Most Memorable Moments of 2024 with PBS Wisconsin Education

December 27, 2024 Marci Glaus Leave a Comment

The PBS Wisconsin Education team took time to reflect on our work this year, and we came up with a long list of “most memorable” moments. What follows is a sample of some of the experiences and collaborations we hope have made a difference in educator and families’ lives this year. They certainly did for us!

Web developer John Vieth kicked off a theme that quickly emerged among the team featuring our newest collection, The Look Back, for grades 4-6: “The launch of the website for The Look Back on March 1, 2024, with the first 11 episodes,” stuck out to him as a highlight for the year. Communications specialist Tawny Morrison agrees: “I got to join the production team to capture behind-the-scenes footage while they were filming for The Look Back. It was cool to see how everyone works together, leaning into one another’s strengths and expertise to make the production successful. I enjoyed getting to capture just a slice of the creativity, humor and hard work that goes into each production. Plus, I got to use the clapperboard!”

Education producer Ian Glodich made history with his memorable moment: “When I got to get my picture taken with a historical tin type camera at the HH Bennett Studio while filming for The Look Back tall-tale postcard episode: It was so fascinating to see how the old cameras work, and David Rambow was a pro at using that unique equipment. I learned a lot while I was there.”

The Look Back episode filmed on Rock Island in Door County stood out for education producer David Boffa. “Taking the ferry from the tip of Door County to Washington Island, en route to our ultimate destination of Rock Island for filming our Pottawatomie Lighthouse episode: It was a beautiful fall day, and while standing atop the ferry and looking over Lake Michigan, I couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that this was a part of my job.”

Engagement specialist Mia Forslund said her highlight was, “Welcoming PBS LearningMedia colleagues to Wisconsin for a fun visit that included road trips to schools to share episodes of the recently released first season of The Look Back! It’s always great to connect in person with the people we partner with (educators, learners and PBS friends) to make and share awesome media resources.”

We enjoyed many local Wisconsin connections for production and had the great fortune of traveling the state and even nationally to present a broad range of our collaborative work. Engagement specialist Mouna Algahaithi said, “Presenting in New Orleans with Alison Loewen, PBS and Maryland Public Television,” was an outstanding memory this year. Loewen was a member of our 2023 PBS KIDS Library and Community Learning Cohort, and her work earned the national recognition of PBS KIDS Early Learning Champion.

Engagement specialist Nick Ostrem also reached a national audience in a joint effort with Retro Report two weeks before the November election: “We teamed up to offer a webinar on civics and media literacy for educators called ‘Shaping Informed Citizens: PBS Resources for Civics & Media Literacy.’ We shared free resources from PBS LearningMedia and our new Civics Resources page to help middle and high school students understand foundational ideas and the complexities of our government, build critical thinking skills and ultimately become more informed and engaged citizens.”

A highlight for engagement specialist Jami Hoekstra Collins was the collaboration efforts involved in the Joy of Learning Edcamp at the Early Learning Center in Sheboygan. “Incredible partners from the Sheboygan Public Library, United Way and the Sheboygan Area School District came together in the spring of 2024 and pulled together a meaningful and engaging Edcamp in under three months! This playful learning day with PBS Wisconsin was integrated into an existing staff development day.”

The playful learning continued for our Ready to Learn intern Jennica Li: “One of my favorite moments this year was getting to highlight the amazing work and impact of our Ready to Learn partners in Beloit during one of the Friends of PBS Wisconsin board meetings. We are so fortunate to have fostered these fantastic connections and partnerships throughout Beloit. And, to see the Board of Directors so jazzed about the reach and success stories of Ready to Learn only added to the pride I have in my work of supporting the organizations and individuals who bring our various programs and initiatives to life.”

Finally, associate director for education engagement Jen Kobylecky reflected on preparation for a new collection set to premiere in 2026 designed to inspire writing and integrate the arts. “We are working on a new multimedia collection that engages elementary students in storytelling through theater-inspired group games and scaffolded writing experiences. The collection is inspired by Whoopensocker, an arts integration program based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison supported by teaching artists in a small number of local classrooms. The video resources we are making will allow this program to be implemented widely by educators all across the state. There have been multiple memorable moments during educator feedback sessions on the new collection, from witnessing the uninhibited joy and creativity the program inspires as we introduce it to new teachers in different parts of the state, to the tears of joy that sprang from the eyes of a teacher who has hosted the live program as she recognized the potential to share these impacts more widely.”

With particular gratitude for our production partners and educator collaborators, we at PBS Wisconsin Education wish everyone a happy New Year.

The Look Back PBS Kids PBS LearningMedia PBS Wisconsin Education