IMPACT STORY PBS North & Legacy Funding Illuminate Native Language and Arts
PBS NORTH Est. 1964 • pbsnorth.org • Duluth, MN
Legacy funding empowers PBS North to achieve our mission to inspire and enrich lives for a more vibrant and connected community. This funding allows us to dig deeper into subjects that matter to our community and help our friends and neighbors from across the region hear their stories. The programs we created this year showcase stories of family, culture, food, history, and more — providing a value and a connection that our viewers can’t find anywhere else.
Education happens when learners connect with their subject matter. PBS North adapted one of the world’s oldest and most effective communication traditions — storytelling — to the media of the digital age. In the documentary Northern Nights, Starry Skies , we celebrate the wonders of the night sky, newly established Dark Sky sanctuaries in northern Minnesota, Indigenous star knowledge, and the importance of addressing the negative health and environmental impacts of light pollution. The documentary showed how we as individuals can make simple changes at home that can make a big impact on the night skies. We partnered with Hamline’s Center for Global Environmental Education on this project, and through this collaboration parts of Northern Nights, Starry Skies are shown on exhibit kiosks throughout Minnesota. Also, through a PBS LearningMedia Collection, which incorporates 10 segments from the documentary, plus lesson plans and supporting resources for educators, it has been making big impacts in K-12 classrooms in all 50 states.
83% say that PBS North helps them feel a greater sense of connection to Minnesota.
*Annual MPTA legacy survey of PBS North members, donors, and community members
I enjoy programming that is educational, but also fun and entertaining, and has local relevance to northern Minnesota.
It shows the broad interests and lifestyles of all people in our region.
Northern Nights, Starry Skies won a Midwest Regional Emmy® in the environment/science category. Here is what one viewer said: “Congratulations on your regional Emmy® win. Northern Nights, Starry Skies has been an amazing public outreach asset that has raised awareness of the issue of light pollution across the entire region. Your vision, leadership, and commitment to excellence are prominently on display throughout the documentary, and I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done to help preserve our natural ecosystems, protect human health, and inspire viewers of all ages to think critically and act intentionally when lighting their outdoor environment. Congratulations on this well-deserved Emmy® award and recognition!” From this documentary, 10 PBS LearningMedia lesson plans were developed and are being used in all 50 states.
AREAS OF IMPACT
DEEPENING KNOWLEDGE
ENCOURAGING WONDER
ELEVATING VOICES
PBS North believes in the power of a well-told story to engage, inspire, and enrich the lives in the communities that we serve. We tell the stories of our neighbors and enlighten our region about the local untold stories in The Slice and Intersections .
At PBS North we give you the tools to explore the natural and cultural history of northern Minnesota with our show Minnesota Historia and our documentary Northern Nights, Starry Skies . Even though these shows are vastly different, they both encourage a discovering of local knowledge. From the history of the boomtowns to animals in the wrong places to what is going on in the sky above, these stories will engage you in wonder and delight.
PBS North’s program Core Conversations takes a deep dive into important subjects that matter to people in the Northland. The primary goal is to educate, enlighten, and alert the viewer about the big issues surrounding our region and impacting the state. This season we learned about the impact of transportation on everyday lives, about the growing epidemic of murdered and missing Indigenous women, and about new marijuana legislation.
River of Souls with Travis Novitsky, the narrator of Northern Nights, Starry Skies, in the foreground.
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MPTA | PBS NORTH
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