Prairie Public to help design PBS KIDS educational resources

Fargo, ND, March 13, 2019—Prairie Public has been selected to receive a $50,000 grant from WGBH, funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, to help design educational resources for the upcoming PBS KIDS series “Molly of Denali,” the first nationally distributed children’s series to feature a Native American lead character.

Prairie Public is one of five public television stations nationwide selected to work together as part of an education working group to develop resources and local engagement strategies for “Molly of Denali,” the groundbreaking series produced by WGBH Boston that will premiere on PBS on July 15, 2019.

The stations – Prairie Public (North Dakota), Alaska Public Media (Anchorage), Blue Ridge PBS (Roanoke-Lynchburg, Virginia), KNPB (Reno, Nevada), and Mountain Lake PBS (Plattsburgh, New York) – were selected to bring the social, cultural and geographic perspectives of their communities to the education working group, which also includes WGBH, Alaska Native advisors, science and literacy experts, teachers and parents. Prairie Public will then use these resources as the basis for developing and implementing their own local educational outreach activities targeting rural communities.

“WGBH is excited to have a diverse group of stations participating in the “Molly of Denali” education working group,” said Mollie Levin, senior project manager, early education, WGBH. “Each station brings expertise about the communities they serve and will be a huge asset to ensure that the materials developed for the project echo the strengths and voices of a variety of populations.”

“Molly of Denali” features Molly Mabray, a feisty and resourceful 10-year-old Gwich’in/Koyukon/Dena’ina Athabascan girl who takes viewers ages 4 to 8 along with her on adventures and fosters literacy skills along the way. With an emphasis on family and intergenerational relationships, episodes of “Molly of Denali” model Alaska Native values, such as respecting others, sharing what you have and honoring your elders, while showcasing contemporary aspects of rural life, strong female role models and how technology aids in communication.

“Molly of Denali” is grounded in a pioneering curriculum focused on informational text, a foundational aspect of literacy education. Informational texts are designed to convey information and can include written words, images, graphics, video and oral language. In every episode, Molly navigates her world and solves problems with the help of books, online resources, field guides, historical documents, maps, tables, posters, photos, Indigenous knowledge from elders, her very own vlog and more.

About Prairie Public
Prairie Public Broadcasting, headquartered in Fargo, is a non-profit member station of PBS and NPR that provides public television services throughout North Dakota, northwestern Minnesota, southern Manitoba, and parts of Montana and South Dakota; public radio service to North Dakota; and educational and technological services to communities and individuals across its coverage area.

About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers children ages 2-8 the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, digital media and community-based programs. PBS KIDS and local stations across the country support the entire ecosystem in which children learn, including their teachers, parents and community. Provided by stations, the free PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and live stream is available to more than 95% of U.S. TV households. Kidscreen- and Webby Award-winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including digital games and streaming video. PBS KIDS offers mobile apps to help support young children’s learning, including the PBS KIDS Video app, which is available on a variety of mobile devices and on platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Chromecast. PBS KIDS also offers parent and teacher resources to support children’s learning anytime and anywhere. For more information on PBS KIDS content and initiatives supporting school readiness and more, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About WGBH
WGBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Frontline, American Experience, NOVA, Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, Pinkalicious & Peterrific and more than a dozen other prime-time and lifestyle series. WGBH is a partner in the digital channels WORLD and Create, and also is a major supplier of programming for public radio. As a leader in educational multimedia for the classroom WGBH supplies content to PBS LearningMedia, a national broadband service for teachers and students. WGBH also is a pioneer in technologies and services that make media accessible to those with hearing or visual impairments. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors, including Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards and Oscars. More info at www.wgbh.org.

About the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
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 more than 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 www.cpb.org and follow us on Twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe for email updates.

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