Classical music helps inspire creation of $50,000 in endowments for WPSU
Inspired by more than 40 years of programming on WPSU Penn State, one couple is helping to ensure it will continue to reach the audiences it serves. William Lukens and Cheryl Price made a commitment of $50,000 to create two endowments, the William Lukens and Cheryl Price Endowment for WPSU-TV and the William Lukens and Cheryl Price Endowment for WPSU-FM.
Celebrate Pride Month
Celebrate Pride Month this June and every day with WPSU! Explore a special collection of films, series and short stories that explore the LGBTQ experience in the United States and around the world.
WPSU-FM
Trans in the Eyes of God
In a special three-part series listen to personal stories of transgender people of faith and where they are finding spiritual homes among America’s religious traditions. The series is hosted by Rev. David Wynn, a transgender Christian pastor in Texas, who speaks with people of faith from around the world about their journeys as transgender individuals. This series is made possible, in part by, the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity at Penn State.
Part One: Toni Newman
Friday, June 11, 8:00 p.m.
Part Two: Yvonne Taylor
Friday, June 18, 8:00 p.m.
Part Three: Joy Ladin, Mesma Belsare and Michelle Brooker
Friday, June 25, 8:00 p.m.
WPSU-TV
Out in Rural America
A film that explores the struggles and joys of being lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and genderqueer in rural America. Following five stories from the LGBTQ+ community over six years, the film explores the issues of self-doubt, discrimination, acceptance, and small-town and Midwestern LGBTQ+ life from a cultural, social, familial, and religious perspective.
Friday, June 4, at 10:00 p.m.
Becoming Johanna
When Johanna, a 16-year-old transgender Latina, begins her transition and gets kicked out of her home and school, she finds a foster family who loves her and a supportive school principal who helps her graduate and thrive.
“Expect a Miracle,” is the dual story of the AIDS crisis in San Diego and Fraternity House – the only hospice in North San Diego County that took patients near death to give them a safe place to die with dignity and love. The riveting film centers on a handful of everyday people who became heroes.
Check out these POV titles and more, streaming on pbs.org and by downloading the PBS app.
POV: Scout’s Honor
To be physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight — this is the Boy Scout pledge. Since 1910, millions of boys have joined. But today, if you are openly gay, you can’t. Witness how a 12-year-old Boy Scout named Steven Cozza launches a campaign to overturn the Boy Scouts’ anti-gay policy. From Petaluma, California to the Supreme Court, the film chronicles a modern interpretation of the scouting ideals of courage and honor.
Filmmaker Cecilia Aldarondo suspected that there was something ugly in her family’s past. Memories of a Penitent Heart excavates a buried conflict around her uncle Miguel, who died at a time when AIDS was synonymous with sin. As she searches for Miguel’s partner decades later, the film — both a love story and a tribute — offers a cautionary tale of how faith can be used and abused in times of crisis.
As the AIDS epidemic took hold in the early 1980s, self-help guru Louise Hay created a space for healing called the Hayride. Drawing hundreds of gay men confronting a deadly pandemic, Louise promised that self-love would help them overcome AIDS.
In the indigenous communities around the town of Juchitán, Mexico, the world is not divided simply into men and women. The local Zapotec people have made room for a third category, which they call “muxes”—men who consider themselves women and live in a socially sanctioned limbo between the two genders.
A young gay man from Ghana struggles to reconcile his sexuality and love for his mother through a series of letters in this deceptively simple yet powerful piece.
As part of our mission to convene conversations, WPSU is hosting a virtual screening and panel discussion of Point of View’s (POV) Advocate.
Against the backdrop of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, directors Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche document the work of Lea Tsemel, a Jewish-Israeli human rights lawyer who has dedicated her life to representing Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli courts. Her defense of Palestinians who resist the occupation — through both violent and non-violent means — has earned her a reputation as “the devil’s advocate” from her opponents, but she believes in the potential of law as a tool to bring about justice.
The panel will discuss diverging definitions of justice and how the legal system might be used as a strategy for social change, or for continuing conflict.
6:30 p.m. – Virtual Screening
The screening will be held on the PBS platform called OVEE. You will need to set up a free account or sign in anonymously before the screening at ovee.itvs.org/
Sign up information will be included in the email you receive when you submit this form.
8:00 p.m. – Panel and Community Conversation
The panel will explore the definition of “justice” in the context of the law and how individuals perceptions of justice are shaped; explore the context and moral framework that underpins Lea Tsemel’s legal work, and discuss how the legal system might be used as a strategy of social change, or as a strategy to continue conflict. The moderated discussion encourages the audience to participate through the chat feature.
Panelists
Dr. Nader Hashemi
Dr. Hashemi is the Director of the Center for Middle East Studies and an Associate Professor of Middle East and Islamic Politics at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.
