KNPB NEWS RELEASE
KNPB Channel 5 kicks off the annual PBS KIDS Writers Contest this Saturday, Jan. 25, at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Reno. Beginning at 11:30 a.m., the event features information about the contest, story-writing workshops and activities for kids enrolled in kindergarten through third grade. Clifford the Big Red Dog also makes an appearance to help children understand the importance of books and writing stories.
The PBS KIDS Writers Contest, accepting submissions through Mar. 28, is designed to encourage and advance children’s literacy skills through hands-on, active learning. The annual contest invites children from kindergarten through third grade to submit a story for a chance at having his or her work published. Local winners are entered into the national contest where a panel of esteemed judges rank the top 12 entries. National winners are announced during the summer of 2014, and the winning stories are featured on pbskids.org/writerscontest. National winners receive prizes courtesy of LeapFrog®, makers of the LeapReader® Reading & Writing System.
“KNPB is committed to providing fun opportunities for the northern Nevada and northeastern California area, so kids can express their creativity,” said KNPB Manager of Education Services Cheryl Olson. “The PBS KIDS Writers Contest helps children build valuable literacy skills for success in school and life.”
For those seeking story-writing assistance, PBS LearningMedia features a robust set of resources for children, parents and teachers including story ideas, activity sheets and past winning entries. It also offers a collection of online teacher resources for use in classrooms nationwide.
Local winners are selected by KNPB in late April 2014. Awards include an on-air recording of the winning student, publication of the submitted work and recognition at KNPB events in the spring of 2014.
To enter the contest, and for more information on entry rules and contest resources, visit www.knpb.org/WritersContest or follow KNPB on Twitter and Facebook.
The PBS KIDS Writers Contest is produced by PBS and based on the Reading Rainbow® Young Writers and Illustrators Contest, a concept developed by WNED-TV, Buffalo. The Contest is sponsored in part by United Federal Credit Union, Reno Gazette-Journal, Dolan Auto Group, IGT, The Abbi Agency, Reno News and Review, Great Basin Federal Credit Union, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Umpqua Bank, City National Bank, Mountain America Credit Union, Sage Financial Advisors and Western Nevada Supply and with support from Lafrance Family Foundation, Marie Crowley Foundation, Abraham & Sonia Rochlin Foundation, Leonette Foundation, Jack Van Sickle Foundation and Nell J. Redfield Foundation with national promotional support from Highlights for Children®
About KNPB
KNPB Public Broadcasting is seen by 140,000 people weekly in northern Nevada and northeastern California. KNPB provides three digital broadcast television channels on channel 5.1, KNPB Create on channel 5.2 and KNPB Vme on channel 5.3. KNPB channels are also available on cable and satellite services. KNPB provides PBS national programming and award-winning, locally-produced KNPB programming in standard and high definition. KNPB.org provides engaging interactive content, including the KNPB video portal at watch.knpb.org that streams all locally-produced KNPB content and most PBS national content. KNPB serves students, teachers, parents and caregivers through immersive educational services from KNPB Campus that bring classroom lessons to life. Through the support of local corporations and foundations, as well as individual members, KNPB has been delivering public television and educational services to the communities it serves since 1983.
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online, mobile and community-based programs. Kidscreen- and Webby-award winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including the PBS KIDS video player, now offering free streaming video accessible on computer- and mobile-device-based browsers. For more information on specific PBS KIDS content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.
About WNED
Through WNED-TV, ThinkBright and Well/WORLD TV, WBFO-FM 88.7 and Classical 94.5 WNED, member-supported WNED Buffalo/Toronto provides high quality programming and services to local, regional and national audiences that enlighten, inspire, entertain and educate Western New York and Southern Ontario communities. Additional information about WNED can be found at wned.org.
About LeapFrog
LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. is the leader in educational entertainment for children. For nearly 20 years, LeapFrog has created award-winning learning solutions that combine educational expertise, innovative technology and a child’s love for fun. With experiences that are personalized to each child’s level, LeapFrog helps children achieve their potential through LeapFrog’s proprietary learning tablets, learn to read and write systems, interactive learning toys and more, all designed or approved by LeapFrog’s full-time in-house team of learning experts. LeapFrog’s Learning Path, the ultimate guide for parents on early childhood, is designed specifically to help support and guide their child’s learning with personalized ideas and feedback, fun activities and expert advice. LeapFrog is based in Emeryville, California, and was founded in 1995 by a father who revolutionized technology-based learning solutions to help his child learn how to read. Learn more at www.leapfrog.com.
About Highlights for Children, Inc.
Devoted to “Fun with a Purpose,” family media brand Highlights for Children, Inc. (Highlights.com) has helped children become their best selves for generations. Highlights magazines are the best-read children’s magazines in North America, and total more than 250 million impressions each year. In addition to the flagship magazine, Highlights’ other offerings include a preschool magazine (High Five), an infant and toddler magazine (Hello), a children’s book company (Boyds Mills Press), puzzle book clubs and a variety of digital products. Highlights can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and at its blog, Highlights Aha!
