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As part of a national public broadcasting project American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen ^[2], KERA is focusing on ways to keep kids on the path to graduation. This multiyear initiative to fight the dropout crisis will play out on all of KERA’s platforms, with news stories and community outreach through radio, television, web sites, social media and events.

Below are some of the highlights so far.

VIDEOS

KERA put on two student forums in March, the first steps toward a televised student town hall to be aired later this year on KERA-Channel 13. Here are full videos of the two events, moderated by Krys Boyd, host of the KERA radio call-in show Think:

The March 7 student forum —called Our Schools. Our Voices – was held in KERA’s Community Room in the station’s Dallas offices. Leadership DISD co-sponsored the event as part of Dallas Public Schools Week.

The March 27 forum, co-sponsored with the United Way of Tarrant County and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth, was held at the club’s Martin Safe Haven branch.

KERA NEWS

Reporters Bill Zeeble and Stella Chavez have launched an ambitious five-year project called Class of ’17 ^[3]. Bill and Stella will follow a diverse group of eighth graders from across North Texas all the way through high school graduation – or whatever comes next. Their stories are airing on the radio, 90.1 FM, and a soon-to-be-launched blog, the Class of ’17 Yearbook. So far, listeners and readers have met two of the students:

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Jerry Harris, of Coppell Middle School East. His parents split, and he’s dealing with a learning disability – but he’s succeeding, in part, because of a love of basketball. Meet The Class Of ’17: He Shoots, He Scores ^[5]

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Riki Rijos Jr., of ForestwoodMiddle School in Flower Mound. His dad, Riki Sr., dropped out of college, but has built a strong career. Meet The Class of ’17: A Son Learns Dad’s Lessons ^[7]

• Meet the Class of '17: A Son Learns Dad's Lessons ^[7]
• Meet The Class Of '17: He Shoots, He Scores ^[5]

KERA RADIO

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Think host Krys Boyd is focusing on education issues as part of the American Graduate project. Here are a few recent examples:

Childs Play and Education

Download ^[9]

Peter Gray, author of “Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life” (Basic Books, 2013).

A Year Inside One of America’s Failing Public Schools

Download ^[10]

Ron Berler, author of “Raising the Curve: A Year Inside One of America’s 45,000* Failing Public Schools” (Berkley Hardcover, 2013).

Educating Dallas Students

Download ^[11]

Krys Boyd interviews Mike Miles, Superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District

Arts In Education

Download ^[12]

Krys Boyd interviews Steve Seidel, Ph.D, director of the Arts in Education program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education & former director of HarvardUniversity’s Project Zero and Gigi Antoni, President and CEO of Big Thought, a locally-based organization committed to creative learning in schools.

OTHER RADIO SPECIALS

American RadioWorks: Early Lessons

Download ^[13]

American RadioWorks: Rising By Degrees

Download ^[14]

KERA TV

Texas public TV stations have joined together in a project called Texas Graduate, aimed at helping students pass the GED. KERA and other stations are airing a 39-part series called GED Connection ^[15]. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn taped a message supporting the project:

Other recent TV programs under the American Graduate initiative:

Independent Lens: Whatever It Takes

Game Changers: Preparing Math & Science Teachers for the 21st Century ^[16]

180 Days: A Year Inside An American High School

Watch 180 Days : A Year Inside an American High School Episode 1 ^[17] on PBS. See more from 180 Days. ^[18]

Tavis Smiley Reports: Education Under Arrest

Watch Tavis Smiley Reports: “Education Under Arrest” ^[19] on PBS. See more from Tavis Smiley. ^[20]

Drop Out Nation

Watch Dropout Nation ^[21] on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE. ^[22]