(1/18/97) Mayors, A&E Television Announce Public Schools Partnership
January 18, 1997
(1/18/97) Mayors, A&E Television Announce Public Schools Partnership
The U.S. Conference of Mayors has established the improvement of public education as a top priority for mayors across the country. As a part of this initiative, the Conference and the A&E Television Network will be offering A&E's BIOGRAPHY program to schools through mayors' offices.
The new USCM/A&E partnership to support public education was announced by A&E's Dr. Libby O'Connell on January 18 during the 1997 Winter Meeting of the Conference of Mayors in Washington. A&E views this as a major public service initiative, O'Connell says, and is committed to working with individual mayors to ensure its success. A&E plans to publicize the partnership through national and local spot announcements.
The A&E cable network has aired BIOGRAPHY since 1987. Currently, the award-winning program is seen six days a week, two times a day, and has become A&E's flagship offering.
The network is developing a special focus on BIOGRAPHY for middle and high school students. It is an interdisciplinary approach to learning for use in civics, language arts, drama, social studies, science, personal development, and even business courses. It lends itself to use as a community outreach program, giving city leaders an opportunity to link with their schools and youth groups.
The program will contain several components. "Working with BIOGRAPHY" will help young people learn how to write a resume or develop job interview skills based on an individual featured in the BIOGRAPHY programming. In "Taking a Stand with Biography," kids are helped with public speaking and debate techniques. "Character and BIOGRAPHY," will help students learn about themselves, the characteristics of successful people and leadership skills.
A&E is planning to use highlights from some of its best BIOGRAPHY programs to produce "Civics and BIOGRAPHY," a video which links teachers, students and civic leaders. It will include the role that city leaders play in students' daily lives. The study guides to be provided to schools will include opportunities for mayors and other local officials to meet with classes, to discuss their roles, and to answer questions students may have. Mayors may also choose to invite classes to city hall for student presentations of public speaking or debate skills.
Through this partnership with A&E, the Conference expects to further its new education mission by providing schools in cities with free educational materials which contain strong civics and local government components. O'Connell announced that the Chair and the Vice Chairs of the mayors' Task Force on Public Schools will work with A&E in a pilot demonstration of the program before it is offered to cities throughout the nation. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino chairs the Task Force. Vice Chairs are Denver Mayor Wellington Webb, Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton and Austin Mayor Bruce Todd.
CONTACT: At A&E, Dr. Libby O'Connell, (212) 210-1402; At the Conference of Mayors, Mike Brown, (202) 861-6708.
The United States Conference of Mayors
J. Thomas Cochran, Executive Director
1620 Eye Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006
Telephone (202) 293-7330, FAX (202) 293-2352
Copyright © 1996, US Conference of Mayors, All rights reserved.
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