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HEC-TV Magazine
June 2018
HEC-TV PROGRAMMING COLLABORATORS
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ARTS/CULURAL St. Louis Arts Experience Bach Society of St. Louis Center of Creative Arts (COCA) Commission for Access and Local Original Programming (CALOP) Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Focus St. Louis Holocaust Museum and Learning Center International Institute of St. Louis Jazz St. Louis Missouri Botanical Garden Missouri Department of Conservation Missouri History Museum Missouri Humanities Council Museum of Transportation National Endowment for the Arts National Blues Museum Opera Theatre Saint Louis Regional Arts Commission Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) Saint Louis County Parks and Recreation Saint Louis Science Center Saint Louis Symphony Saint Louis Zoo The Sheldon Art Galleries and Concert Hall CIVIC Cortex Innovation Community Missouri Bar Association St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission St. Louis Economic Development Partnership St. Louis Regional Chamber EDUCATION Archdiocese of St. Louis 22 Area Universities and Colleges Education Plus 62 Elementary/Secondary School Districts in Metropolitan St. Louis
HEC-TV leadership Alan Winkleman, President Ann Terry Johnson, Secretary Wayne Goode, Treasurer James L. McHugh Sr., J.D., Member Craig Larson, Member
HEC-TV team Dennis Riggs, President Boyd Pickup, Director of Operations Jayne Ballew, Director of Programming Christina Chastain, Marketing & Strategic Partnerships Manager Amanda Honigfort, Special Projects & Programs Producer Kristy Houle, Educational Opportunities Coordinator Tim Gore, Director of Educational Initiatives
STL GUIDE TO SUMMER
2018
Feat. st. louis’ guide to summer 8/9
It’s summertime in St. Louis — that means performances, festivals, art exhibits, and more are at every corner for your enjoyment! HEC has the run-down of where to go and what to do to stay cool this summer!
Magazine Design by Christina Chastain
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June 2018
12/13 OPEN MIC W/ the director of “An American Home” tom desch
14/15 EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT By: Kristy Houle Educational Opportunities Coordinator
If you are currently using the features on the Educate.Today website, then you already know how vital it can be to your child’s education and academic growth. If you haven’t had a chance to visit us yet, let’s explore some of the exciting programs and resources that are waiting for you as you plan your schedule this summer!
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WHO TO WATCH
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SCHEDULE
St. Louis Spotlight
Keep up with everything happening in St. Louis, from concerts, to art exhibits - we cover everything!
June is full of exciting, entertaining, and educational new programming to welcome summer in St. Louis!
Solomon was named the Missouri Arts Council’s 2018 Individual Artist honoree.
Whether at the Missouri Botanical Garden a casual stroll or a special event, it’s sure to be a beautiful experience!
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St. Louis’ can’t miss events & celebrations
Go to www.hectv.org/events for a full listing of st. louis events and sign up for our newsletter to get a weekly update of event reminders.