Dr. Michelle Campos
Dr. Campos is an Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and History in the Department of History at Penn State. She is a scholar of 19th and early 20th century Jewish Studies and Middle Eastern History.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Take action to break the stigma, have your voice heard, and be part of the conversation.
Take Action.
Thursday, May 20
While more people than ever before may be comfortable discussing mental health, there are still many that fall through the cracks in the space between awareness and action.
Mental Health Action Day on Thursday, May 20 will drive our culture from awareness to action by providing the tangible tools that will help us all take an action for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for our community.
Leading global men’s health charity, Movember will be hosting a dialogue about men’s mental health, with a focus on Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).
In conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Movember is using their platform to host a series of panels to discuss challenges to mental wellbeing for BIPOC communities. For more information visit Movember’s Facebook page.
Part 1 Thursday, May 13, at 7:00 p.m.; Part 2, Friday, May 14, at 7:00 p.m.
“Rethinking Mental Health Care” will present an honest critique of the nation’s mental health care shortcomings, while highlighting tangible solutions and models for improving access and quality of care. Hosted by Kimberly Adams of Marketplace, this two-part format will allow guests to deep dive into failures, challenges and opportunities, while also allowing people to question mental health experts to ground the issues in matters most pressing to the public. This will be a candid, solutions-oriented discussion about mental health policy and care delivery in the U.S. This program will be recorded from a live virtual event on April 15.
Program 1: Our Mental Health Crisis, By Design
America’s mental health system is designed to deliver too little care, too late. Current policy and care systems devote the most resources to treating people in crisis, but provider and bed shortages remain common. How are people still finding ways to connect with help?
Program 2: Reinventing the Future of Mental Health Care
Preventative mental health care is effective and can prevent early symptoms from becoming chronic illnesses. What will it take to reform the nation’s care systems and policies so that people get the wholistic care they need to prevent a crisis?
Take Note
May 7, at Noon
Mental Health is an issue that’s been examined even more than usual since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ll have Ben Locke with us to take a look back on mental health at colleges around the country over the past year. Locke is the executive director of Penn State’s Counseling and Psychological Services. On WPSU-FM and posted on the website.
The Well Beings community invites members of the public to submit sound bites to be considered for a new documentary series, currently titled Hiding in Plain Sight: Our Youth Mental Health Crisis, a Ewers Brothers Production, executive produced by Ken Burns.
People can submit an audio recording of themselves, individually or with friends or family, talking about their mental health journey in everyday life. Audio clip submissions can be anonymous, or people can share their names. Though audio clips are preferred, video submission will also be accepted.
Connection: Supporting Kids Mental Health During Difficult Times – On-demand recording
In this video, Marisa Vicere and Ali Turley from the Jana Marie Foundation will help parents and families explore the prevalence of mental health concerns, how to recognize warning signs, and ways to engage in meaningful and supportive conversations.
PBS KIDS is a welcome and safe place for every child. Our engaging characters serve as positive role models by expressing kindness, respect, honesty and good hearts. Alongside their favorite characters toddlers and grade school children can learn ways of coping with feelings, reinforce how they can truly be themselves, and see that differences are celebrated. The PBS Parents website offers social and emotional learning games, activities and videos.
WPSU hosted a free virtual day of space exploration on May 15, at 1:00 p.m. Families had a blast learning about space careers and some out of this world space-themed activities. Guests dropped in to share their real-life experiences in the aeronautics field.
Kyle Lucas earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Penn State and is a former walk-on linebacker, playing two season for the blue and white. In 2015 Kyle enlisted in the United States Air Force as a Space Systems Operator and is currently assigned to Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado.During Kyle’s three-year tour he was responsible for commanding and controlling the Department of Defense’s largest satellite constellation as well providing a global utility to 4 billion users worldwide.In the fall of 2019 Kyle transferred to the 1st Space Operation Squadron, where he currently works. The 1SOPS mission he performs is Space Domain Awareness. In his current role as a Low Earth Orbit Technician he operates three different satellites.
On December 20, 2019 the Trump Administration announced the creation of a new military branch, The United States Space Force where he is currently serving under the rank of Sergeant.
Dr. Guion Bluford Retired Astronaut and Air Force Colonel
Thirty-eight years ago, Guion “Guy” Bluford becamse the first African-Amercan astronaut to go to space, as a member of the crew aboard the third flight of the space shuttle Challenger.Guy earned his bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and went on to other advanced degrees. Guy is also a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and flew 144 combat missions during the Vietnam War. Guy worked at NASA for 13 years, went on four space missions, and has logged 688 hours in space.
