Despite fuzzy reception of classical music on 89.9 FM, the Golden Triangle”s Mississippi Public Broadcasting station, on Tuesday, the Rotary Club of Columbus heard Marie Antoon, MPB”s executive director, loud and clear.
And they liked what they heard: success and a request for more help.
Antoon, who will retire from her position in August after holding it for eight years, spoke to the club of local luminaries about MPB”s ongoing education efforts based on its “Between the Lions” program at this week”s Rotary meeting at Columbus Country Club.
The program dates back to 2005, when MPB collaborated with the Boston-based station WGBH and New York-based Sirius Thinking Ltd. to produce the television show. Antoon suggested a program based on puppets.
It airs around Mississippi three times a day, targeting 4- to 6-year-olds, at 6:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The $20 million in research on childhood education has paid off. Never mind the six Emmy Awards the show has won. “In Mississippi, we have seen already some really significant improvements in children, in their literacy gains, simply by watching the program,” Antoon said.
She said MPB has incorporated the program at 63 low-income child care centers around Jackson, where the organization is based, estimating it has already impacted 1,700 children.
She said a five-year study conducted by the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania showed “children performing below the national average come up — (they did) not just reach the national average, but surpassed it,” regardless of class. “That”s a pretty profound statement, I think,” she said.
Antoon pitched the idea of involving Columbus Rotarians in the project by delineating the three-way commitment: designating people to give 15-minute readings every week, planning two special events for the child-care centers and administering a test for the children to take in the end, she said.
Columbus Rotary Club would not be the first in the state outside of Jackson to get involved with this program; Rotary clubs in Leland and Greenville have already done so.
At the end of her address, Antoon remembered she had gifts to give. She whipped out of her bag several “Between the Lions” DVDs. Rotarians suggested possible recipients.
After the meeting was adjourned, the club”s president, Nora Miller, handed a DVD containing the show”s seventh season to Columbus Air Force Base Lt. Col. Beau Esterling.
“Oh!” he said. “Oh, wow!”
Esterling has three children: Elizabeth, 8; Emma, 6; and David, 1.
He said he and his wife are “very happy with our kids” education right now” — their oldest two are enrolled at Immanuel Center for Christian Education — but he does see value in the program, especially for underprivileged children. “It piques my interest,” he said.
Perry Sansing, who is chairman of MPB”s board of directors and assistant to the president at the Mississippi University for Women, said he was familiar with the show because his 13-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, had watched it.
“It”s a terrific program,” he said, adding, “Of course, MPB is really proud and honored to be part of that.”
As for the poor public radio and television reception in the area in the last few weeks, Antoon told Rotarians a malfunctioning antenna is to blame. She promised to investigate.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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