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June
Romeo & Juliet Shakespeare Festival’s most anticipated event of the year is Romeo & Juliet. www.sfstl.com
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I Do! I Do! I Do! I Do! returns to steal your heart with a poignant and all-too-true story. www.stagesstlouis.org
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RFT Showcase This year’s ShowcaseSTL will be the largest lineup yet, with 100+ acts. www.rftshowcase.com
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PrideFest Each year, hundreds of thousands of people come to PrideFest and Parade. www.pridefe.st
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Jared Brock Left Bank Books welcomes film producer, director and author Jared Brock. www.left-bank.com
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Macbeth National Live Theater prenents Macbeth at the Tivoli Theater in the Loop. ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk
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Sunken Cities Three huge statues and more than 200 ceremonial and commercial artifacts. www.slam.org
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Jackson Brown Jackson Browne has written and performed some of the most moving songs. peabodyoperahouse.com
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The Wee Heavies A cappella Scottish, Irish, & American folk band who combines tradition & innovation. www.thesheldon.org
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Edo Rosenblith Edo Rosenblith will guide COCA visitors of all ages in creating a site-specific mural. www.cocastl.org
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Center Stage Opera stars from across the country take the spotlight in an unforgettable concert. www.opera-stl.org
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Golf the Galleries Tee off at the Sheldon Art Galleries this summer with this interactive exhibit. www.thesheldon.org
WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
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Food Truck Fest Follow the caravan of various mobile menus to Laumeier Sculpture Park. laumeiersculpturepark.org
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Lamar Harris Whitaker Music Festival presents free Wednesday evening concerts every summer. missouribotanicalgarden.org
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La Traviata Embrace the romance of this Verdi masterpiece at Opera Theatre Saint Louis. www.opera-stl.org
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David Byrne David Byrne, former lead guitarist, singer, and songwriter for the Talking Heads. peabodyoperahouse.com
SATURDAY
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IndiHop St. Louis’ only community building beer festival is back for the 7th year. www.indihopstl.com
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Orfeo & Euridice As a myth, it’s a celebration of love and of music’s transcendent power. www.opera-stl.org
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Dan Abrams Left Bank Books hosts ABC News Chief Legal Affairs Anchor Dan Abrams. www.left-bank.com
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Stages St. Louis invites you to take a journey to an enchanted desert isle. www.stagesstlouis.org
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Painted Pieces Features vibrant, hand-painted chess sets exploding with color and invention. www.worldchesshof.org
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An American Soldier A true story, this opera asks powerful questions about what it means to be an American. www.opera-stl.org
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Billy Currington Country star Billy Currington at the Chesterfield Amphitheater. chesterfieldamphitheater.com
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Neil Young Neil Young, formerly of Croby, Stills, Nash, & Young, performs at the Fox. www.fabulousfox.com
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Amy Sherald Amy Sherald (who created Michelle Obama’s portrait) is on view at CAM. www.camstl.org
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End of the Rainbow A savagely funny play featuring some of Garland’s most memorable songs. www.maxandlouie.com
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Theater Crawl A free tasting menu of the best of St. Louis professional companies. kranzbergartsfoundation.org
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Regina Theft. Blackmail. Murder. Is there nothing that Regina won’t do to be satisfied? www.opera-stl.org
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Urban Wanderers The city’s most raw and eye-opening Art Show & Auction by Stray Rescue. www.strayrescue.org/uw
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Rock of Ages Take Two Productions presents the Broadway musical sensation Rock of Ages. taketwoproductions.org
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what to watch
HEC-TV Magazine
archfare Food, innovation, ideas and more come together in a brand new venture stemming from our partnership with TEDxGatewayArch. Join Mich Hancock, Raven Fox, Paige Brubeck of Sleepy Kitty Arts & Sleepy Kitty Music, Mike Konzen of PGAV, and Deanna Kuhlmann-Leavitt on ArchFare! Our pilot episode discusses the concept of ‘design’ with some top-notch designers at Vicia, the design-focused, vegetable-forward restaurant that has put St. Louis on the culinary map! We have combined the three main ingredients: interesting people, St. Louis cuisine, and enticing ideas. Come eat with us!
science and technology news
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We’ve seen several amazing stories come out of the local science and tech community including how telemedicine can help rural doctors treat opioid-addiction, indoor drones, and new developments in facial recognition software.
The Munyettes: then and now Every year since 1955, former Muny performers celebrate their time together with a reunion before attending a current Muny show, where they catch up with their old friends, swap stories, and reminisce about their time on stage. Back in the day, they were known as the showgirls – singers and dancers in the chorus at the Muny. Now, decades later and in their 70s, 80s and 90s, they call themselves “The Ex-Munyettes”. You can find their stories in this segment of our arts programing and keep your eyes open for more when our upcoming documentary The Best Of Us: 100 Seasons of Muny Magic premieres in June! Go to www.thebestofusfilm.com for more info.
find the full schedule at hectv.org/tv-schedule
June 2018
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how to watch who to watch HEC-TV is the leading producer of local arts, cultural, and educational programming in St. Louis - reflecting our mission statement, “to strengthen and promote the education, arts, and cultural communities of the St. Louis Metropolitcan area.” HEC-TV is affiliated with the St. Louis County Commission for Educational Media. As a three-time winner of the prestigious Station of Excellence Award from the Mid-America Emmy Association, HEC-TV is committed to producing television designed to engage and challenge viewers, and to illuminate topics that will “Make You Think!”
solomon thurman
In addition to providing local programming for the general audience, all HEC-TV productions are available free of charge to teachers, along with corresponding curriculum and classroom materials.