Justin Aglio Readiness Institute at Penn State
Justin W Aglio is the senior director of the Readines Institute at Penn State, a learning lab for students and educators, advancing THE’s vision of a more “Just Pittsburgh” by enabling learners from diverse backgrounds to develop skills and values needed for success.Justin earned a Doctor of Education in Leadership and Administration from Point Park University, his Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from McDaniel College, Superintendent Letter of Eligibility from California University of Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Waynesburg University.He is a member of the Remake Learning Network, also serves as a Visiting LearnLab Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University. Throughout his career, he has been recognized by his peers with honors including Pittsburgh Magazine’s 40 Under 40, International Society for Technology in Education Emerging Leader, Pennsylvania Association for Education Communications and Technology Outstanding Leader of the Year, Edtech and elearning Top 100 Influencer and was selected as a participant in the Nation of Makers roundtable discussion at the White House.
Science-U @ Home
Explore the outer world with these space-themed experiments from Science-U @ Home
All about taste! Does saliva really wash back into the milk carton from your mouth when you take a drink?
Keiko Miwa Ross commits $1 million to WPSU
Keiko Miwa Ross, Penn State’s 2020 Philanthropist of the Year, has invested an additional $1 million to WPSU building upon her support for the station, including a gift last year to replace the aging WPSU transmitter. The WPSU television studio will bear her name, and she will also be honored in on-air spots.
Celebrating 50 Fabulous Years of Masterpiece
On January 10, 1971, Masterpiece Theatre debuted The First Churchills, as one of PBS’s first national broadcasts. Season after season Masterpiece has surprised us with award-winning dramas, mysteries, and novel-to-screen adaptations.
Join Masterpiece Insider
Donate $72 ($6 a month)* to WPSU in recognition of Masterpiece between now and February 17, and we can thank you by adding you to the 50th anniversary Masterpiece Insider club. You will receive:
February 18, 7:00 p.m. invitation to participate in a virtual Q and A with Dr. Nancy West, author of the just released book “Masterpiece: America’s 50-Year-Old Love Affair with British TV Drama.”
February 23, 7:00 p.m. invitation to participate in a virtual Q and A with Masterpiece Studio podcast host, Jace Lacob. Hear about his interviews with Masterpiece actors and his favorite and most surprising moments.
Weekly emails with sneak peek video clips of upcoming episodes and behind-the-scenes information.
An invitation to join the WPSU Masterpiece Insider Facebook group with weekly discussion questions.
hardback book, “Masterpiece: America’s 50-Year-Old Love Affair with British TV Drama,” by Nancy West
Great Beginnings DVD Collection (includes Victoria Season 1, Poldark Season 1, Grantchester Season 1, Endeavour Season 1, and All Creatures Great and Small 2 DVD set)
WPSU hosts free documentary screenings that you can access right from your computer and smart device wherever you are. Learn and connect with others to discuss a broad range of topics that are important to you through PBS content and WPSU original productions.
Our screenings vary from family videos for children and a range of topical and societal issues for adults. In addition to screenings hosted by WPSU, your OVEE account gives you access to many online screenings from PBS stations across the country.
Through a platform called Online Viewing and Engagement Experience (OVEE), we create online screenings that bring together fans, subject experts and special guests to watch streaming media, chat live, and share resources in a virtual theater. All that is needed is to create a login using an email and password.
Become part of the OVEE screening experience today!
Upcoming WPSU Screenings
PBS KIDS Let’s Go Luna! She is the Moon of Moons / Beats of Beijing
Come along as Luna and her friends visit Beijing during the Chinese Moon Festival! Let’s Go Luna! games at pbskids.org/luna
Trick or Treat yourself with your favorite PBS KIDS shows celebrating Halloween! Play games and watch more of your favorite shows at pbskids.org Download the *FREE* PBS KIDS Video and Games app at pbskids.org/apps”
WPSU has teamed up with Bright by Text, a national parent texting program, to put expert tips, games and child development information directly into the hands of parents and caregivers. We are proud to offer a unique resource like Bright by Text as children are learning from home and families can’t access the services they need.
The FREE subscription texting service includes topics like brain development, games and activities, health and wellness, STEM, safety and more. And subscribers can customize their subscription to receive texts for multiple age groups and subjects.
Bright by Text partners with experts like PBS, Vroom, Sesame Street, CDC, and others to develop content for families with children aged prenatal to age eight. In addition to expert content, Bright by Text includes messages about information and resources specific to the central Pennsylvania community, like digital library resources, food pantries, and preschool open enrollment periods.
As we at WPSU build our network of community partners, parents and caregivers can feel assured that they are receiving important local announcements and information.
Ready to get started?
Text PBSKIDS to 274448
WPSU’s #HowWeEndure Campaign
WPSU invites you to add your posts from any platform to our social media collection.
Pennsylvania 143 Day is May 22, 2020
The number of 143 was one that had a lot of meaning for Fred Rogers—from representing the number of letters in “I L-O-V-E Y-O-U” to how much he weighed for his entire adult life—he would use 143 as a code to tell children that they are special, each in their own way.
To celebrate the lasting legacy of Mister Rogers of spreading kindness and understanding everywhere, May 22, 2020, the 143rd day of the calendar year, has been designated as “143 Day”.
