WVIA changes afternoon schedule to educational programs for students during school closures
From a press release:
Beginning on Monday, March 23, WVIA will change its afternoon television schedule from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. to air programs that can provide learn-at-home opportunities for students staying at home during school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Each program airing during this block will have curriculum and additional resources that parents and educators can use for students in grades 4-12. Prior to 1 p.m., VIA will continue to air PBS kids programming, which is educationally minded for children pre-kindergarten through grade 3. All resources can be found free of charge at wvia.org. This schedule has been designed to help school districts bridge the digital divide and provide access to learning for all students at home regardless of access to computers or the internet.
Monday’s programming includes the programs “NOVA: Look Who’s Driving” at 1 p.m., which investigates the self-driving car and its impact on society. “Life from Above: Changing Planet” runs at 2 p.m., which views the changing landscape of Earth from space. At 3 p.m., VIA will air “Nature: Yosemite,” which takes a deep look into how climate change is affecting the national park. The upcoming schedule and curriculum for the first week of programming can currently be found at wvia.org, with future weeks’ schedules and resources being posted to the website in the coming days.
“VIA aims to educate and inspire through quality programming and services; we hope that this change can better serve the families and school districts throughout Northeast Pennsylvania and the Central Susquehanna Valley,” said Chris Norton, senior vice president of VIA Public Media.
“We want families to know that they are not alone during this time and that time at home can be spent learning together,” said Kirsten Smith, grants and education officer at VIA Public Media. “From ‘Nature’ and ‘NOVA’ to insightful documentaries, VIA and PBS have hundreds of hours of learning opportunities for students at all grade levels.”
WVIA-TV can be found on over-the-air antenna on channel 44 and on all major network providers in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Central Susquehanna Valley. WVIA carries PBS Kids programming all day on its second channel, 44.2; corresponding educational resources for PBS Kids programming can also be found at wvia.org.
VIA Public Media in Pittston, the PBS and NPR affiliate for Northeastern Pennsylvania, educates, inspires, entertains, and fosters citizenship, diverse cultures, and perspectives to nurture community.
