MPT's New Initiatives Fund

If you haven’t heard about it yet, MPT has an exciting new opportunity to help fulfill its mission. Through the generosity of Irene and Edward H. Kaplan, MPT will have $1 million to use over a four-year period to take risks, both on and off-air, that it has not been able to until now. Funds will be used to respond more rapidly to regional concerns with innovative projects, and, according to its stated intent, “to positively impact the quality of life in Maryland and beyond through high quality initiatives that will serve and benefit the citizens of Maryland, including MPT viewers and members.”

What this means to us is that we will be able to create productions and community initiatives that we otherwise might not be able to do. The criteria that will guide the selection process are:

▪ Quality & Excellence
▪ Public Service Value
▪ Synergies
▪ Boldness & Creative risk

An internal committee has been established to oversee the fund and decide what projects will be funded. The committee is made up of seven senior MPT managers that will meet on an as-needed basis to review submissions. The committee is chaired by MPT’s President & CEO Robert J. Shuman. Decisions will be based on established criteria (mentioned above) and will be directed primarily toward the following core service areas:

▪ Kids & Family
▪ Environment
▪ Perspectives
▪ Health & Wellness

We anticipate that the committee will review several requests in August. While nothing has been chosen yet, we know the projects requested will include a Maryland Generations (similar to what we did with Ken Burns' The War last fall) companion piece for Burns' upcoming National Parks series (scheduled to air fall 2009) and a community initiative around financial literacy. These are just two examples of the varying types of projects that will be reviewed. We hope that this fund will provide seed money for exciting new projects, and that the fund can be replenished by others seeking to make significant and meaningful investments in MPT’s public service.

This is truly a transitional gift for MPT. It will allow us to do more great things, and take risks that we otherwise may not have been able to take.


Larry Unger
Chief Operating Officer

Sneak peek: Back Door Slam!

Fresh off Baltimore's ArtScape stage, British blues rockers Back Door Slam stopped by MPT yesterday to tape a performance for an upcoming edition of ArtWorks. The trio blew us away with a performance that pretty much made us want to drop to our knees and shout, "We're not worthy!" Check out some behind-the-scenes footage below, and be sure to tune into ArtWorks every Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. (with rebroadcasts Thursday at 6 a.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m.)! Rock on!

From 'cool aunt' to education advocate!

I never had a calling to be a mother, though I’m incredibly fond of kids. Sure, I’m a cool aunt and feel pretty hip dancing with my niece Eliza to songs from “High School Musical.” Oh wait, does that make me cool or just a middle-aged geek trying to hang onto my youth? Anyway, trust me, I’m still cool.

While I can “bust a move” to a predictably catchy teen song, I was never really immersed in kids’ TV shows, activities or their education until I started working at MPT. Since landing in MPT’s Education Department a few years ago, I have helped create and market a variety of products and resources for kids, families, teachers and child caregivers. I have bridged the gap from mere mortal/semi-cool aunt to an advocate for quality educational resources for our communities.

When you think about MPT, you probably think about the shows. Perhaps you catch Antiques Roadshow from time to time, or you’re a longtime fan of Outdoors Maryland. You may even think we are just "that Sesame Street station for kids," but we’re more—a lot more. In MPT’s Education Department, we develop and promote an extensive range of free, multimedia resources and interactive education tools for the K-12 education community.

Thinkport.org, MPT’s instant gateway to these resources, serves as a valuable link between educators, families and students. A journey through Thinkport will take you places you’ve never gone before, transforming ordinary learning into extraordinary learning. Comprehensive lesson plans, video clips and refreshing online field trips invigorate learning and help connect students and teachers to quality content. If you have children, teach or care for other people’s kids—or are perhaps just a loving aunt—you might want to check out Thinkport.

The department also provides early childhood education services to licensed and non-licensed child caregivers through interactive workshops and outreach, and online professional development opportunities for teachers and caregivers.

There’s always something exciting on the horizon, including several new interactive projects. The Lure of the Labyrinth, an online digital math game, helps build the pre-algebraic skills of middle school students. An engaging storyline woven throughout the game guides students through an underworld maze of mythical monsters and stimulating game play to solve math puzzles. Look for the Labyrinth online early next year.

Another interactive project in development, the PORT, will transport high school technology students to the Port of Baltimore to explore key careers, investigate various technology systems and navigate inter-modal transportation services at Baltimore’s very own seaport.

A steady stream of new projects, grants and partnerships enable our Education Department to offer these resources to the public year and after year. By partnering with community organizations, universities, schools, the Maryland State Department of Education and other established agencies, MPT continues its strong tradition of education.

So, as you can see, we are much more than TV. Sure, I’ve met a few stars along the way and frolicked with a cast of furry friends when the award-winning puppets from Between the Lions roared into Baltimore earlier this year. But it’s way more than TV. We hope to inspire, educate and enlighten families, schools and communities for years to come. And as I creep up the ladder in age, I can sit back and enjoy being a kid again, especially at work.

So give it a whirl, hop online and take a look, you’ll be surprised and inspired. You can access these great resources and learn more about what we do by visiting http://thinkport.org/.


Leslie Adler
Marketing Manager, Education Projects

Way more than television

And so the paper writing began…

Flash back fifteen years to 1993. It was the height of the Barney craze, and Maryland Public Television was my personal go-to station for a “rocking good time.” At age seven, MPT was one of the few channels I could watch without restriction. Fits of laughter, bursts of singing, and even the occasional tear accompanied my years as a public television viewer. I was always exceedingly entertained.