Solomon Thurman was born in the old St. Mary’s Infirmary, a segregated hospital for African Americans on Papin and 14th Street in downtown St. Louis. He came from a musical family. His father was a well-regarded harmonica player who would play with lots of local performers, but Thurman says his talent came from a different source.
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By Suzanne Vanderhoef, Segment Producer
“I was born with an interest in art,” he explains. “I didn’t know how to deal with it, but my father saw something in me to see that I needed training, and, when I was 8-years old, he enrolled me in The People’s Art Center.” That early training clearly sparked something in Solomon. For more than three decades after taking that first class, he has been bringing contemporary history and his community to life through his paintings.
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Solomon’s best-known work is the 51-foot mural at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Black Americans in Flight, which he co-created in 1990 with his mentor, the late Spencer Taylor.
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Since that installation, he has forged his own path - depicting everything from the story of a teenage slave named Celia, to a gospel choir in church, to a collection of paintings of bird houses from a friend’s property.
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Because of the scope and diversity of his work, Solomon was named the Missouri Arts Council’s 2018 Individual Artist honoree, the state’s highest honor in the arts. You can learn more about Solomon in our arts programing on hectv.org.
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HEC-TV Magazine
STL GUIDE TO SUMMER 2018
FAIRS & FESTIVALS Fair St. Louis | July 4 – 7 Fair Saint Louis is a free event produced each year celebrating our nation’s independence.The Fair typically hosts hundreds of thousands of attendees listening to fantastic music, playing in the Festival Zone, checking out new products in the Interactive Zone and of course, being “wowed” by our nationally recognized fireworks displays each evening. This year the fair will be back downtown under the Arch! https://www.fairsaintlouis.org/ St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival | July 14 The 12th Annual St. Louis Brewers Heritage Festival is the premiere showcase of the St. Louis brewing community. This festival features hundreds of styles of beer from more than 50 greater St. Louis area breweries, home brew club tastings, live music, and great food all in an idyllic setting at the foot of the Grand Basin in Forest Park. http://stlbeer.org/events/2018-st-louis-brewers-guild-heritage-festival/ Festival of the Little Hills | Aug. 17 – 19 A short drive to St. Charles will get you to one of the biggest and best craft fairs in the St. Louis area. The vendors sell everything from jewelry and holiday decor, to paintings and kids clothes. Another highlight of the festival is the food. There's bar-b-que, corn on the cob, burgers, corn dogs and fries, just to name a few options. For the kids, there are inflatables, games and a rock climbing wall to keep them entertained. And in the evenings, everyone can enjoy free live music at the bandstand in Frontier Park. http://www.festivalofthelittlehills.com/
Festival of Nations | Aug. 25 – 26 Tower Grove Park becomes the center of the world every year during the Festival of Nations. Immigrants from dozens of countries show off the culture, music and food of their old homeland for the benefit of their new one. If you don't want to eat your way through the festival, you can shop at the World Bazaar, enjoy the family arts and crafts area, and learn something about religions of the world through the St. Louis Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis. http://www.festivalofnationsstl.org/ Japanese Festival | Sept. 1 – 3 If you need one last big weekend out before school starts and fair days dwindle, there's no event better than the Missouri Botanical Garden's Japanese Festival. With sumo wrestlers, taiko drummers, dancers, food vendors, martial arts demonstrations and special presentations on the Japanese tea ceremony and traditional ikebana flower arranging, the Japanese Festival is an action-packed weekend. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/things-to-do/ events/signature-events/japanese-festival.aspx Saint Louis Art Fair | Sept. 7 – 9 Saint Louis Art Fair is a nationally juried fine art and fine craft show consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top fine art fairs. Each year the Saint Louis Art Fair is held in the streets of Clayton, Missouri, attracting more than 150,000 art enthusiasts to a space filled with quality food, art, and music. Also, meet all the artists on hectv.org! http://www.saintlouisartfair.com/ Great Forest Park Balloon Race | Sept. 14 – 15 Festivities begin with a balloon glow on Friday night and race day (Saturday) activities include a children’s entertainment area and a photo contest prior to the launch of the hare and hound balloons. Bring a picnic and enjoy the day! www.greatforestparkballoonrace.com
