Spring Break
WEIU wins community award for its education programs
Jennifer Brown / Staff Reporter
Issue date: 4/1/09 Section: News
WEIU-TV, based at Eastern, has recently won a MySource Community Impact Award for Education.
This award is presented to television stations that air programs that are suitable for audiences of all ages, but WEIU has won it primarily for its educational programming.
The MySource Community Impact Award for Education was created by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to honor those stations that air programs suitable for all ages, races and backgrounds.
WEIU General Manager Denis Roche traveled to Washington, D.C. to receive the award. The award was received on March 7.
"Selection of an award is based on the subject matter that the reward requires, such as creativeness," Roche said. "It's nice to be recognized for our work."
Ke'an Armstrong, publicity/promotions/outreach/grant manager for WEIU-TV, was one of the leading forces in what it took to win the award.
"This is a brand-new initiative as a MySource award," Armstrong said. "WEIU-TV was able to apply for the award, and we were one of the first winners."
WEIU applied for a MySource grant, which it received to produce MySource testimonial spots with local ambassadors, Armstrong said.
Local ambassadors are people who are passionate about the television programs, online resources, outreach and educational resources available from WEIU.
Heather Linnig, an educator, was one of the three winning video spots chosen for the award.
"We were given magnets with 'WordWorld' on them and pbs.org," Linnig said, during the clip. "We decided that the school could pass them out to all our kindergarten, first- and second-grade students.
"Several kids came in; 'Mrs. Linnig, I went on the Web site last night, and I practiced making words and phonics skills we've been learning in school.' It was really exciting to connect with what we were doing at school with what they were doing at home."
Tim McCollum, a Charleston Middle School science teacher, was also one of the TV-spot winners.
"WEIU has allowed my students to explore other worlds without leaving the classroom," McCollum said, during the clip. "It has taken them to the center of tornadoes, it has taken them to the surface of Mars, into the sun, to distances of other worlds. These are opportunities that would not be available to them if it weren't for WEIU."
Natasha Wiley, who was 8 years old at the time when she filmed her WEIU-TV spot, was the third winner.
"I like to go on pbs.org on the computer," Wiley said in her spot. "I watch 'Mia y Miguel.' I love Mia, because she is so cool. Mia's ponytail spins when she has an idea."
Jennifer Brown can be reached at 581-7942 or at jebrown2@eiu.edu.
This award is presented to television stations that air programs that are suitable for audiences of all ages, but WEIU has won it primarily for its educational programming.
The MySource Community Impact Award for Education was created by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to honor those stations that air programs suitable for all ages, races and backgrounds.
WEIU General Manager Denis Roche traveled to Washington, D.C. to receive the award. The award was received on March 7.
"Selection of an award is based on the subject matter that the reward requires, such as creativeness," Roche said. "It's nice to be recognized for our work."
Ke'an Armstrong, publicity/promotions/outreach/grant manager for WEIU-TV, was one of the leading forces in what it took to win the award.
"This is a brand-new initiative as a MySource award," Armstrong said. "WEIU-TV was able to apply for the award, and we were one of the first winners."
WEIU applied for a MySource grant, which it received to produce MySource testimonial spots with local ambassadors, Armstrong said.
Local ambassadors are people who are passionate about the television programs, online resources, outreach and educational resources available from WEIU.
Heather Linnig, an educator, was one of the three winning video spots chosen for the award.
"We were given magnets with 'WordWorld' on them and pbs.org," Linnig said, during the clip. "We decided that the school could pass them out to all our kindergarten, first- and second-grade students.
"Several kids came in; 'Mrs. Linnig, I went on the Web site last night, and I practiced making words and phonics skills we've been learning in school.' It was really exciting to connect with what we were doing at school with what they were doing at home."
Tim McCollum, a Charleston Middle School science teacher, was also one of the TV-spot winners.
"WEIU has allowed my students to explore other worlds without leaving the classroom," McCollum said, during the clip. "It has taken them to the center of tornadoes, it has taken them to the surface of Mars, into the sun, to distances of other worlds. These are opportunities that would not be available to them if it weren't for WEIU."
Natasha Wiley, who was 8 years old at the time when she filmed her WEIU-TV spot, was the third winner.
"I like to go on pbs.org on the computer," Wiley said in her spot. "I watch 'Mia y Miguel.' I love Mia, because she is so cool. Mia's ponytail spins when she has an idea."
Jennifer Brown can be reached at 581-7942 or at jebrown2@eiu.edu.
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