You can honor Fred Rogers and his devotion to children’s success in school and life by participating in WPSU-TV’s 143 Campaign to benefit children’s educational television. Now through May 18 become a Trolley Patron by making a gift of $40 or more. To show our appreciation, WPSU will send you 2 trolley pins—one to keep and the other to send to someone special along with a Mister Rogers 143 note card that we will provide.
In uncertain times like these, one thing that central Pennsylvanians can rely on are the services that WPSU-TV and WPSU-FM provide to our community. Whether it is local reporting from our FM news team to keep us informed of breaking updates, universal access to the standards-based content of PBS KIDS programming, or simply escaping for a moment to watch Masterpiece® on WPSU Passport, WPSU is here for you during this time.
We want you to tell us why you value and choose to donate to WPSU. Share your stories using the form below and we will select some of these submissions to be featured on-air and online to encourage others to support the service that WPSU provides during this unprecedented time. Also below is a handy how-to guide with tips on how to submit both audio and video stories.
Please note that before submitting your testimonial to WPSU, you will need to check “I agree to the terms and conditions” on the submission form. If you are submitting via email, as described below, please include a copy of the terms and conditions with your email as confirmation that you agree to the terms.
If you are under the age of 18, you are welcome to provide a testimonial, but need to first have permission to do so from your parent(s) or guardian(s).
PBS Announces PBS American Portrait Covid-19 Special
PBS and its recently launched crowdsourced storytelling project, PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT, the signature content initiative of PBS’s 50th anniversary, will present a new coronavirus special to broadcast Friday, May 8 at 9:00 p.m. ET (check local listings), announced today.
The special, IN THIS TOGETHER: A PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT STORY, will begin streaming May 8 on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV and Chromecast.
Since early January, the PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT website has captured thousands of stories by Americans that, together, hope to answer the question: What does it really mean to be an American today?
With the unprecedented global and national impact of COVID-19, the answer to that central question and related prompts has shifted in recent weeks, which is reflected in the submissions still pouring into the site. The half-hour special will spotlight the many personal stories, photographs and videos shared by thousands of people in response to the prompt “I never expected…,” and viewers will hear first-hand accounts of how this global pandemic has affected our nation.
Throughout the special, which is being produced by PBS and RadicalMedia, participants from across the country will use self-shot video, photos and text to share how the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting their lives, their communities and their understanding of what it means to live in our country at this unique moment in time. IN THIS TOGETHER: A PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT STORY participants will tell these stories self-filmed in their own words, in their own creative ways and from their own points of view.
More details about the participants and their stories will be shared closer to the broadcast date. Please visit the PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT website at www.pbs.org/americanportrait and follow the conversation at #AmericanPortraitPBS on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to view the thousands of stories already being submitted.
For the full announcement and press release, click HERE.
Learning At Home
As teachers, students, and families deal with school closures, WPSU and PBS have come together to curate a special collection of educational resources. Whether you are a caregiver working with children or an educator planning distance learning, you’ll find videos, lesson plans, and activities that support learning at home.
Students in Pre-K through 12th grade can now access free, educational PBS daytime programming designated for each grade level weekdays through the following channels:
Sesame Street Caring for Each Other: content and resources from Sesame Workshop that you can use with your family to offer comfort and spark playful learning activities
Meet the Helpers: resources to talk to children about what is happening, and empower them to be helpers to keep each other healthy.
Arthur Family Health – Resilience: resources, activities, and videos from Arthur to help you and your child cope and build resilience.
Family Learning
Educational TV Programming
WPSU-HD: Tune-in to educational programming each weekday, from 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
WPSU-HD live stream: Watch WPSU programming on computers and mobile devices.
WPSU Kids stream: WPSU offers a 24-hour stream of PBS KIDS programming that can be watched on a computer or through the WPSU app.
Check the schedule for information about programs and times.
Sign up for PBS KIDS’ new daily newsletter for activities and tips you can use to play and learn together at home.
Science-U @ Home: Created by WPSU, Science-U@Home offers easy to advanced at-home science activities you can do with materials you have at home. Each experiment includes the scientific ideas behind the experiment along with questions to further your child’s scientific thinking.
Educational Games:
PBS KIDS Apps & More: View all available PBS games, podcasts, albums, and e-books.
