For Immediate Release
Monday, April 3, 2017
Press Contacts:
Beth Spezia, WSIU Educational Outreach Coordinator, (618) 453-5595, beth.spezia@wsiu.org
Jennifer Sarver, Education Director, Cedarhurst Center for the Arts,
(618) 242-1236, jennifer@cedarhurst.org
WSIU, Cedarhurst to Host Free PBS KIDS Star Party Family Event on Space Exploration
Event is Sat, April 22, 1-4pm at Cedarhurst, Mt. Vernon IL
Carbondale, Ill. – WSIU Public Broadcasting, the public media arm of Southern Illinois University, and Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, with support from sponsors Southern Illinois Healthcare and the SIU Credit Union, invite area families to PBS KIDS Star Party, a free event focusing on space exploration.
The event will be held, rain or shine, on Saturday, April 22 from 1-4pm at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, 2600 Richview Road in Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Free parking will be available at Cedarhurst and at United Methodist Children’s Home, 2023 E. Richview Road, which is adjacent to Cedarhurst.
Kids and families will enjoy photo opportunities with PBS KIDS walkaround characters Nature Cat, Word Girl, and Jet Propulsion from Ready, Jet, Go!; explore the StarLab Planetarium, courtesy of the Murphysboro School District; enjoy solar demonstrations with Bob Baer and the SIU Physics Department; sing along with Bill Harper, local children’s music leader; and enjoy a variety of art, music, and science activities related to the solar system and the August 2017 Solar Eclipse. Special guest Mat Kaplan of The Planetary Society and host of the national public radio series Planetary Radio, will give a presentation and speak with guests.
Additional details can be found online at wsiu.org/starparty. Watch for updates on WSIU’s Facebook pages at facebook.com/wsiuliteracy and facebook.com/wsiutv.
All families will receive a free book after completing an event survey and will receive WSIU giveaways. Guests are invited to bring their own cameras to take photos.
For more information, contact Beth Spezia at (618) 453-5595, beth.spezia@wsiu.org, or Jennifer Sarver at Cedarhurst at (618) 242-1236, jennifer@cedarhurst.org.
About WSIU Public Broadcasting
WSIU Public Broadcasting is licensed to the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University and is an integral part of the College of Mass Communication & Media Arts on the Carbondale campus. The WSIU stations reach more than three million people across five states and beyond through three digital public television channels, three public radio stations, a radio information service, a website, and an education and community outreach department.
WSIU's mission is to improve the quality of life of the people they serve. The WSIU stations partner with other community organizations to promote positive change and to support the academic and public service missions of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Learn more and get the latest station news online at wsiu.org and on WSIU's Facebook and Twitter pages.
WSIU's programs and services are partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
About Cedarhurst Center for the Arts
Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, located at 2600 Richview Road in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm and Sunday from 1-5pm. For more information about Cedarhurst, visit www.cedarhurst.org or call (618) 242-1236. Cedarhurst Center for the Arts is an activity of the John R. and Eleanor R. Mitchell Foundation.
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