June 2018
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MUSIC
art & culture
Whitaker Music Festival | Wednesdays thru July 25
Shakespeare in the Park | Nightly June 1 – 24 except for Tuesdays
Each summer the Missouri Botanical Garden hosts a free outdoor concert series called the Whitaker Music Festival. Popular musicians from across the St. Louis area perform on Wednesday evenings at the Garden's Cohen Amphitheater. Everyone is encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnic dinners. Admission begins at 5 p.m., so there is plenty of time to walk around and enjoy the beauty of the Garden before the music starts at 7 p.m. http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/things-to-do/ events/signature-events/whitaker-music-festival.aspx Jungle Boogie Concert Series | Fridays May 25 – Aug. 31 The Jungle Boogie Concert Series brings bands to Schnuck Family Plaza, located at the center of the St. Louis Zoo, to perform every Friday this summer. Join the animals in gawking at some humans for a change. This year's highlights include bluegrass act the Mighty Pines, New Orleans styled Funky Butt Brass Band, Ticket to the Beatles, and plenty more. https://www.stlzoo.org/events/calendarof events/jungle-boogie Big Muddy Blues Festival | Aug. 31 – Sept. 2 Every Labor Day weekend, St. Louis’ historic Laclede’s Landing hosts more than 30,000 people from around the country for the Big Muddy Blues Festival. This very popular outdoor music festival attracts an eclectic audience celebrating the rich St Louis history of the Blues. http://bigmuddybluesfestival.com/ LouFest Music Festival | Sept. 8 – 9 LouFest is a sustainable music festival for all-ages that features national and local bands on three stages, food, drink, art markets, and of course, merch retail. There is also a LouKids stage for those younger and young at heart, filled with music, magic, kid-friendly food, a rock climbing wall, and more. www.loufest.com Pointfest | Sept. 10 105.7 the Point’s festival features Sublime with Rome, the Offspring, the Urge, Reel Big Fish, and others playing Sept. 10. http://www.1057thepoint.com/pointfest
Shakespeare in the Park is one of the city's most popular options for free outdoor theater in the summer. The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival performs a play in Forest Park during the month of June. This year's production is Romeo and Juliet. Most people like to bring a blanket or lawn chair and spread out on the grass in front of the stage. Food and drinks are available from vendors, but many people enjoy bringing a bottle of wine and/or a picnic dinner. The play begins at 8 p.m., but there are several pre-show activities including live music and educational talks about Shakespeare. https://www.sfstl.com/ The Muny | June 11 – Aug. 12 The Municipal Opera (Muny) in Forest Park has been a St. Louis summer tradition for 100 seasons! The oldest and largest outdoor musical theater puts on seven musicals every summer, bringing in top stars from Broadway and Hollywood. This season, the Muny presents Jerome Robin’s Broadway, The Wiz, Singing in the Rain, Jersey Boys, Annie, Gypsy, and Meet Me in St. Louis. Whether you're attending your first show or your 50th, there is a real sense of being a part of history when spending a summer night at the Muny. Shows begin each evening at 8:15 p.m. For those on a budget, there are more than 1000 free seats in the back of the theater that are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, catch HEC’s documentary The Best of Us: 100 Yeas of Muny Magic, premiering soon on thebestofusfilm.com! https://muny.org/ Art Hill Film Series | Fridays July 13 – Aug. 3 Thrill seekers should head to Forest Park on four Friday evenings starting July 13, when the Saint Louis Art Museum’ transforms Art Hill into the city’s biggest cinema for a celebration of epic quests. This year’s Art Hill Film Series kicks off with “Raiders of the Lost Ark” on July 13, “Hidden Figures” on July 20, “Dr. No” on July 27, and “The Never Ending Story” on Aug. 3. The lineup and the “epic quests” theme is inspired by the remarkable story behind “Sunken Cities: Egypt’s Lost Worlds,” which is on view through Sept. 9. The party starts at 6 p.m. with music and the Food Truck Fest sponsored by Sauce Magazine. Films begin at 9 p.m. http://www.slam.org/filmseries/