Math and reading games created by WPSU
Language Arts:
Word Machine: practice letter sounds and make words (Grades K-3)
Train Game: helps students develop synthesis skills by asking them to group words together to form sentences. (Grades K-3)
Fridge Game: read sentences and find the error, requires students to identify confusing words (by monitoring) and to replace them with words from an alternate word pool that make sense in the sentence (clarifying). (Grades K-3)
Making Connections: gives students practice in making mental connections between the text and things the reader already knows. These connections can include things readers have read (text-to-text), things they’ve seen or heard (text-to-world), and things they’ve done (text-to-self). (Grades K-3)
Questioning Cube: read a short story and answer a question, students practice asking questions about short stories or passages of expository prose (Grades K-5)
Detective’s Notebook: you are a detective, look at the clues in a story to predict what will happen next. (Grades K-3)
Hamburger Game: Helps students practice attentive reading by choosing the main idea—or “meat”—from a passage of text and dragging it to the center of a sandwich. (Grades K-5)
Math:
Big Sale: solve unit rate problems to determine the best deal per ounce of grocery items. (Grades 6-8)
Cryptography Files: take on the role of cryptologists to decode clues using pre-algebraic substitution and order of operation (Grades 6-8)
What Are The Chances?: This flexible interactive provides opportunities to practice identifying simple, compound, and/or dependent probabilities using answers in the form of fractions, percentages, and/or decimals. (Grades 7-12)
Ninja Escape: Figure out an equation given a set of coordinates and identify the graphs of those functions with this interactive. (Grades 8-9)
Educator Resources
PBS LearningMedia offers standards-aligned educational material and curriculum that can be used by teachers and parents.
On July 20th, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human being to set foot on the moon, followed by his Apollo 11 crewmate, Buzz Aldrin. WPSU wants to know what this milestone means to you. Tell us how you remember the moon landing 50 years ago, or how you first learned about it.
We invite you to share a video or audio recording, or a selfie with WPSU; or, send us a photo of you from 1969, images of any Apollo or NASA memorabilia you have, or any original artwork inspired by the moon or space travel.
WPSU will select some of your submissions to feature in our audio and video Apollo stories, and/or on social media.
Before submitting photographs, audio, or video content to WPSU for the Remember #Apollo50 with WPSU, you will need to click “I agree to the terms and conditions” on the submission form.
50 years after America’s first moon landing, we are as inspired as ever by the sense of possibility, excitement, and wonder that space exploration ignites. Our mission is to inspire those feelings in PBS viewers through programming and events that challenge us all to learn, discover, and create.
Join us in our commitment to sparking discovery by supporting WPSU today!
A $60 gift from just 10% of our viewing area would provide WPSU funding for over 700 hours of PBS programming.
or
A $5 monthly sustainer gift* from 10% of our viewing area would provide WPSU funding for over 700 hours of PBS programming.
Hey teachers: Do your students have something to say? Now is their chance.
Be a part of the second annual NPR Student Podcast Challenge.
Take an idea you’re teaching and have your students turn it into a podcast for the NPR Student Podcast Challenge. The winning podcast will be featured in segments on Morning Edition or All Things Considered.
It’s an opportunity for teachers with students between 5th grade and 12th grade. Students will need help from a teacher to submit. Entries are open NOW until March 31.
Key Dates
January 6 – Challenge officially opens for entries
WPSU wins Mid-Atlantic Emmy® awards’ top honor for overall station excellence
WPSU Penn State won three Emmy® awards, including the top honor for overall station excellence, at the 2018 Mid-Atlantic Emmy awards on Oct. 13.
Battling Opioids
Battling Opioids: A Project of Pennsylvania Public Media is a collaborative, multi-media, effort undertaken by all seven Pennsylvania Public Media stations: WPSU, WHYY, WITF, WLVT, WQED, WQLN and WVIA. We are using all of our multi-media platforms – TV, radio, online, social, digital, and community outreach events together in this effort to direct people in Pennsylvania to state and local opioid resources by connecting them to solutions at a personal level. Our hope is that through our collaborative, statewide efforts, our citizens will see stories of hope and survival, and have access and information on where to get help. We are using our shared resources for one common good—to save lives.
Take part in the Great American Read contest September 10—October 19.
Have you been catching up with all the wonderful reads in your list lately? We want to know all about it! WPSU invites you to share photos/videos of what books (or e-books) you are exploring this fall to be in the running to win an exclusive “The Great American Read” bag!
All you need to do is:
Take a photo or a video of the book you’re reading. Feel free to be creative and tell us a little about the book.
Post to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Tag WPSU to let us know that you’re sharing a #WPSUreads.
Wait to be contacted if you’re a winner!
*Note: Be sure to set your profile to public so we can see your posts.
Tune in to watch The Great American Read on September 11. Visit The Great American Read to take part in a national conversation about America’s favorite books and vote for your favorite book before October 19.
Please abide by the following terms. WPSU does not allow:
graphic, obscene, explicit or racial comments or submissions nor do we allow comments that are abusive, hateful, or intended to defame anyone or any organization.
solicitations or advertisements. This includes promotion or endorsement of any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. Similarly, we do not allow attempts to defame or defraud any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency.
comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity.
By entering the campaign, you allow WPSU to share photos and videos submitted to WPSU’s social media accounts.
The giveaway begins on Monday, September 10, at 12:00 a.m. and concludes on Friday, October 19, at 11:59 p.m.
This campaign is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Any questions or comments should be directed to WPSU Penn State at wpsusocial@psu.edu.
