Gift from Michigan State University Federal Credit Union to support WKAR Family, MSU student experiences. "This is a transformative gift for WKAR," says Susi Elkins.
EAST LANSING, MI; Sept. 14, 2017 – WKAR Public Media was awarded $250,000 from Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) to grow WKAR Family, the PBS affiliate's educational initiative, and to expand experiential learning opportunities for Michigan State University students. The award will be spread over a five year period.
The WKAR Family project encompasses design and creation of children's media content backed by academic research, and a free 24/7 PBS Kids broadcast channel and streaming for Michigan Capital Region families.
“This is a transformative gift for WKAR, allowing us to advance our educational efforts in support of schools, parents, caregivers, and children in our community,” said Susi Elkins, general manager and director of broadcasting for WKAR. "We are grateful to MSUFCU for their commitment to education and their belief in our ability to make a difference with their support.”
As an award-winning producer of original television and radio programming, and a working laboratory within the College of Communication Arts and Sciences (ComArtSci) at Michigan State University, WKAR is uniquely poised to be a leader in the area of children’s media research and content creation.
The MSUFCU funds will enable WKAR to create a director of education position to work closely with ComArtSci and other university faculty specializing in children to develop and facilitate research projects and content creation. The funds will also allow WKAR to continue engaging the local community with its original programming.
This award was part of a larger gift from MSUFCU which helped Michigan State University reach its $1.5 billion Empower Extraordinary campaign goal more than one year ahead of schedule. That announcement was made September 8, 2017, during an MSU Board of Trustees meeting in East Lansing. The campuswide Empower Extraordinary campaign launched in fall 2014 and will continue through Dec. 31, 2018. Read the MSU Today article here.
WKAR’s portion of the Empower Extraordinary campaign is at 85% of the station's $32 million goal, with less than $5 million to raise by the end of 2018. Thanks to the generosity of MSUFCU, WKAR draws closer to the campaign goal and expects to see a tremendous amount of growth and progress over the next five years.
See also
Media Sandbox and WKAR Awarded $500,000 from MSUFCU
MSU's Empower Extraordinary campaign hits $1.5 billion goal early