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HEC-TV Magazine
Summer in the Garden By: Amanda Honigfort, Special Programs and Projects Producer
June 2018
The Missouri Botanical Garden spreads over 79 beautiful acers in the Tower Grove neighborhood as a natural oasis in St. Louis city. Founded in 1859 by Henry Shaw, it is the nation’s oldest botanical garden in continuous operation and a National Historic Landmark. From holidays to sunday brunch, meeting up with friends and family at garden events, to a meeting place for dates and mid-afternoon strolls, the Botanical Garden is a fixture in St. Louis life. The garden isn’t just a source for beautiful landscapes and enjoyable walks, but a center for conservation, education, and horticultural science. Research and conservation are such a big part of the Garden’s mission, they created a the Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development and the William L. Brown Center, as well as run the Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO with education and sustainability programs for all ages. People haven’t yet found and documented all species of plants on the Earth, and Missouri Botanical Garden Scientists are focused on furthering that work around the world as well as studying the way those plants behave over time and how to care for them. Through their research, Missouri Botanical Garden Scientists are developing methods to conserve plants and the plant diversity of ecosystems on small and massive scales, and are an essential aspect of conservation, in countries such as Bolivia, Madagascar, Peru, and Vietnam. So much more scientific work happens behind the scenes, but to involve the community, the Garden has started an initiative called BiodiverseCity St. Louis to encourage everyone to “share a stake in improving quality of life for all through actions that welcome nature into our urban, suburban, and rural communities.” They have also recently opened the restored Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum on the Garden’s grounds. A massive undertaking, the newly renovated museum will showcase artifacts from the Garden’s history as well as endangered plants and other aspects of the Garden’s work. It was originally a passion project of Henry Shaw, but was closed for many years and fell into disrepair. HEC is telling the museum and the Missouri Botanical Garden’s story in our forthcoming documentary, A New Leaf,
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which will release in late summe. You can find a trailer now on anewleaf.tv. Even without their formal programs, classroom visits, activities for kids and families, and workshops for adults, it’s hard not learn something when visiting the garden. Who hasn’t checked the plant signs to see what an interesting looking plant was called or where a beautiful flower was native to? A walk through the Botanical Garden can take you through the rose garden, the bulb, iris and daylily gardens, the George Washington Carver Garden, the Climatron, experimental gardens, demonstration gardens, both sun and shade gardens and - if you can find them - a secret garden or two. The Cornelia Sunnen Backyard Garden gives the ambitious an idea of what they might be able to do in their backyard, while the Kemper Center for Home Gardening teaches us about vegetable and flower growing, indoor plants, landscaping ornamental shrubs, and more. The English Woodland Garden, Chinese Garden, Linnean House, and Japanese garden are among regular patrons’ favorites and several of their events have become yearly traditions such as the Holiday Garden Glow in the winter, the Orchid Show in the spring, and their free summer concert series, Whitaker Music Festival which will run every Wednesday evening until July 25. Check out the preview on our most recent Scope episode! You can find at least one amazing event every month on their website or Facebook page. Up next is Flora Borealis - the nighttime multimedia experience will open June 29 and promises visitors a one-mile journey through iconic Garden locations that will bring the Garden to life like never before through a combination of sounds, lights, and moving images. It will also feature family friendly activities and a biergarten. Whether at the Garden for brunch, a casual stroll, or a special event, it’s guaranteed to offer a different experience every time and a beautiful one at that. The Missouri Botanical Garden is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is free for members, or $12 adults (ages 13 & over) and free for children. With proof of city or country residency admission is $6 for adults and $4 for seniors (over 65).
