Public Media Initiative to Advance Education and Career Readiness
HARTFORD, Conn. (February 21, 2018) The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced a grant of $199,394 to Connecticut Public for the American Graduate: Getting to Work initiative to help advance education and career readiness locally. The station will work with partners in Connecticut to assess workforce challenges and opportunities, and produce content focused on the essential skills needed for students and workers to succeed in the job markets of today and tomorrow.
“Connecticut Public looks forward to working hand-in-hand with community partners from across the state in order to draw attention to and address the needs of Connecticut’s changing workforce,” said Connecticut Public’s President and CEO Jerry Franklin. “We believe the American Graduate initiative underscores our commitment to both community engagement and education, and we are pleased to be part of this national effort.”
The new grants represent the next phase of public media’s successful American Graduate initiative, which was launched in 2011 to address the nation’s dropout rate. During the past six years, public media stations across the country forged community connections and innovative partnerships to help improve student outcomes – substantially contributing to an increase in the national high school graduation rate to an all-time high of 84 percent.
“The American Graduate initiative attracted local business and community leader support and engagement by focusing on keeping young people on the path to success in school and life,” said Pat Harrison, CPB President and CEO. “All Americans want our young people to be prepared to fill jobs that currently are unfilled because of a skills gap.”
Connecticut Public is one of 19 stations receiving these American Graduate grants as part of the national effort. The organization will work with a variety of community partners in workforce and youth development as well as secondary and higher education to shape programming and foster engagement. Connecticut Public will produce content for Connecticut Public Television and Connecticut Public Radio that draws statewide attention to the needs of Connecticut’s workforce and the skills gap in our state. A series of community events – including a televised town hall-style forum and youth networking events with area employers in Hartford and New Haven – will extend the impact of on-air and online content through continued dialogue and engagement. Finally, a summer internship program will provide career development opportunities in digital media for college students and recent graduates.
Dr. Martin Estey, executive director of the Hartford Consortium for Higher Education, an 11-member group of public and private institutions of higher education remarked, “We are thrilled to be a part of such an initiative that complements and underscores the work we continue to do with our high school and college students. We are all concerned about workforce readiness, building strong pipelines to employment, retention of talent and meeting the needs of our employer community, and in general, seeing our young people succeed. CPBN’s expertise and reach make the network a welcome and valued partner in this on-going work.”
About American Graduate
American Graduate is public media’s long-term commitment to supporting community-based solutions to help young people succeed in school, career and life. Supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), more than 125 public television and radio stations have joined forces with over 1,700 partners to elevate the stories of youth and the supportive adults that help them succeed. Through American Graduate, public media, with its unique position as a trusted resource and important partner in local communities, provides a critical platform to shine a light on pathways to graduation and successful student outcomes. National and local reporting, on air and online is helping communities understand the challenges and community-driven solutions associated with education and future successes. Public forums, town halls and community conversations are activating discussions between community leaders, educators and more.
About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of nearly 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit http://www.cpb.org, follow on Twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe for email updates.
About Connecticut Public
Connecticut Public is the state’s only locally-owned media organization producing television, radio, print, and web content for Connecticut’s wide-ranging and diverse communities. It is home to Connecticut Public Television, Connecticut Public Radio, and Connecticut Public Learning. Connecticut Public Television is an affiliate of PBS and is a locally and nationally recognized producer and presenter of quality public television programming. Connecticut Public Radio on WNPR is an affiliate of National Public Radio, Public Radio International, and American Public Media. Connecticut Public Learning serves high school seniors through a partnership with Hartford Public Schools and the Journalism and Media Academy Magnet School. It is also home to the Institute for Advanced Media, a program that provides veterans and adult learners an opportunity to learn valuable digital media skills. For more information, visit content.ctpublic.org.