Over the last year, PBS Wisconsin Education has continued collaborating with partners from libraries, schools and community organizations to provide educators, students and families with trusted, free-to-use educational resources.

To celebrate and get ready for a new year of great content and connections, PBS Wisconsin Education asked our friends and partners to share what they loved about collaborating with us in 2025.

PBS KIDS EdCamp boosts early learning

In August, PBS Wisconsin Education teamed up with early learning partners around Richland County to offer a PBS KIDS EdCamp. The free day of professional learning provided childcare providers and early childhood educators space to talk and learn about topics important to them.

“It has been [amazing working] with [engagement specialist] Jami, starting with the EdCamp and continuing on. Hearing early educators share their experiences and concerns reinforces the importance of the work we are doing at Reach Out and Read. A fun day with wonderful people,” said Cari Ritter, a program manager at Reach Out and Read Wisconsin. She joined Reach Out and Read Medical Director Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, who shared about the importance of reading early and often with young children.

Cari Ritter (left) and Dr. Dipesh Navsaria at the PBS KIDS Empower Edcamp.

“A major highlight was co-hosting the PBS Kids Empower EdCamp, which offered rich peer-to-peer learning and sessions on social-emotional development, the Science of Reading and the importance of reading from birth. The PBS team’s leadership and expertise elevated the experience and strengthened community engagement,” said Tarasa Lown, a grant specialist at CESA 3 and a key event partner.

Participants and partners at the PBS KIDS Empower Edcamp.

Free, engaging professional learning is a valuable resource for early learning educators and childcare providers who are required to earn training credits every year. PBS Wisconsin Education also offers credits through free, self-paced learning courses from PBS KIDS and Sesame Workshop.

Nurturing kindness

PBS Wisconsin Education’s early learning team held its first Kindness Cohort in the fall. Participants learned about the free-to-use Kindness Curriculum – developed by the Center for Healthy Minds – and PBS resources they can pair with it to nurture compassion, grow community and practice mindfulness.

 

It helped me get in the right mindset for a new school year and provided awesome bilingual resources...

Megan AllenEducator

“I loved our facilitator’s knowledge and enthusiasm,” said Mary Eilleen Hayes, an educator at Midvale Elementary in Madison. “I loved getting to dig into the Kindness Curriculum and I appreciated how PBS partnered with [Center for] Healthy Minds to bring a more full experience of kindness to educators.”

Kindness Cohort members gathered to explore strategies and playful resources together.

Hayes’ colleague Megan Allen said, “I was so grateful to be a part of the PBS Kindness Cohort. It helped me get in the right mindset for a new school year and provided awesome bilingual resources for me to use with my multilingual students.”

“The initial training with the cohort was powerful. We experienced the connection between kindness and mindfulness,” said Karen Murphree, instructional coach at Pope Farm Elementary in Middleton.

Youth media production engages learners in history

PBS Wisconsin provides curriculum and support for educators to integrate media production in high school social studies classes. Students research and produce short documentaries connected to their coursework.

 

Students are having fun learning about their place and its history!

Carrie BohmanSocial Studies Teacher

Carrie Bohman, social studies teacher at West High School in Madison, shared several highlights from the project. “Students having the opportunity to learn about local history with research skills utilizing our great local institutions, interviewing community members pertinent to their research topic, and gaining valuable soft skills as simple as making a phone call, emailing, writing open ended questions and learning skills key to writing a script, filming and editing their work. Students are having fun learning about their place and its history!”

Educator ambassadors share and collaborate

 

I was so happy to be able to share my love of all things PBS with my colleagues in the School District of La Crosse.

Darcy MaxwellEducator

The PBS Wisconsin Educator Ambassador Cohort kicked off with participants from around the state ready to learn about and share the wealth of PBS resources available to teachers. One section of the cohort is focused on social studies resources, like the Wisconsin Biographies collection on influential historical figures. The other section is focused on science content, including PBS Wisconsin Education’s Climate Wisconsin series on stories of climate change impacts around the state.

“One of the highlights was our meeting in Madison to explore and start developing the newest Wisconsin biography on Carson Gulley,” said Laura Callen, a fourth grade teacher from Richmond School District. “Collaborating with other educators while uncovering the story of an influential Wisconsin figure is always an inspiring experience.”

Educators and PBS Wisconsin Education staff dive into the Wisconsin Biographies collection.

“On top of being able to become familiar with the fabulous resources offered by PBS Wisconsin Education and interacting with inspiring colleagues from across the state, I was so happy to be able to share my love of all things PBS with my colleagues in the School District of La Crosse. Promoting the use of high quality, educator vetted, free materials is a pleasure!” said cohort member Darcy Maxwell.

Behind the scenes with Field Notes on Climate

Field Notes on Climate is a new series from PBS Wisconsin Education premiering on Earth Day 2026. In each episode, host Ami Eckard-Lee explores real-world climate solutions happening in Wisconsin and meets the student and community changemakers and climate experts working towards a sustainable climate future.

Eckard-Lee recounted many highlights from filming the series.

“Meeting people all over the state, learning about and trying things I never knew about! I got to plant wild rice from a canoe, explore the treasures found in a landfill and ride a tiny clown bike – all in support of our community and our climate!”

Ami Eckard-Lee between takes for Field Notes on Climate.

Her favorite moments? “Whispering dad jokes into my mic that only the sound person could hear, inspiring a small mutiny of middle schoolers to ride a mini clown bike and making realistic earthworm earrings to wear on camera!”

Along with the premiere of Field Notes on Climate, PBS Wisconsin Education will release new episodes of The Look Back, The Ways and Wisconsin Biographies in 2026. Multiple cohorts are happening throughout the year and an America at 250 Educator Summit is scheduled for early August.

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