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HEC-TV Magazine
n e Op Mic:
tom desch
Director, an american home: frank lloyd wright’s b. harley bradley house
rank Lloyd Wright has been the subject of countless books, articles, and documentary films. Even the masterful documentarian Ken Burns produced a two-part production about the great architect. So what on Earth could I possibly have to add to the conversation about Frank Lloyd Wright?
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Well, I had never given
it much thought, until one day in 2010 when I came across an article written by Blair Kamin, the architecture critic for the Chicago Tribune. In it, he wrote of the B. Harley Bradley House, an early Prairie Style design by Wright that had been restored and was, at the time, looking for a buyer. What really jumped out at me, however, was the fact that the structure was located in the mid sized city of Kankakee, Illinois - the place of my birth. I had spent my formative years in the community, but I could not recall ever hearing of this house, and I was a kid who, at one time, dreamed of being architect (that was until my
June 2018
poor drawing skills and dislike for math got in the way.) The more I learned about the house, the more it appeared to have the makings of a compelling historical piece. I learned that this structure is argued to be Wright’s first full realization of the Prairie School, a uniquely American style of design. Although scholars have not reached a consensus as to what structure can claim the title of Wright’s first Prairie design, the Bradley House is right there in the running, and it undoubtedly belongs to a time when Wright was refining design elements that would bring him national and worldwide acclaim. The Bradley House features a long horizontal elevation, the beginnings of an open floor plan, and of course, a beautiful collection of Wright’s art glass windows. The draw to a storyteller, however, was the home’s dramatic history - fraught with preservation battles, fires, suicide, and even murder. This tumultuous timeline eerily mirrored similar tragedies in Wright’s life, so my crew and I embarked in 2013 to create a half-hour film about the parallel lives of this house and its architect. Shortly after production started, we realized there was another character that witnessed a similar tumultuous history - the community of Kankakee itself. While our initial vision was to link the house with Wright, it became obvious that the house was inextricably linked to the community in which it resided. As a result, we expanded the scope of the project to be an hour-long piece, and went to work trying to weave together the histories of these three subjects. The parallels between all three were surprising striking. The Bradley family, for whom the house was built, gained prominence as the manufacturers of farm implements, most famously a plow that succeeded in turning over prairie soil that was
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famously difficulty to plow. So to some degree, the Bradley family was responsible for eradicating the very prairie landscape that inspired Wright’s home designs. Around the turn of the 20th century, the Bradley Manufacturing Company was one of the largest employers in the Kankakee area. In fact, the factory was located in a village called Bradley and the town still bears the name today. The Bradley’s were linked to success of the community, and they apparently felt it necessary to build a home to reflect their status. To do so, they commissioned a young architect who designed a cutting-edge house. Author and architect Thomas Heinz has suggested that when the house was completed it would have been like looking at a “George Jetson House” as it was so far ahead of its time. The neighbors would have never seen anything like it. This groundbreaking house reflected the success of the family that lived in it, the community around it, and the architect that designed it. All three seemed to be on the rise in the early 20th century. However, in the years to come, all three would face struggles. The Bradley family would eventually lose the house, and it would ultimately fall into disrepair. Wright’s life was so turbulent that I cannot do it justice in a few words. Finally, the community of Kankakee would suffer a fate similar to many midwestern towns as it lost its manufacturing base in the early 1980s. Luckily, all three would also overcome their struggles. The house was saved thanks to the work of several owners, and a recent restoration conducted by architect Gaines Hall and his wife Sharon have the property looking almost as it did when it was first constructed. Wright rebounded from his
tremendous hardships to design some of the most iconic buildings in the world, and educate a new generation of architects. Kankakee has gone from a community that once had the highest unemployment rate in the entire nation, to one that is among the leaders in job creation in Illinois and the home of a burgeoning arts scene. It was difficult task to convey that story on screen. The story had to be a balancing act. We wanted to include local history that those in the community would find interesting, but not so much as to bog down a general audience. Dealing with a subject as well -known as Wright also presented challenges. A great many people know his life story, so we didn’t want to include every detail, but we had to include enough that those unfamiliar with Wright could still follow the story. On the production side, the project was absolutely blessed to have a great crew and support from so many people - from it’s beginning in 2013 until we completed the picture in 2017. The entire time, Justin Hayward, a St. Louis area native, worked as the director of photography and willingly hiked up hills in Wisconsin, and braved aggressive geese on the Kankakee River to get whatever shot was needed. Others donated their time or their film equipment or their finances. The film truly was a community effort. In addition to its airing on HEC the film has screened at Frank Lloyd Wright sites including the SC Johnson Wax corporate campus, Taliesin West, and a few blocks from Wright’s Home and Studio in Oak Park, Illinois, as well as in Kankakee at the historic Paramount Theater. DVDs can be obtained through Lakeshore Public Television, and the film will be available for rent through Amazon Prime in July.
