CPB Awards American History and Civics Initiative Grants
$20 Million Program Targets Middle and High School Students
July 7, 2007--Today, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced grants to seven companies and their public television stations partners as part of its groundbreaking American History and Civics Initiative.
The American History and Civics Initiative, launched in 2005, calls upon the country's public television managers, film makers, content developers - especially the high technology and interactive media sector - to join educators in creating groundbreaking media projects and methods that measurably improve the learning of American history and civics by middle and high school students.
"For too long, young people's knowledge of American history and civics has been on the decline," said CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison. "Public broadcasting is in a unique position, along with our partners, to reach this audience through their cell phones, TVs, iPods, computers or other technologies to deliver meaningful, educational content they will use throughout their lives."
The grants, which range from $400,000 to $900,000, will allow partnerships to do further research and development as well as create and test a prototype or pilot of the projects. A second round of grants will be awarded for the implementation and production of those projects deemed most likely to measurably improve student learning of history and civics after research and development and/or prototype testing.
Public television stations and content developers selected for the American History and Civics Initiative:
"Young American Heroes." This multi-platform educational project is aimed at teaching American history to middle school students through stories of ordinary kids doing extraordinary things during seminal moments or our nation's past. Connecticut-based Docere Palace Studios is partnered with Connecticut Public Television, Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the Fairfield University Graduate School of Education, the Education Development Center, Inc., and Eduweb.
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