This contest is only open to individuals who are at least 18 years of age and are competent to contract in his/her name.
WPSU Sustaining Membership
Whether your favorite series is NOVA, Masterpiece, PBS NewsHour, Nature, American Experience, or FRONTLINE, we’re asking you to support what you love with a $5, $10, or more monthly ongoing sustaining donation now.
PBS Summer of Adventure
With a variety of science, nature, culture and history programs, the PBS Summer of Adventure will transport you around the globe.
10 That Changed America
Host Geoffrey Baer takes viewers across the country to the legendary streets, monuments, and man-made marvels that changed America.
Chef Marcus Samuelsson travels to under-explored parts of American cities to showcase the people, places and culinary flavors of immigrant communities.
Explore parts of the world that nature has carved on a staggering scale. For human beings, survival within these extraordinary places can pose great challenges.
Join Geoffrey Baer as he travels to Havana, where dancers, musicians, architects and writers invite him into their lives to experience the color, culture and history of a beautiful and seductive city only recently re-opened to Americans.
Travel south down Mexico’s mountain spine, explore the tropical forests of the Maya, and journey across the deserts of Northern Mexico to discover its amazing wildlife and culture.
May 7–13 is Teacher Appreciation Week. Thank a teacher for their brilliance by sharing your appreciation through your creative work and illustrations, or photos. Share on social media using the hashtag #ThankATeacher in your posts and tag @WPSU.
The first 25 posts using the hashtag #ThankATeacher tagged with @WPSU will receive some cool WPSU stickers! You can also submit online here. View the terms and conditions.
Terms & Conditions:
This campaign is organized by WPSU Penn State.
Please abide by the following terms. WPSU does not allow:
graphic, obscene, explicit or racial comments or submissions nor do we allow comments that are abusive, hateful, or intended to defame anyone or any organization.
solicitations or advertisements. This includes promotion or endorsement of any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. Similarly, we do not allow attempts to defame or defraud any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency.
comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity.
By entering the campaign, you allow WPSU to share photos and videos submitted to WPSU’s social media accounts.
The giveaway begins on Monday, May 7, at 12:00 a.m. and concludes on Sunday, May 13, at 11:59 p.m.
This campaign is in no way sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Any questions or comments should be directed to WPSU Penn State at wpsusocial@psu.edu.
The Great American Read
What is America’s best-loved novel? Join the conversation on May 22.
Designed to spark a national conversation about reading, literacy, and the books that have inspired, moved, and shaped us, The Great American Read is an eight-part PBS series and nationwide competition that explores the joy of books and the power of reading through the lens of America’s 100 best-loved books.
The nationwide project culminates in the first-ever national vote to choose “America’s Best-Loved Book.”
Throughout the summer there will be:
Facebook discussion groups
Summer reading competitions for everyone
Online activities and games
Book and author information on “America’s Virtual Bookshelf”
Voting for America’s Best-Loved Book Visit the WPSU website to download the list of 100 books, choose your summer reading list and vote for your choice of America’s Best Loved Book.
A special election for Pennsylvania’s 18th congressional district will be held on March 13, 2018, following the resignation of Representative Tim Murphy. Check out WPSU’s Vote 18 for news, information about the candidates and more.
The Best of Our Town
About the show
Since 1996, community volunteer videographers from countless towns have participated in making 94 “Our Town” television shows that aired WPSU. This is one of our favorite community projects and we’re already planning the feature towns for 2018—Lock Haven, Reynoldsville, Coudersport, and Boalsburg— and we’ve been busy putting together a special look back at more than 20 years of telling the story of communities to kick off this 2018 season.
On March 8, at 8:00 p.m. WPSU will air “The Best of Our Town,” a compilation of viewer-voted favorites and a broad variety of stories we’ve collected as part of this project over the years.
Mark your calendars and tell your friends and family to tune-in on March 8 to WPSU-TV or watch online at wpsu.org/live. We are looking forward to reminiscing and sharing these stories with you.
Share “The Best of Our Town” post and win!
Share posts on your social media feeds with #TheBestofOT and be in the running to win an exclusive WPSU Our Town t-shirt! Winners will be chosen based on the number of likes, shares, or comments on their post. Contest runs from February 22 to March 8.
#MyTown: Share the stories of your town to the world!
Be a part of the Our Town family by sharing stories about YOUR town! Take part in the #MyTown campaign from January 19 to February 16. All you need to do is send us a video or photo with a description of what you love about your hometown and we will share them on our social media pages for the world to see!
Feel free to be creative with the stories you share. If you need some guidelines on filming, check out resources here.
You can submit your entries on our form here on WPSU or on social media by using #MyTown in your posts. What are you waiting for? Tell us what’s special about your town!
Viewers can help WPSU to decide what Our Town clips to feature. Each week starting December 8,2017 until January 5, 2018, we’ll release clips from past shows for you to vote on. WPSU will then feature your four favorites that get the most votes during the TV broadcast of The Best of Our Town, on March 8.