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HEC-TV Magazine
T H G ! I F ch
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June 2018
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with educate.today By: Kristy Houle, Educational Opportunities Coordinator
Another glorious summer is upon us, and like most parents I sometimes struggle with ways to keep the kids happy, engaged, and most of all, busy! If your children are anything like mine, I need to keep them learning throughout the summer months or getting them back on track in August is almost impossible. Summer may be a time to relax, but tell that to kids who are bouncing off the walls or shrieking “I’m bored!” As parents, babysitters, and nannies, we want each summer to be more memorable than the next, and with that comes the need for a few new ideas. As a homeschool mom, I am lucky in the fact that I can be home with my children most days during the summer, but for those of you who are out of the home during the week, Educate.Today is a perfect solution to those long summer day blues. If you are currently using the features on the Educate. Today website, then you already know how vital it can be to your child’s education and academic growth. If you haven’t had a chance to visit us yet, let’s explore some of the exciting programs and resources that are waiting for you as you plan your schedule this summer! Search our Extensive Archived Program Library Educate.Today has more than 700 archived videos that relate to the content and curriculum that your child is learning during their academic school year. You can search videos based on keyword, curriculum area or grade level. Our video resources come with teacher and student tools containing fun lessons and activity ideas. You could also have your child watch a playlist of videos and complete a journal entry sheet (attached with the homeschool packages) each day. This could be used as a five-minute sharing session with the family during dinner or evening activity time. My children are choosing 3-5 videos of their choice and completing either an assigned activity or a journal entry each day. They love having the ability to choose what they learn about, and look forward to investigating all the interesting facts the videos have to offer. Browse the Homeschool Packages
You don’t have to be a year-round homeschool family to utilize our content rich Homeschool Packages. These packages are full of video playlists, vocabulary words and writing activities. The Homeschool Packages also include an easy to use Recommended Reading List for those summer readers. When the summer days begin, I print off a copy of the reading list, take it to our public library and collect the books my kids want to read. It’s a fantastic way to keep them thinking and engaged during those relaxing afternoons when it’s too hot to be outside! If your summer crew is more interested in hands on activities, Educate.Today has those too! The Homeschool Packages include not only the Writing Activities page, but also the Creation Station activities. This section of our packages is great for those students who love to create and use their imagination. Activities such as building helicopters, producing videos, editing videos, writing scripts, and performing a play are just a few of the options you will find as you browse the Homeschool Packages. Internet Safety Feature Unlike most of the web-based video resources you find on the internet, Educate.Today videos are all contained within the www.educatetoday.org website This means that you won’t have to worry about your child wandering off to other sites that might not be ageappropriate for them, as is easy to do when browsing other open websites. With Educate.Today there is no danger of finding inappropriate content, unknown purchase opportunities or advertisements. Once your kids are surfing the site, all they will find is high-quality, kid-friendly videos and resources created by teachers, principals, and parents. Treat the summer like a lost semester — but not the daunting and dull I-have-to-take-this-class-to-pass kind. Make it a summer filled with learning all the things your children have wanted to try, but have never gotten around to. The human brain is hard-wired for learning, so even if your child seems to dislike school, you may be surprised to discover how much they love learning when the subject is something that truly interests them. The list of things you will find on www.educate.today is infinite, so gear up to have a great summer!
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