Ninety-four public radio and television stations received grants to help them leverage My Source as a tool to meet their public awareness and engagement goals. Stations were eligible to apply for any or all of three different grants. Visit ncoengage.org to see the list of award recipients.
My Source Highlights: NJN and WBGO-FM
This month we're featuring strong examples from the Garden State. An on-air video spot from New Jersey Public Television & Radio (NJN) is creating great community response. It features a Trenton resident who describes NJN's audio news service as his lifeline to local and world events.
The second example comes from WBGO-FM in Newark and won the top My Source Radio Testimonial Award at PRDMC. In it, a 16-year-old saxophone player describes his life-changing discovery of public radio, "bee-bop, and all things Bird."
The My Source Testimonial Tool will soon be available for public broadcasting stations. The tool will allow public broadcasting stations to directly engage viewers and listeners in a conversation about the power and importance of public broadcasting. Local stations will be able to use the tool to display stories in an online mosaic on their local Web sites and allow users to post comments and share their favorite testimonials with friends and family. Keep an eye on MySourcefor.org or sign up for the My Source newsletter to receive notification when the tool launches.
If you and your station are currently implementing an initiative about environmental issues or are considering it for the future, the Peer-to-peer Dialogue Group on Environment is for you. The group is open to all public broadcasters who want to participate in ongoing discussion about the topic. Discussions happen over the phone and in an online Forum that's created just for the group. The first discussion will be Wednesday, August 27 at 2 p.m. ET.
Sign up at nco@ncoengage.org. In order to keep group size manageable, we will register participants on a first-come, first-served basis.
New Resources: Trends in Community Engagement
Community engagement is a growing trend not only in public broadcasting, but also among non-profits in general and even for-profit companies. NCO Executive Director Maria Alvarez Stroud observed these trends and what they mean for public broadcasters during her remarks to a group of station managers at PRDMC in July. Also, check out resources from a separate breakout session called "Beyond Your Airwaves: Mission-driven Community Engagement."
Community Engagement Discussions at PBS DevCon
NCO will be at the PBS Development Conference October 2-4. We look forward to seeing you to talk about engagement and what's happening at your station. Let us know if you're attending so we can connect. And join us for our breakout session "Increasing your Community Engagement Value: Tools to Accelerate your Impact." The session will help you and your station embrace new ways to engage your community.
Extended: Design Squad's Trash to Treasure Contest
There's still time to participate in the Trash to Treasure Contest from Design Squad. The contest gives youth the opportunity to transform discarded or recycled materials into something functional and a chance to win a $10,000 cash prize. Entries are now being accepted until August 31. Visit NCO's PlanIT! for details.
Make A Difference: Volunteer for the Annual Day of Caring
Here's an idea for some hands-on community work: gather a team of your station co-workers and sign up for your local United Way Day of Caring. There's something for everybody. You can cook a meal for the homeless, lay down tile for a community center or even help restore a prairie like NCO staff members are doing. You'll feel good and your community will experience a different side of you. Find your local United Way at http://www.liveunited.org/
Find the Info You Need at NCO's Online Directory
Did you know that contact information for your public radio and television colleagues is a click away? Just log into ncoengage.org and click on the station directory. A map will appear to facilitate your search. Logging in allows access to names, titles, phone numbers and email addresses -- everything you need to connect with people around the country who are tackling the same challenges as you. You can also update contact information for yourself and for your station. Try it out.
NCO's mission is to increase public broadcasting's ability to serve local communities. We help stations
engage and educate citizens, expand community relationships and stimulate civic participation across multiple service
platforms.
