Wisconsin Public Television is getting involved in a new partnership to bring more resources to K-12 education.
The Timothy William Trout Education Innovation Lab is designed to create, connect, and activate world-class content creators in science, instruction and media with teachers and learners across the state and the nation. It will leverage the data, knowledge, and expertise of a top university, coupled with the national educational resources and reach of the PBS system, all focused and concentrated through Wisconsin Public Television.
The partnership also includes the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. Monroe and Sandra Trout, who earlier created the Timothy William Trout Education Endowment Fund at Wisconsin Public Television, have made a gift of $2.1 million as an investment in creating this new model.
“With this investment, in memory of their son Timothy, Dr. Monroe and Sandra Trout will help fuel the next generation of scientists and explorers,” said Jon Miskowski, WPT Director of Television. “This work will help connect the breadth and depth of world-class resources of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with the rest of the state, and nation, through public television. It’s the Wisconsin Idea realized.”
The project will join the UW’s science discovery labs through a partnership with Discovery Outreach, a joint venture of the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, the Morgridge Institute for Research and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation; together with the UW-Madison School of Education; and the reach and impact of WPT’s media resources and broadcast, online and classroom engagement.
“As part of UW-Madison, Wisconsin Public Television shares its mission to provide knowledge, connect to the whole state, and make life better for its citizens,” said UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank. “Through this new partnership, WPT and UW’s faculty will build new connections to content available across our campus – from both our research and teaching. We expect that this will provide new opportunities for public media to inform and engage learners.”
The project’s goals include inspiring and enabling teachers and learners to stoke personalized curiosity-driven learning experiences, creating institutional level change in how research reaches public and K-12 audiences, and developing models and resources to be shared at a national level.
“This embodiment of the Wisconsin Idea will help us translate the discoveries happening inside the Discovery Building into public knowledge and will advance our efforts to bring STEM programming to the citizens of Wisconsin and beyond,” said WID Director Jo Handelsman.
The Timothy William Trout Education Innovation Lab will focus the energy and expertise needed to deliver inspirational, high quality science education tools and roadmaps that teachers and learners need and can easily use in their classrooms, homes and other learning environments.
