PBS to Present "Spotlight Education," A Special Week of Programming Featuring Reports About America's Students and New Models of Learning, September 12-17

FRONTLINE, POV, NOVA, TED TALKS, AMERICAN GRADUATE DAY Among the Featured Programs, with Special Reports from PBS NEWSHOUR and PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND; Funded by CPB as Part of American Graduate

Week Will Kick Off "Teach Boldly" Year-long Teacher Support Program

BEVERLY HILLS, CA; July 28, 2016 - As a leader in educational media for children and students and a key partner with parents and educators across America, PBS today announced SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION, a special week of primetime programming examining the challenges facing today's students and America's education system.

SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION features eleven films and documentaries on local PBS stations September 12-17 (check local listings) and includes special episodes of NOVA, FRONTLINE and PBS NEWSHOUR, a new film from POV, the premiere of TED TALKS, "The Education Revolution," and concludes with the 5th annual AMERICAN GRADUATE DAY, a special broadcast celebrating individuals and non-profit organizations dedicated to helping youth stay on track to high school graduation.

SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION also kicks-off of a year-long teacher support campaign - "Teach Boldly" - led by PBS and local member stations across the country. The "Teach Boldly" teacher support initiative will include a series of virtual and community training events and the launch of the new PBS Teachers' Lounge, a creative digital space where teachers can share ideas, learn from peers, find daily inspiration and access the tools and resources they need to enhance their work in the classroom.

Major funding for SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) as part of American Graduate: Let's Make it Happen, a long-term public media initiative to help all students graduate from high school ready for college and careers.

"SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION highlights public media's focus on education and our role in convening conversations around how to improve outcomes for students," said Paula Kerger, President and CEO, PBS. "With special on-air programming and resources to support teachers, PBS and our local stations are committed to supporting education - at home, in the classroom and in communities."

"Public media is committed to providing Americans of all ages with educational content for free and commercial free." said Pat Harrison, President and CEO, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. "Our Spotlight Education week affirms the importance of local stations working in partnership with more than 1,700 community and business organizations through the American Graduate Initiative to help young people move toward graduation and career success."

Short-form and full episodes from the week, interactive content modules and a social hub for SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION will be available on PBS.org and Americangraduate.org. In addition, previews, clips and full episodes will be available on the PBS apps for iOS and Android devices and via station-branded digital platforms. For updates on the programming, follow #SpotlightEduPBS and #amgrad on Twitter.

The full primetime SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION line-up follows below (check local listings):

Monday, September 12:

10:00 p.m. ET - POV "All The Difference"

Trace the paths of two teens from the South Side of Chicago who dream of graduating from college. Statistics predict that Robert and Krishaun will drop out of high school, but they have other plans. The intimate film follows the young men through five years of hard work, sacrifice, setbacks and uncertainty. As they discover, support from family, teachers and mentors makes all the difference in defying the odds.

Tuesday, September 13:

9:00 p.m. ET - FRONTLINE "A Subprime Education"/ "The Education of Omarina"

In a one-hour special, FRONTLINE presents two films that build on its education reporting. "A Subprime Education," a fresh look at the troubled for-profit college industry, examines reports of predatory behavior and fraud and the implosion of the education chain, Corinthian Colleges; and "The Education of Omarina" shows how an innovative program to stem the high school dropout crisis has affected one girl's journey, from a public middle school in the Bronx to an elite New England private school, and now on to college.

10:00 p.m. ET - TED TALKS "Education Revolution"

Explore innovative approaches to education with hosts Baratunde Thurston and Sara Ramirez. Speakers, including Anna Deavere Smith and Sal Khan, discuss the school-to-prison pipeline, the impact of micromanaging kids and transforming struggling students into scholars.

Wednesday, September 14:

9:00 p.m. ET - NOVA "School of the Future"

In a new age of information, rapid innovation and globalization, how can we prepare our children to compete? Discover how the new science of learning can help us reimagine the future of education for all children.

Thursday, September 15:

8:00 p.m. ET - CRAFT IN AMERICA "Teachers"

Follow artists committed to passing on their skills and passion for craft to new generations. Featured are Barbara Teller Ornelas, Lynda Teller Pete, Therman Statom, Mark Mitsuda at Punahou School and Linda Sikora at Alfred University.

9:00 p.m. ET - TIME FOR SCHOOL

This documentary introduces viewers to five children from five different countries, all struggling to get what all Americans take for granted: a basic education. Combining current-day footage, at the time of their hoped-for high school graduation, with a wealth of material shot over more than a decade, starting in 2003 when they were just entering their first year of school, the film reveals who has made it through, despite daunting obstacles.

Saturday, September 17:

2:00 p.m. ET - AMERICAN GRADUATE DAY

Many PBS stations will extend SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION by airing the fifth annual American Graduate Day live from Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center in New York City. American Graduate Day is a live, four-hour multiplatform broadcast, presented by WNET, that leverages the power and reach of public media to focus on those organizations and individual champions keeping kids on the path to graduation.

Check Local Listings - PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND

A special edition of the show with Hari Sreenivasan from Nine Network in St. Louis focuses on the various ways schools and teachers are trying to improve student performance and engagement.

Across the Week:

During this special week of programming, PBS NEWSHOUR will broadcast original stories focused on the state of education. The annual "Rethinking College" series takes a critical look at how higher education is evolving to provide a better post-secondary learning experience, especially for people in underserved communities with underrepresented populations. The segments range from a closer look at the low college graduation rates among Latino males on campus and possible solutions, to second-chance Pell grants for prisoners and how coding boot camps are challenging the traditional college degree model.

Additional shows airing during the week include the following (check local listings):

CLASS OF '27: AMERICA REFRAMED

A thought-provoking documentary about how families, educators and leaders in diverse rural communities are working to get their youngest children on track toward graduating from high school in 2027. Presented in partnership with the WORLD Channel.

THE ADDRESS

This 90-minute documentary by Ken Burns tells the story of a tiny school in Putney, Vermont, the Greenwood School, where each year the students are encouraged to practice, memorize and recite the Gettysburg Address. In its exploration of the Greenwood School, the film also unlocks the history, context and importance of President Lincoln's most powerful address.

NAVAJO MATH CIRCLES

It's a meeting of two worlds, where some of the country's most accomplished mathematicians and math educators work with children and teachers in the underserved, largely rural Navajo educational system.

Funding for SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) as part of American Graduate: Let's Make It Happen, public media's long-term commitment to supporting community-based solutions to help young people succeed in school and life. More than 100 public television and radio stations have joined forces with over 1,700 partners across 49 states to elevate the stories of youth and the supportive adults who help them succeed. Through American Graduate, public media, with its unique position as a trusted resource and important part of local communities, provides a critical platform to shine a light on pathways to graduation and successful student outcomes. National and local reporting, both on air and online is helping communities understand the challenges and community-driven solutions associated with the dropout crisis. Public forums, town halls, and community conversations are activating discussions between community leaders, educators, parents and more.

ABOUT PBS

PBS, with 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 100 million people through television and nearly 33 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS' broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry's most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS' premier children's TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents' and teachers' most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices.

About the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

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