This week, a poet and musician draws inspiration from a distant family connection to the Grand Ole Opry’s Little Jimmy Dickens. Also, for 15 years, a Virginia library has been hosting a weekly Dungeons & Dragons game for teens.
And, a taxidermist in Yadkin County, North Carolina found her calling before she could drive a car.
Helping in the Neighborhood-making placemats for the elderly.
Daniel Tiger met all sorts of friends on Saturday, April 2 at our Morgantown Studios. Over 300 people stopped by to say hello to Daniel, bring sweaters to contribute to our Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood Sweater Drive and take part in activities aimed at helping neighbors.
Children and their parents made placemats for the elderly, created cards for Vets, and planted seeds to replant in their yards all as part of learning how to be good neighbors.
The event itself was an example of neighbors working together. Catholic Charites had a presence on Saturday, they will distribute the clothing collected during the drive. A special thanks to the Craik-Patton house who have co-sponsored the sweater drive with WVPB. AmeriCorps Members from the Morgantown area were key in manning all of our activities. Together we made a grr-iffic day.
Brian Kleppner, a special education teacher at Musselman High School in Berkeley County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s October 2025 Above and Beyond Award.
Jaime Phillips Ford, a science teacher at East Fairmont High School in Marion County, has earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s September 2025 Above and Beyond Award.
Mountain Readers is a literacy initiative designed to celebrate and foster a love of reading in children across West Virginia. Register your organization to read to a group of PreK-3rd grade children during Mountain Readers Week, Oct. 6-10, 2025. Our book this year is The Wonderfully Wild Ones by West Virginia author, Adeline Boggs and illustrated by Ashley Belote.
The West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Teacher Award is in honor of educators from all grade levels (K-12) and disciplines who go the extra mile. These teachers are known for paving the way for academic achievement, using new and innovative strategies to reach students, or simply making a difference in the lives of their students every day.