THREE NEW “COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS” COMPLETE

2012 PBS SOCAL ROSTER OF THOSE WHO MAKE EXTRAORDINARY LOCAL IMPACT

COSTA MESA, Calif. (Nov. 6, 2012) – PBS SoCaL, the primary PBS television station for the greater Los Angeles area, is proud to pay tribute to deserving “Community Champions” in the final quarter of 2012 through a campaign that is an integral piece of the station’s American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen public media awareness and engagement initiative.

PBS SoCaL’s “Community Champions” project gives the station the opportunity to recognize individuals and/or organizations, both on the air and online, that make an extraordinary impact on the lives of others through their everyday efforts within our diverse Southern California communities.  The project is a way to bring to the forefront the extraordinary impact of ordinary people who care to give of themselves, their talents, their knowledge and passion to impact the world.

Each month, PBS SoCaL acknowledges the contributions of these “Community Champions” with the production of two-minute segments and a 30-second promotional highlight spot. These are broadcast each month on both PBS SoCaL and the OC Channel, and are made available on demand on the station’s website at http://www.pbssocal.org

In October, PBS SoCaL honored Centro Latino for Literacy an organization dedicated to addressing the pressing need for basic literacy instruction among the Los Angeles Latino community.  Centro Latino for Literacy sets out to bridge this chasm by teaching non-literate adult Spanish speakers how to read and write in Spanish. This approach helps build the foundational reading and writing skills – and the confidence – to learn English and pursue other educational and personal goals. More information about Centro Latino for Literacy is available online at the following link.

In November, PBS SoCaL’s honoree is School on Wheels a non-profit organization founded in 1993 by Agnes Stevens dedicated to tutoring homeless children. Hundreds of volunteers work one-on-one with children whose homelessness prevents them from getting the academic stability and help they desperately need. The mission of School on Wheels is to enhance educational opportunities for homeless children from kindergarten through twelfth grade. More information can be found at: http://www.schoolonwheels.org

In December, PBS SoCaL recognizes YMCA of Greater Long Beach Youth Institute a year-round program that uses technology as an integral mechanism for promoting positive youth development and developing pathways to post-secondary education and career readiness of low-income, culturally diverse urban high school youth.

The following list is a summary of the PBS SoCaL “Community Champions” to date in 2012:

• January - Rueben Martinez, Orange County, local businessman and philanthropist
• February - Maynard Brown, Los Angeles County, Crenshaw High School teacher
• March - Women’s Leadership Council, Inland Empire, resource of Arrowhead United Way
• April - Heal the Bay, Los Angeles County, The Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
• June – Junior Achievement, Los Angeles County, non-profit organization
• July – Vital Link, Orange County, job development program
• August – Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles County, cultural education center
• October – Centro Latino for Literacy, Los Angeles County, literacy program
• November – School on Wheels, Los Angeles County, mentor and volunteer program
• December – YMCA of Greater Long Beach Youth Institute, Long Beach, youth program

The 2012 Honorees will be given special recognition at the 2013 PBS SoCaL Gala.

PBS SoCaL is currently pursuing corporate sponsorship for this “Community Champions” project. Sponsorship opportunities also are available in association with a 30-minute “Community Champions” program being planned that will highlight all 12 honorees and air repeatedly during 2013.

For more information about the PBS SoCaL “Community Champions” project and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Pat Petric, Director of Broadcasting (ppetric@pbssocal.org, 714/241-4126) or Jamie Annunzio Myers, Director of Education (jmyers@pbssocal.org, 714-241-4107)

Media Contacts:
SWPR Group
Bonnie Winings / Barry Smith
(818) 760-7131
bwinings@swprgroup.com / bsmith@swprgroup.com

About PBS SoCaL

PBS SoCaL, formerly KOCE-TV, is Southern California’s PBS station dedicated to interactively educating, entertaining, and enlightening the greater Los Angeles area. With its three unique broadcast channels. PBS SoCaL HD, PBS OC, and WORLD TV, PBS SoCaL provides award-winning programs like Frontline, NewsHour, NOVA, Nature, and Masterpiece, as well as local productions Real Orange, SoCaL Insider With Rick Reiff, and Bookmark With Maria Hall-Brown. Through community outreach initiatives including PBS SoCaL Education, PBS SoCaL provides local schools access to new media materials that engage students in 21st century learning. Explore the future of PBS in Southern California at www.pbssocal.org.