By/With/For Youth: Inspiring Next Gen Public Media Audiences (Next Gen Public Media Accelerator)

By/With/For Youth: Inspiring Next Gen Public Media Audiences

Organization: Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop in partnership with Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)

Program Name: Next Gen Public Media Accelerator

This grant program supports public media stations in creating content by, with, and for tween and teen audiences. The program helps public media stations explore new models for engaging young people in their communities based on issues that youth see as relevant to their lives.

Funding Details

• Award Amount: $15,000 per station
• Number of Awards: 12 stations selected in 2022
• Target Audience: Tweens and teens, ages 10-18
• Geographic Scope: United States (rural and urban markets)

Focus Areas

• Youth-created content for public media
• Digital-first distribution (podcasts, YouTube, TikTok, emerging platforms)
• Local community issues relevant to young people
• Civic engagement and newsmaking
• Educational storytelling and narrative development

Eligibility

• Public media stations (television and radio)
• Serving rural and urban communities
• Capacity to engage tweens and teens (ages 10-18) in content creation
• Selected from competitive proposal review process involving young people

Program Components

• Six-month engagement period with regular virtual meetings
• In-person co-design sessions in New York City
• Periodic reporting and engagement for two additional years
• Collaboration with other 12 stations to share best practices
• Development of toolkit to support other public media stations

2022 Selected Stations

1. KBTC-TV (Tacoma, WA) - "Ability Awareness"
2. KWMR community radio (Point Reyes Station, CA) - "Indigenous YOUth Nation"
3. South Carolina ETV - "Conversations with Crescent"
4. WSHU (Westport, CT) - "Climate Change Proof in Bridgeport"
5. WFPL (Louisville, KY) - "Engaging Youth in Local Civic News"
6. WUNC North Carolina Public Radio (Chapel Hill, NC) - "LaboraStory"
7. WBUR (Boston, MA) - "WBUR Youth Takeover"
8. Twin Cities PBS (St. Paul, MN) - HYPE 2.0
9. Mississippi Public Broadcasting - "MPB Student Council"
10. WQED (Pittsburgh, PA) - "Building Bridges and Bridging the Gap"
11. The WNET Group (New York, NY) - "Youth Collective: The Amplify Series"

Funding Source

• Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)

Application Process

1. Eligibility Review: Proposal must meet public media station requirements and capacity to serve ages 10-18
2. Proposal Submission: Submit project proposal addressing community youth needs and content plans
3. Review Committee: Competitive proposal review process involving young people
4. Selection: 12 stations selected based on community needs, innovation, and youth engagement potential
5. Project Implementation Timeline:
   • Six-month initial engagement period with regular virtual meetings
   • In-person co-design sessions in New York City
   • Ongoing reporting and engagement for two additional years

Required Components

• Description of target youth audience (ages 10-18)
• Identification of community issues relevant to youth
• Content distribution strategy (traditional and digital platforms)
• Plans for youth participation in content creation
• Local partnerships and resources
• Budget and timeline