New Initiatives

WHYY-FM's Dr. Dan Gottlieb, along with "Einstein Never Used Flash Cards" authors Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Ph.D. (far left), and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Ph.D. (right), participated in an In the Spirit of Family event.
	Listen to the panel discussion on "The Overscheduled Child."

In formulating new initiatives for FY'05, the Children's Service plans to parlay its innovative and technological capabilities into value-added experiences for educators and childcare providers.

One major initiative is "Educational Leadership in an Era of External Accountability," a three-part professional development program for high-level education administrators, superintendents and regional policymakers. Crafting the series are 91FM Voices in the Family host Dan Gottlieb, Ph.D., and Harris Sokoloff, Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania. Topics will include bridging the achievement gap and school district governance structures. The series will be edited for broadcast on WHYY's digital channel 12.1 and distributed to regional school districts.

WHYY's Children's Service also plans to help school districts in the tri-state region meet their professional development goals by serving as the regional distributor of PBS TeacherLine, an online database of professional development modules for K-12 educators. The online courses are a reliable source of standards-based information, as well as a convenient way for teachers to respond to the increased demands of the No Child Left Behind Act and supplement their district level professional development.

WHYY Media Lounge students Val Quiller and Fred Breeze work on their documentary about truancy.

In partnership with Temple University's Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Education Consortium (MAR*TEC), WHYY will offer a "New Technologies, New Opportunities" seminar. The goal is to introduce educators, trainers, policymakers and community organizers to new digital tools available for their special needs.

As these new initiatives are being shaped for the next fiscal year, WHYY's Children's Service is poised to expand its reach by bringing new and important experiences to the communities it serves.