PBS takes you on an around-the-world adventure this summer, bringing compelling wildlife stories and discovering new topics in history, science and nature.
The Story of China
Travel from the Silk Road to the Yellow Sea with host Michael Wood as he explores the history of the world’s newest superpower. A thrilling and moving epic of the world’s oldest continuous state with the landscapes, peoples, and stories that made today’s China.
Plunge into the Pacific with researchers and cinematographers who display the ocean’s rare and dazzling creatures in a way never before seen on television. Filmed in cinematic 4K, the program breaks the boundaries between land and sea, examining an ocean that covers one-third of the Earth’s surface, holds half of the world’s water and hides the deepest place on the planet.
Journey with Kirk Johnson to Yellowstone, where wolves, grizzlies, beavers and Great Gray owls survive one of the greatest seasonal changes on the planet. As the temperature swings 140 degrees, cameras capture how the animals cope.
Traverse the Arctic wilderness and African bush as scientific teams utilize new technology to track caribou, zebras and elephants as they overcome obstacles and face fearless predators on their epic journeys.
Join Geoffrey Baer as he travels to Havana, where dancers, musicians, architects and writers invite him into their lives to experience the color, culture and history of a beautiful and seductive city only recently re-opened to Americans.
Renowned National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore, a natural-born storyteller,is on a quest to document Earth’s species at risk of extinction. His 11-year “Photo Ark” project is the focus of this three-part series, which follows Sartore into the field as he captures rare species on camera — at zoos, preserves and elsewhere. Throughout, Sartore interacts with scientists and naturalists who reveal surprising and important information. He has seen first-hand that people will save the things they love. This captivating and visually stunning PBS special reveals why ensuring species’ future matters to us all.
Broadcasting live over three nights with hosts Chris Kratt and Martin Kratt, PBS, in partnership with the BBC, will turn the cameras on a must-see natural spectacle as thousands of the world’s wildest animals gather to take part in Alaska’s amazing summer feast.
Sunday, July 23, at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 26, at 8:00 p.m. Sunday, July 30, at 8:00 p.m.
Join Emmy-winning wildlife cameraman Colin Stafford-Johnson on an authored journey along Ireland’s rugged Atlantic coast, providing insights into the wild animals and wild places of the island he calls home.
This is probably the most important book I’ve read this year. Jane Mayer’s book, “Dark Money,” makes the argument that we now have three major political parties: Republican, Democratic and Dark Money.
#ThankYouPatty
Patty Satalia celebrates her retirement this week. Congratulations Patty. We wish you all the best in your new adventures and future undertakings. We are deeply honored to have had such an amazing and talented personality on the team.
#ThankYouPatty for your time and contributions to WPSU. We will miss you!
Take Public Media anywhere you go with the WPSU mobile app available for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android and Amazon devices.
WPSU-TV features
WPSU-TV main, Create and World schedules
Full video episodes, previews, and clips from WPSU original programs like the Our Town series, Conversations Live as well as your PBS favorites like AntiquesRoadshow, Frontline, Masterpiece, and Nature.
PBS KIDS stream and on demand episodes such as Wild Kratts, ODD SQUAD, and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
WPSU-FM features
Streams of WPSU 1 News & Classical, WPSU 2 Public Radio Mix, and WPSU 3 Jazz
WPSU features such as Take Note, WPSU’s Bookmark, and interviews.
WPSU local and NPR national news stories at your fingertips.
On-demand programming including All Things Considered,Fresh Air, and Science Friday.
WPSU Digital
Easily connect to WPSU’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Flickr pages.
Instantly renew or give an additional donation to WPSU through your mobile device.
Watch exclusive on-demand digital content.
Looking for extended PBS content online? Learn more about our newest member benefit WPSU Passport.
WPSU Nominated for seven Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards
Congratulations to WPSU staff who earned seven Mid-Atlantic Emmy® nominations for excellence in television programming and individual achievement from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The Nominations include:
Arts Program/Special: “Music Theatre Spotlight 2015”
Jeff Hughes, producer/director; Michael Klein, audio mixer
Children/Youth/Teen (19 and under) Program or Special: “Science-U: Backwash”
Kristian Berg, producer/director
Education/Schools – Program/Special: “You Can’t Say That”
Jeff Hughes, executive producer; Lindsey Whissel Fenton, producer
Human Interest Program/Special: “Holding History: The Collections of Charles L. Blockson”
Cheraine Stanford, producer/director; Cole Cullen, writer
Sports – Program/Series: “Penn State Basketball: In the Paint”
Don Hampton, senior producer/director; John Wagner, producer; Matt Wilson, videographer/editor; Austin Lederman, associate producer; Jordan Huffman, editor/videographer
Individual Achievement nominees:
Cole Cullen, editor – program
“Holding History: The Collections of Charles L. Blockson”
“Pennsylvania Legends and Lore: Ghosts of the Commonwealth”
Mark Stitzer, photographer – program
“Pennsylvania Legends and Lore: Ghosts of the Commonwealth”
The winners will be announced during the regional Emmy Awards ceremony Saturday, September 24, in Philadelphia.
