Monday, November 14, 2011

Women & Girls Lead

WGVU Engage is very excited to be partnering with ITVS and the Women and Girls Lead national committee to focus on educating and connecting women, girls and their allies to address the challenges of this century. The first of many upcoming events focused on this is on Wednesday, November 16th where we will view a recap screening of the program Women, War & Peace which will be followed by a panel discussion starting at 7pm. The event will take place in the Loosemore Auditorium on GVSU's Pew Campus. To learn more about this initiative you can visit wgvu.org/wgl or find us on facebook!

Growing Hope Against Hunger

The Engage Committee has decided on a variety of topics to focus on and one very important one that affects more people than we can imagine is children's hunger. Tomorrow night starting at 7 be sure to join us at Celebration Cinema North for a screening and panel discussion about Children's Food Insecurities in West Michigan. This is going to be a great event bringing people together who are affected by hunger and those who are looking to help. The WGVU van will be on site all day to collect items for Kids' Food Basket. Some much needed items include:

-Peanut Butter
-Fruit/pudding cups
-100% fruit juice boxes
-Cracker packs
-Sandwich bags

We hope to see you there!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Food, Wine, and All That Jazz


If you enjoy good food and good drinks, please consider joining us for this fabulous event coming up on October 28th! WGVU and D&W Fresh Market will be filling the Grand Rapids Public Museum with over 300 different wines and beers to sample, as well as an assortment of gourmet food. You will want to come hungry as "samples" doesn't really do the food assortment justice. This event really, truly is one of a kind. My husband and I attended last year for the first time and were beyond impressed. We consider ourselves "foodies" and I have been called a "wino" more than once in my life and we couldn't have asked for a better selection of food and wines to sample. Along with the huge variety, everyone working the event was very knowledgeable about the products they were serving and were overly accommodating to my food sensitivities. I've attended many events similar in nature and this was by far the most enjoyable. . . and since I first attended the event prior to being involved with WGVU I would say that's NOT a biased opinion :)

The event will feature live music by The Steve Hilger Jazz Quintet and runs from 7:30-10pm on Friday the 28th. Tickets are $60 and you must be 21 years of age with a valid photo ID. I should also point out that your ticket is all inclusive. Once you are in the event, you do NOT need to pay any extra or purchase tickets to sample. Tickets are available at all D&W Fresh Market stores or through WGVU at 1-800-442-2771. Hope to see you there. . .I promise you will not be disappointed!

Monday, October 10, 2011

What has the Engage Committee been up to?

Alright, so we may have gotten a little ahead of ourselves on Friday. Friday wasn't actually the "official" Fall Arts kick-off but we were just so excited about the upcoming programs that we posted a week too soon! The OFFICIAL kick-off is THIS Friday at 9pm. You can find a list of all the upcoming programs here: Fall Arts Festival!

So another exciting announcement, WGVU Public Broadcasting has been awarded a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as part of its nationwide American Graduate Program. This project will provide resources for WGVU and the Engage Committee to raise awareness about the high school dropout rate in our area. This is a crisis nationwide and often we don't realize that those affected are in our neighborhoods too. Not only will WGVU have on-air programming addressing the issue but the Engage Committee is actively working on various events to bring light to this issue in our area and to address way to we can start to solve the problem. Stay tuned for event announcements and as always, if you are interested in being a part of these events please let us know!

In addition, the WGVU Engage Committee has made a commitment to tackling childhood hunger and we have a slew of events and programs coming up that address this issue. In partnership with the Sesame Street Workshop WGVU currently has packets available on:


Food for Thought Initiative - Eating Well on a Budget
A bilingual, multi-media program designed to help support families with children between the ages of 2 and 8, who are coping with uncertain or limited access to affordable and nutritious food

"A" is for Asthma - and for Active!
Geared toward children and adults, showing children what to do when they have trouble breathing, and explaining to adults what they can do to help
Materials encourage parents/caregivers to work with the child and their doctor in ensuring that the child maintains an active lifestyle Project conveys messages through a Sesame Street video story

Healthy Habit for Life - Helping Children Develop Healthy Habits Through Fun and Play
Offering simple strategies to help parents/caregivers instill healthy behaviors in children.

We will also have various events addressing this issue as well and a list of resources available for those seeking assistance and those wanting to help.

Be sure to keep up with the blog or find us on facebook to be the first know what events will be taking place and when!

One event you can mark on your calendar NOW is Veterans Day. Please plan to join us for the annual Veteran's Day parade in downtown Grand Rapids. LZ Michigan is proud to promote the event and we would love to see the community come together to support our local veterans.

You should also set aside October 28th for our Food, Wine, and All That Jazz event at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

Whew! That's not even everything the Engage Committee is working on but at least your some-what up to date on what's going on! If there is anything you are interested in helping with or want to volunteer for please let us know. We are always looking for volunteers and would love to introduce you the WGVU family!

Friday, October 7, 2011

PBS Fall Arts Festival Starts Tonight!

Be sure to tune in tonight at 9 for the kick off of the PBS Fall Arts Festival! Tonight's feature is "Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2011". Every Friday at 9pm through December, PBS will be showing a performance ranging anywhere from women rock-and-rollers to banjo pickers. The programs will include full length performances with behind the scenes interviews, profiles of the artists, and short documentaries. Check out tonight's show and let us know what you think! And while you are in the artsy mood, don't forget about all the amazing art that is right here in our own backyard. This is the last weekend for ArtPrize and the weather couldn't be more perfect for a stroll through downtown Grand Rapids!

