Education Services
Description
The Education Department produced four educational videos tailored for Minnesota educators in our Prairie Vistas webinar series, developed 33 PBS LearningMedia resources, and delivered in-person training at eight schools across our region. Additionally, we presented at a professional development workshop for librarians and partnered with Minnesota State University Moorhead to host Stars of PBS, a community event for local families.
Impact
Our FY24 Minnesota Legacy work focused on themes of Minnesota history, culture, and the arts. We created educational support materials for our station’s Prairie Mosaic programs and Artifact spotlight segments programs, featuring stories about our region’s history and culture, the creative work of local artists, and a collaborative series with the Fargo-Moorhead orchestra. We presented these materials in person to over 150 educators; we also shared them online. Our Prairie Vista video collection has had over 400 views, and our PBS LearningMedia resources have had thousands of views.
Events & Engagement
This work reinforces Prairie Public’s dedication to supporting educators and students throughout our region. Many of Northwest Minnesota’s small, rural communities face significant educational challenges, including funding constraints, teacher retention issues, limited advanced coursework, technology gaps, and fewer extracurricular opportunities. To address these barriers, we offer a range of free, easily accessible resources, including PBS LearningMedia materials and instructional webinars on Legacy-produced content. We also provided teacher training on these resources across schools in Mahnomen, Karlstad, Marshall, Browns Valley, Campbell, Bemidji, and Fertile. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many families in rural Minnesota have continued homeschooling, which presents additional challenges around curriculum development and resource access. To support these educators, we established connections with homeschool families in our region, offering training, resources, and guided station tours. “I’m a firm believer that any education in the area of arts, culture, and history is positive for the community. Art helps me to appreciate what I see all around me, which helps me to engage more with my community; culture helps me to welcome and understand new neighbors, which builds the community; and history reminds me of where I am from and the struggles my ancestors faced so I can appreciate the wonderful life I now live, which makes me a better community member.” – MPTA survey respondent
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