Media Advisory – Press Conference
For Monday, March 5, 2012
Contact: Molly Delaney, Illinois Public Media - WILL (University of Illinois), (217) 714-0856, delaney1@illinois.edu
Illinois Public Media Stations Launch New Statewide Service for Illinois Teachers
Springfield, Ill. - Reporters, photographers, and camera crews are invited to a press conference to be held on Monday, March 5 at 11am at the Illinois Capitol Building Rotunda, 301 South Second Street in Springfield, Illinois.
Presented by the public broadcasting stations of Illinois, the press conference announces the launch of Illinois PBS LearningMedia, a free, on-demand education resource offering 22,000 digital media resources to help educators transform teaching and learning in Illinois classrooms. The results of a statewide research study to evaluate the effectiveness of the new service among Illinois teachers also will be released.
“Illinois PBS LearningMedia is a high quality tool teachers can use as they personalize lesson plans for classes and individual students,” said Christopher A. Koch, Illinois State Superintendent of Education. “Having the ability to go to one place and search thousands of electronic resources that can be used immediately helps teachers make connections with their digital students.”
Guest speakers at the press conference include Mark Leonard, president of the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council and general manager of Illinois Public Media - WILL at the University of Illinois in Urbana, and Greg Petrowich, chair of the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council Education Committee and executive director of WSIU Public Broadcasting at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.
A question-and-answer session with media will follow the introduction and presentations.
Free parking is available at the Illinois State Visitors' Center located at Pasfield and Edwards Street in Springfield. Paid parking is available in the Springfield municipal parking lot at Fourth and Capitol Streets.
Interview opportunities:
* Mark Leonard, President, Illinois Public Broadcasting Council and General Manager, Illinois Public Media - WILL (University of Illinois), (217) 333-7300, mleonard@illinois.edu
* Greg Petrowich, Chair, Illinois Public Broadcasting Council Education Committee, and Executive Director, WSIU Public Broadcasting (SIU Carbondale), (618) 453-4344, greg.petrowich@wsiu.org
* Molly Delaney, Educational Outreach Director, Illinois Public Media - WILL (University of Illinois), 217-333-7300, delaney1@illinois.edu
* Beth Spezia, Educational Outreach Coordinator, WSIU Public Broadcasting (SIU Carbondale), (618) 453-5595, beth.spezia@wsiu.org
* Linda Miller, Vice President of Programming, WTVP & wtvp.org - Public Media for Central Illinois, (309) 495-0591, linda.miller@wtvp.org
* Ke'an Armstrong, Publicity, Promotion & Outreach Manager, WEIU FM & TV (Charleston), (217-581-7193, ksarmstrong@eiu.edu
* Clarise Kavooras, Assistant Coordinator of Operations, WDCB Public Media (Glen Ellyn), (630) 942-3707, nickols@cod.edu
Details about additional guests available for interview are still being finalized.
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