults were on hand for a fun lesson about shapes and colors of leaves right as we head into the season for beautiful Fall foliage in West Virginia.

Program coordinator Cindy Williams felt the content provided by PBS Kids and PBS LearningMedia were helpful with this event. “It was so easy to create a fun, interactive lesson using PBS LearningMedia. For my 3- and 4-year-old little explorers, the Ready to Learn lessons are perfect to discover a topic with characters they are already familiar with,” Williams said. “We had so much fun exploring leaves with the Elinor Wonders Why gang! I am currently changing lesson plans to include more PBS content!”

Children in attendance were met with a video introduction from Elinor followed by a pool of leaves to admire and interact with.

(L-R): Rowsey Vanscoy, Gracy Blain, Ari Mayes, Lexi McConihay, Beyler Bonecutter, Cindy Williams (program coordinator), Jordan Pinson

Megan Bonecutter thought the leaf activity was a great way for her daughter to understand leaves and associated seasonal changes. “My daughter loved the leaf activity taught by Ms. Cindy. She enjoyed the story and really loved the activity of tracing leaves. When we came home, she immediately headed out to the backyard to find as many different types of leaves as she could to sort and trace,” Bonecutter said. “Another special moment of Beyler’s was discovering the library’s ‘magic tree’ that will change colors. We’ve driven by the library quite a few times in the past few days and every time we pass, we notice small changes happening. This activity with leaves falling has helped Beyler understand why the current season is named ‘fall.’

Megan McConihay enjoyed watching her children learn with Elinor. “I love that PBS has characters like Elinor that my kids can enjoy and imitate during their own play, and they don’t even realize how much they’re learning while they do it! They think they’re just playing,” McConihay said.

Amy Pinson emphasized the importance of story time at her local library, stating that it transforms trips to the library into something more. “Story time has helped us to turn a trip to the library into ‘an event’ and Ms. Cindy is always sure to make it exciting! For example, this past week we went ‘exploring’ outside and found all kinds of leaves,” Pinson said. “We discovered leaves come in all different shapes and sizes just like Elinor in our story! My toddler, Jordan, loves going to story time every week and is always so excited to go to the library. My hope is he will always think of reading & learning as an exciting activity.”

Lacy Blain highlights the importance of the PBS Kids content that Inquire Within provides participating libraries. “My child loves to watch PBS and play on the app. I love it because it’s not just entertainment – my child learns so much,” Blain said.

For more on WVPB’s Inquire Within program, click here. If you would like to see Inquire Within in your local community library, please email education specialist Harrison Evans at hevans@wvpublic.org.

Clay County Trio Is Next To Complete The Library Pathfinders Program

A Clay County trio (Trenton Legg, Ryan Dawson, and Reagan Dawson) recently completed WVPB’s Library Pathfinders program.

Since the program launched in June 2021, a total of eight children from Mason, Clay and Randolph counties have completed the program.

Heather Dawson enjoyed watching her children complete the program and felt it was beneficial to them. “My kids loved completing this program,” said Dawson. “[Library Pathfinders] was [a] great [way] to keep them interested in reading throughout the summer!”

WVPB education director Kelly Griffith is hopeful this program will continue to reach families and communities across the state of West Virginia. “We are thrilled to partner with our local libraries and bring this program to life in the Mountain State. Libraries have always been the heartbeat of communities and will be the shining stars of Library Pathfinders,” Griffith said. “As we continue to push forward from COVID-19, this initiative allows students, parents, librarians and teachers to engage in a virtual and safe environment. We are looking forward to seeing all the virtual travel to libraries as students participate and learn.”

For more information on Library Pathfinders, including how to participate, click here. For questions regarding the program, please contact WVPB education specialist Harrison Evans at (304) 556-4922.

WVPB Is Seeking Sponsors For Its Inquire Within Library Program

WVPB offers a unique out-of-school program designed to encourage family engagement and highlight the importance of early literacy in elementary school children; sponsors are needed to make it accessible for West Virginia libraries.

Inquire Within is designed to bring respected PBS Kids educational content to children via their local library. The program, currently offered in 13 libraries, makes learning enjoyable for children throughout the Mountain State. There are 15 libraries — Sutton Public Library, Helvetia Public Library, Lowe Public Library, Southern Area Library, Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library, Morgan County Public Library, Ohio County Public Library, Brooke County Public Library, Shady Spring Branch Library, Vienna Public Library, Putnam County Library, Cowen Public Library, Louis Bennet Public Library, Fort Ashby Public Library, and Mary H. Weir Public Library — poised to offer the program once a sponsor is identified to help with expenses.

Current participating libraries are Doddridge County Public Library, Tyler County Public Library, Clay County Public Library, Burnsville Public Library, Mason County Library, Hundred Public Library, Hamlin Public Library, Boone-Madison Public Library, Webster-Addison Public Library, Eleanor Branch Library, Buffalo Public Library, Cabell County Public Library, and Raleigh County Public Library – Beckley Branch.

“Inquire Within is a great program that brings smiles to children’s faces, and makes learning an experience rather than a chore,” said Harrison Evans, WVPB education specialist. “Library staff who are able to offer this program frequently mention how beneficial it is to their libraries and respective communities.”

Since January 2021, 163 children and 73 adults have been served by this program, and Evans is hopeful those numbers will continue to rise. “Family engagement is a focal point of Inquire Within,” said Evans. “This program is meant to supplement the work libraries are already doing, while engaging parents and children simultaneously with PBS Kids content.”

Do you know someone who would be willing to sponsor a library (or more)? If so, connect with Todd Frymyer, underwriting manager, at (304) 556-4905.

If you would like to have Inquire Within in your library, connect with Harrison Evans at (304) 556-4922.

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/.