You can review a comprehensive list of recent awards WPSU has received, at wpsu.org/awards.
PBS Previews | The Best of Fall 2015
Preview the Fall 2015 lineup of programs sure to engage, educate and excite you!
2015 Emmy Awards and Nominations
Congratulations to production, creative services, and everyone at WPSU-TV and Penn State Department of Meteorology Weather Communications Group for these 2015 Mid-Atlantic Region National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) EMMY® Awards.
52- Commercial – Single Spot “Connected For Life“- WPSU Penn State Mindy McMahon, Producer Kristian Berg, Director/Writer
32- Weather – News Single Story or Series “WeatherWhys“- WPSU Penn State (Weather World) Marisa Ferger, Producer/Editor Jon Nese, Writer/Producer
We are also proud of our 2015 nominees selected by a panel of judges from amongst all the submissions for each category:
16- Children/Youth/Teen (19 and under) – Program or Special “Science-U: Oobleck!“- WPSU Penn State Kristian Berg, Writer/Producer/Director
27- Historic/Cultural Program/Special “As Long As We Dance“- WPSU Penn State Cheraine Stanford, Producer/Director/Write
36- Sports – Program Feature/Segment “Courtside With Coquese Pink Zone Feature“- WPSU Penn State Bill Amin, Executive Producer Topher Yorks, Lead Producer/Director/Writer DaVita Raechelle Miles, Producer/Editor Mark Eaton, Editor Matt Stephens, Videographer Clint Yoder, Field Audio Mickey Klein, Audio Mix
55- Community Service “Our Town Project”- WPSU Penn State Greg Petersen, Executive Producer
73- Photographer – Program Mark Stitzer, WPSU Penn State
While the awards are often limited to the names of the production team leaders, WPSU thanks and acknowledges the efforts of all who’ve contributed to the success of these projects.
PBS NewsHour: Will Freddie Gray’s death provoke changes in Baltimore?
Hours after a funeral for Freddie Gray — a young man who died in Baltimore police custody — violence and looting broke out, resulting in injuries of about a half dozen officers. Judy Woodruff talks to special correspondent Jackie Judd about the memorial for Gray and whether his death with result in change for the city.
Celebrating 50 Years of Public Television!
On March 1, 1965, at 10:00 in the morning, students from 125 elementary and secondary schools witnessed something revolutionary: television in the classroom. WPSX-TV signed on with 15 new educational programs, ranging from Saludos Amigos to Primary Concepts in Math, that would air each school day.
In June 1965, the station added evening educational and currentaffairs programming to fulfill the vision of extending the resources of Penn State to the entire community.
Through the years, WPSX-TV, renamed WPSU-TV in 2005, has grown into a national innovator, experimenting with media to deliver educational content to audiences in Central Pennsylvania and beyond. For example, the 2012 online course, beekeeping101.psu. edu, brought in registrants from every state and nearly every country across the globe.
The 2013 documentary, Water Blues, Green Solutions, is currently broadcast by PBS stations all over the US and internationally, and maintains a living library of online educational resources for secondary- and higher-education course use.
On March 1, 2015, WPSU celebrates many accomplishments and looks to our future — integrating technology across the media landscape and enhancing audience experiences.
You can watch even more WPSU and PBS programming on your computer and smartphone — all without leaving our new website.
You’ll also be able to watch live programs simulcast on TV and online, and we’ll give you even more ways to give feedback and join the conversation.
In April 2015, we invite you to try out two TV/online viewing parties when you’ll have the opportunity to chat with producers and special guests.
With this expansion of services, we are proud to introduce a new name and a new look, WPSU Penn State. We’ve always been part of Penn State, and we want to continue our tradition of delivering university resources along with outstanding PBS programming to you.
WPSU Penn State thanks you, the community, our underwriters, and our university for supporting us and we look forward to the years to come with you by our side.
Dr. Nader Hashemi
Dr. Michelle Campos
Gravity and Force Lesson
Dr. Guion Bluford, Retired Astronaut and Air Force Colonel
Hope Moonshot Project with Justin Aglio, Readiness Institute at Penn State
Kyle Lucas, United States Space Force
Create Your Own Rocket Ship
Kyle Lucas
Dr. Guion Bluford
Justin Aglio
Mars Egg Lander
Popsicle Stick Explosion
Make a Comet
Air Pressure Rockets
Flashlight Constellations
Solar Oven S’mores
Why Landing on Earth Is Like a Series of Car Crashes
Seven Minutes of Terror: The Engineering Behind Landing on Other Planets
Mars Rovers
Moon Rocks
Time and Navigation
Planets: Tour the Solar Neighborhood