Stay tuned for another post this weekend with an update on what our committee is working on and some more information about the PBS Fall Arts Festival! And in the mean time. . .you've got 15 minutes to grab some popcorn and claim your spot on the couch!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Have fun this fall with WGVU!

It may have been a while since our last post but don't worry we didn't forget about you out there in the blog-o-sphere! Now that the kids are back to school and we are settling into our fall routines it's time to give you an update on what we've been working on as a committee and what great events we are looking forward to!

Nothing says fall quite like football and we've got a fun evening coming up this weekend for the whole family.



Also rounding out this month are a few opportunities to attend a free preview screening of Ken Burns' Prohibition. "Discover the true story of America’s “Great Experiment.” Go beyond the oft-told tales of gangsters, rum-runners, flappers and speakeasies to experience the rise, rule and fall of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s PROHIBITION. "  There was a very interesting article in the Grand Rapids Press about Prohibition that I highly recommend checking out. Who knew my favorite bar played a role in such an iconic time in our country's history! The article can be read at http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/09/grand_rapid_embraced_both_side.html
The times and places of the preview screenings are:
• Thursday, Sept 22, Celebration Cinema North, East Beltline Avenue NW
• Tuesday, Sept. 27, Celebration Cinema Crossroads in Portage.
• Thursday, Sept. 29, at Celebration Cinema Carousel in Muskegon.
You can reserve your tickets at http://wgvu.org/prohibition/

ArtPrize

Finally, we are excited to announce that WGVU is a media partner with the Arts Council of Grand Rapids, Civic Theatre, and GRAM for Art Prize. We are not only excited, but honored to be a part of this one of a kind event that has made Grand Rapids a destination for artists around the world. You can't drive through town without spotting a unique piece of art somewhere but we encourage everyone to take some time and become involved with the event. ArtPrize is a wonderful opportunity to introduce children to the wide world of art and to participate in conversations about art and the beauty of it all. PBS Arts Fall Festival will be starting up right as ArtPrize is winding down so be sure to stay tuned for some more information on that!

Now you will have to allow us to brag for a moment on behalf of one of our Engage Committee members who has an entry in the competition. Abigail Bradley had a piece entitled "A Flower With No Name" located at the Devos Place. If you have a chance, be sure to check her piece out and let us know what you think!

Now that you are up to speed with what we've been doing, we would love to hear from YOU! Leave us a comment or find us on facebook and let us know what ways you've been involved with your community and what you would like to see us do next. There is a lot we are working on right now but are always looking for input from the community we serve!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Kid's Day Pictures and PBS LearningMedia



We all had a blast at Kids Day at the Zoo and we hope you did too!! Between getting their faces painted, spending time with the Cat in the Hat, and exploring the wonderful exhibits John Ball Zoo has to offer we're sure your kiddos were in bed nice and early that night :) You can see pictures from the day here:


(Pictures can be downloaded right to your computer so be sure to save a copy of the ones you love!)


So what else have we been working on you ask?? Well, we've got a pretty exciting new website to share with you. We all know how beneficial PBS programming is for children and adults alike. You always come away knowing more than you did when the program began and now we are bringing over 14,000 high-quality resources straight to YOU for free! PBS LearningMedia is a dynamic platform offering the best of public media content produced and intended for use in the classroom. Through http://wgvu.pbslearningmedia.org/ teachers can download, save, and share exactly what they need for a dynamic and interactive classroom experience. And don't feel like you have to be a teacher to sign up! PBS LearningMedia is available for anyone who wants to LEARN and can be a great source for working with children at home. Give the website a try and let us know what you think!!

While WGVU Engage is always excited to bring you family friendly events and learning experiences, we are working on a number of more adult oriented projects as well. Currently our focus areas include Diversity, Education, Veterans, Children's Health, and the Arts. You can check out our webpage at http://www.wgvu.org/engage to see a list of what we are working on and, as always, check back here for more details, updates, and pictures!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Your Source for Family Fun!

Welcome to our new WGVU Engage blog; your source for finding out what we are doing in the community and how you can get involved! We will keep you updated on everything the Engage Committee is working on, including a new arts initiative coming this fall, and any upcoming events, like WGVU Kids Day at the Zoo. We will share photos and stories after events and are always looking for new ideas or suggestions for what YOU want to see and do. Our community is what we make of it, and we hope WGVU can become your source for some great family fun!

So now that we are thinking family fun, lets jump right into it with a wonderful event we have coming up that your children are not going to want to miss! WGVU Kids Day at the Zoo presented by Meijer is the perfect opportunity to not only explore John Ball Zoo, but to view performances from members of the Arts Council, meet The Cat in the Hat, and tons more for ONLY A DOLLAR! It’s not often you get to entertain the whole family, for a whole day, for only a dollar per person. All this fun will take place on August 5th from 9am-5pm. Tickets can be purchased at WGVU, the West Michigan Whitecaps Box Office, and participating Meijer and Wendy’s locations.

Be sure to check back for pictures after the event, and news on what’s up next! In the meantime, enjoy some photos from our recent Oldies at the Ballpark Concert featuring Peter Rivera. The day was complete with great music, a Classic Car Show, and 293 beach balls! Your's truly even got to judge a hula hoop contest and vacuuming contest; certainly not something I get to do every day! Photos can be seen here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wgvu/sets/72157626934650717/



Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Welcome to the WGVU Engage Blog!

As an ongoing service to the community, WGVU Engage has now set up an easy way for the general public to know what the WGVU Engage Committee is involved with throughout West and Southwest Michigan.  WGVU proves once again that it is not just a public television and radio station, but a vital and integral part of our community.