Detroit Public Television is the widest-reaching media outlet for kids in Southeast Michigan, available to anyone with a television or connected device.  When it became evident that Michigan schools were going to close, DPTV knew they needed to revamp both programming and resources to meet the needs of Michigan children of all ages, as well as their parents.

First, they tapped into the vast PBS programming resources available for kids.  Then they began working with PBS Learning Media, a classroom resource that has been around for quite some time.  By the time schools were shut down, their 6-days-per-week newsletter was providing resources and encouragement to teachers, parents, and students alike. DPTV has also kept in touch with the communities it serves via daily Zoom calls with school districts in Southeast Michigan.

Next, Detroit Public Television revamped its entire program schedule, leveraging their recently created 24x7 kids channel as well as their main channel.  The "kids" channel now serves upper elementary, middle, and high school students from 7am-6pm, airing shows out of the vast PBS library that have been aligned to national educational standards.

It was important for DPTV to keep their entire audience in mind, as some homes have multiple connected devices.  Others, however, may not have internet connectivity at all.

We close with some words of encouragement for parents, who are balancing work, home, and school all at once.

Resources:

Detroit Public Television Website: https://www.dptv.org/

Detroit Public Television Education Page and Newsletter Signup: https://www.dptv.org/education/

Michigan Motors Forward is produced by JAG in Detroit Podcasts in partnership with Tanner Friedman Strategic Communications.

https://jagindetroit.com/

https://tannerfriedman.com/