Wes Moore to Host "American Graduate Day 2014"

NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Graduate Day 2014 is a live, all-day multiplatform broadcast to premiere nationally on public media Saturday, September 27 from 11 am-6:00 pm EDT on public television stations around the country (check local listings).

American Graduate Day is part of American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen - a public media initiative supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to help more kids stay on the path to graduation. Hosted by bestselling author and education advocate Wes Moore, the third annual broadcast and online event celebrates the exceptional work of individuals and groups in the local community and around the country whose daily heroics help youth to stay on track to earn diplomas. A special goal for this year is to recognize one million American Graduate Champions: those individuals volunteering their time, talent, or other resources in their own communities.

This year's broadcast event is the same format, with some exciting new elements. Divided into 14 half-hour blocks, it features a mix of live breaks and pre-taped partner segments highlighting how community organizations provide support, advice, and intervention services to at-risk students, families, and schools to promote higher graduation rates in communities across the country. The programming themes are Early Education, Caring Consistent Adults, More and Better Learning, Special Needs Communities, STEAM Programs, Dropout Prevention and Re-Engagement and College and Career Readiness. Within these programming blocks, local public media stations have the opportunity to customize the national feed with a locally-produced live or pre-taped six-minute segment.  This year also features live entertainment and performances by The Raise Up Project and Trenton Public Schools Marching Band, and "Stories of Champions," a new series of 14 profile pieces spotlighting individuals across the country who are taking an active role in helping kids earn high school diplomas.

Among the national organizations featured are: 4-H, 100K in 10, America SCORES Cleveland, America's Promise Alliance, AmeriCorps, Autism Speaks, Banister Leadership Academy, Best Buddies, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Citizen Schools, City Year, Communities In Schools, Exploring the Arts, FIRST, Gateway to College National Network, GEAR UP, GRAD Cincinnati, Horizons National, Jobs for America's Graduates, Junior Achievement, My Brother's Keeper, National Academy Foundation, Omaha Empowerment Network, Project SEARCH, Publicolor, The Raise Up Project, Reach Out and Read, Reading is Fundamental, Roadtrip Nation, Special Olympics, Samsung Electronics North America, Taco Bell Foundation for Teens™, United Way and VH1 Save The Music Foundation. 

Tony Bennett and Susan Benedetto, Michael Bloomberg,William Brangham (PBS Newshour Weekend), Ken Burns, Reggie Bush, Juju Chang (ABC), Rehema Ellis (NBC), Elmo (Sesame Street), Susie Gharib (Nightly Business Report), Bianna Golodryga (Yahoo!), Bryant Gumbel, Rebecca Jarvis (ABC News), Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Miral Kotb, Christopher Knowings (Sesame Street), Lyn May (PBS), Ingrid Michaelson, Stone Phillips, Gen. Colin Powell and Alma Powell, CC Sabathia, Hari Sreenivasan (PBS NewsHour), Lauren Wanko (NJTV) Brian Williams (NBC), his wife Jane Williams (Bloomberg EDU), and their children Allison Williams (Girls) and Doug Williams (YES Network) are among the guests scheduled to appear.

About WNET
As New York's flagship public media provider and the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. WNET is also a leader in connecting with viewers on emerging platforms, including the THIRTEEN Explore iPad App where users can stream PBS content for free.

About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,300 locally-owned and -operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television and related online services.

About American Graduate
American Graduate: Let's Make it Happen was launched in 2011 with 25 public media stations in high need communities to spotlight the high school dropout crisis and focus on middle and high school student interventions. Today, more than 80 public radio and television stations in over 30 states have partnered with over 1000 community organizations and schools, as well as Alma and Colin Powell's America's Promise Alliance, Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Education, Alliance for Excellent Education, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Newman's Own Foundation to help the nation achieve a 90% graduation by 2020. With primetime and children's programming that educates, informs, and inspires public radio and television stations — locally owned and operated — are important resources in helping to address critical issues facing today's communities. According to a report from the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University School of Education, American Graduate stations have told the story about the dropout crisis in a way that empowered citizens to get involved, and helped community organizations break down silos to work more effectively together. In early 2014, CPB and PBS KIDS committed an additional $20 million for the "American Graduate PBS KIDS Fund" to also help communities connect the importance of early learning as part of a student's long term success. In addition to station grants for local engagement, the Fund will support the creation of children's content and tools to help parents, particularly those from low income communities, better prepare their young children for long term success. Fourteen American Graduate station grantees have also been awarded CPB early education grants to reach children ages 2-8 with programming and services developed through the Ready to Learn Initiative, a project funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

American Graduate Day Web site: http://americangraduate.org/american-graduate-day-2014

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140926/148680-INFO

SOURCE WNET

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED