Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced it will present the CPB Thought Leader Award to Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education http://www.all4ed.org/ and former governor of West Virginia.
“Governor Wise and the Alliance for Excellent Education are champions for public media’s American Graduate initiative and the educational services that public broadcasting stations provide to their communities. His lifelong commitment to the education of American youth is making a difference, helping more students to graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and in their careers,” said Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The CPB Thought Leader Award is given to American leaders who affirm the essential services that public media provides to citizens in areas of education, journalism, and the arts. The CPB Thought Leader Award will be presented on February 25 at the 2013 Association of Public Television Stations (APTS) Public Media Summit in Washington, D.C., by Sharon Rockefeller, president and CEO of public television station WETA, and wife of West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller.
Following the award presentation, Governor Wise and Wes Moore, New York Times bestselling author and youth advocate, will speak to public media station managers about the importance of the American Graduate initiative and the need for public media stations to collaborate with their communities to focus on education. Wes Moore, who is host of the Beyond Belief show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, is founder of STAND!, an organization that works with Baltimore youth caught up in the criminal justice system. Mr. Moore is also host of an upcoming, three-hour, public media primetime series, Coming Back, which will feature the personal stories of nine Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who are rebuilding their lives.
About Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting www.cpb.org, a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operation of more than 1,300 locally owned and locally operated public television and radio stations in communities nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television and related online services.
About American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen
American Graduate: Let’s Make it Happen www.americangraduate.org is helping local communities identify and implement solutions to the high school dropout crisis. American Graduate demonstrates public media’s commitment to education and its deep roots in every community it serves. Beyond providing programming that educates, informs, and inspires, public radio and television stations – locally owned and operated – are an important resource in helping to address critical issues, such as the dropout rate. In addition to national programming, more than 75 public radio and television stations have launched on-the-ground efforts working with community and at-risk youth to keep students on-track to high school graduation. More than 800 partnerships have been formed locally through American Graduate, and CPB is working with Alma and Colin Powell’s America’s Promise Alliance and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
About Governor Bob Wise
Throughout his career in public service, Governor Wise has made a significant impact on education and creating educational opportunities for youth. Under his leadership, the Alliance for Excellent Education continues to build its reputation as a respected authority on high school policy by advocating for reform in America’s secondary education system and working to ensure that all students graduate from high school prepared to be contributing members of society through higher education, a career, or military service. As governor of West Virginia from 2001 to 2005, Wise fought for and signed legislation to fund the PROMISE Scholarship program, which has helped thousands of West Virginia high school graduates continue their education. He also established a character education curriculum in all state schools and created the Governor’s Helpline for Safer Schools. During his administration, West Virginia saw a significant increase in the number of students completing high school and entering college. Governor Wise has advised the U.S. Department of Education, White House Transition Team, and frequently testifies before the U.S. Congress and serves on a number of boards and steering committees, including as chair of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
