GPB CEO Teya Ryan

CEO SPOTLIGHT

GPB SERVES ALL COMMUNITIES

by GPB CEO Teya Ryan

As our cover story reveals, we’re excited to add Alma’s Way to our weekday lineup of GPB Kids programs this month. Creator Sonia Manzano is beloved by generations of children for the sense of comfort and belonging she’s provided in her role as Maria on Sesame Street.

New PBS Kids series Alma’s Way premiering in October.

Rita Moreno featured in American Masters program honoring Hispanic Heritage. The series premiere on Monday, October 4, as well as the debut of American Masters: Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided to Go For It Tuesday, October 5, are part of PBS programming initiatives honoring Hispanic Heritage Month. The annual event is officially commemorated September 15 – October 15.

Though we are committed to providing educational and thought-provoking content throughout the year that inspires greater cultural understanding, I want to take this opportunity to emphasize that part of GPB’s mission is to serve and represent all communities.

We know that when children see authentic, positive representations of themselves in media, it has a measurable effect on their self-esteem and long-term success.

But GPB’s mission does not stop with children’s programming, as we seek to provide lifelong learning experiences.

Many of these lifelong learning experiences are presented outside of traditional broadcasts through GPB’s Community Engagement offerings, including our partnership with PBS Books as a participant in a series of virtual discussions staged in conjunction with the 2021 Library of Congress National Book Festival.

Community in the

PBS & NPR Journalist and author Maria Hinojosa. Themed “Open a Book, Open the World,” this year’s festival featured esteemed journalist and author Maria Hinojosa. I was honored to moderate a Q & A session with Maria in which she discussed her new book, Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America.

Maria’s stellar reporting for PBS and NPR, along with the content she’s produced through her nonprofit Futuro Media, have greatly enlightened me. In her book, Maria shares her intimate experience growing up Mexican American on the South Side of Chicago.

You can find the discussion for Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America archived at https://www.facebook.com/PBSBooks1/.

I hope you’ll take a moment to listen to this important conversation and tune into GPB for other programs recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month.

Your commitment to our programming as a donor helps us share these important stories and voices. Thank you for your support of GPB.