My nostalgia for classic children’s programs, like “Sesame Street,” “Arthur,” “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood,” and of course, “Barney and Friends” fueled my desire to spend the summer working at MPT. I remembered the place MPT programs once held in my heart, and openly recognized that public television was no longer part of my life. Examining my own relationship with public TV put me on the path that ultimately resulted in this report.

And 57 pages later, I was finished.

As I typed the last period and prepared to submit the paper that would earn me a master’s degree, I realized all of the things my summer at MPT meant to me. This report about MPT, the thoughts of its people, its challenges, its successes, was an exercise that led to significant self-discovery. With each new MPT staff member I interviewed, I learned more about life, the media world and myself.

While I’m not sure I’ll ever come across a group as pleasant and helpful as the staff here at MPT, I will definitely try to find a similar work environment in the future. MPT reminded me of the importance of mentors and of surrounding myself with great people. I made a mental “note to self”: When you become successful, always take the time to help young people. Never act too busy or too important to give back. Always make a way. MPT staffers certainly made a way for me this summer.

So if I had to tell you one thing about MPT, the place that filled my childhood years with joy and the place that has given me great perspective on life as a young adult, I’d say it’s definitely WAY more than television. MPT is a place where a group of passionate people come together to share Maryland’s stories and help Maryland’s citizens. And if that’s not cool, I can’t imagine what is!

Thanks, MPT, for making this summer memorable :~)


Gretta Moody
Institutional Advancement Intern

What's it like to intern at MPT?

Hear it from the interns themselves!

MPT interns Joy Thompson and Shernay Williams took a few minutes during MPT's recent intern pledge night to talk about interning at their favorite public television station (and what it's like answering phones on live TV!).

(Interested in interning at MPT? We're always on the lookout for enterprising young undergrads and grad students! Click here for more info!)

Dreams really do come true

I am a self-defined MPT addict, nerd and enthusiast. I grew up watching both MPT and PBS programming, and while most people my age (19) may have stopped watching when Arthur and Barney were no longer appealing, I hung in there.

I credit my love of documentaries and cooking to MPT. Through MPT's programming, I have learned how to survive in Alaska by myself (Alone in the Wilderness), how to prepare a six-course meal (Julia Child and Jacques Pepin) and what it was like to live on the American frontier in 1883 (Frontier House).

To me, MPT is irreplaceable because no other station has programming that covers such a wide variety of topics. As a person who has lived both with and without cable television, I always find myself going back to MPT to watch a show on something I may not even be initially interested in. I get sucked in! I can’t resist when Rhea Feikin is on location covering the HonFest or when NOVA is showing the Lost Treasures of Tibet. In most other cases, I probably wouldn’t watch a show on Fermat’s Last Theorem, but I find myself mesmerized and, if given the chance, watching it more than once!

I’ve caught myself on numerous occasions in class, rambling about how much I love MPT, and turning down opportunities to hang out with my friends to stay in and watch Rick Steves and his money belt travel around Europe…again. I’ve been such an enthusiastic viewer that my friend Denisse finally got fed up and yelled at me “If you like it so much why don’t you work there!” That was my light bulb moment: I was shocked that it had never occurred to me!

About eight months later and I AM working at MPT! I’m currently an intern working with a bunch of great people at my dream internship. I must admit that coming to work the first day was surreal. I was given the grand tour, and saw some of the sets that I have watched on television my entire life and met people that have helped create shows that I am obsessed with.

I recently worked an MPT pledge drive (for MPT’s intern pledge night), and I couldn’t have been more excited. I may be an “MPT nerd,” but I am proud to wholeheartedly support a television station that is committed to providing educational and interesting programming that is not dictated by advertising dollars. I still cannot believe that my viewership has come full circle, and am now working at the station I have loved my entire life!

My ultimate goal for this internship? To meet Rhea Feikin!

Update: Since writing this blog entry, Caitlin met Rhea. She still can’t believe it happened!

Caitlin Mullett

Institutional Advancement Intern

(and perhaps MPT's biggest fan. Ever.)

Our Facebook fanpage!

Are you a fan of MPT? Tell the virtual world and meet other fans on MPT's new Facebook fanpage! It features videos, discussion boards, the latest news and behind-the-scenes fun.

MPT's been on the popular social networking for a while now with an MPT group page (available only to those with Facebook accounts, which are now available to anyone who'd like to join!). But our Facebook fanpage is 100% public, so you can log on anytime to see what's new, whether you're on Facebook or not.

Just up this morning: behind-the-scenes, downright hilarious video of a few members of Ireland's famous Anuna horsing around our studios as MPT prepares to film their upcoming holiday spectacular. (And if you've ever wondered what a fire drill is like here, wonder no more! We've got a little of that for ya, too ;)

She's sew unusual!

Ever since I can remember, I have shared a love of design and craftsmanship with my family. I grew up watching This Old House with my dad each weekend. At first, I looked forward to the last episodes of the season, when I could see the final results. As I got older, I learned to appreciate the design process, starting with the bare frames of an old house, and slowly, with an attention to detail, bringing the house back to its former glory.

With my mom, I would watch Sewing With Nancy. My mom loved to buy quilting books. We visited fabric stores once a week, easily. I was surrounded by mounds of fabric, each pile designated for a different project. I wasn’t quite as enamored with the quilting process as my mom was, but once again, I learned to appreciate the work that went into crafting.

So how many major home improvement projects occurred in my house? None. Though I was allowed to paint some rooms. I even used some “decorative painting” techniques, but that was the extent of my attempts to restore “our old house.”

And how many quilts did my mom complete during my childhood? Not one. But this is where I took over. I didn’t want to make myself a quilt, but I definitely wanted to learn how to sew clothes.

I made my first article of clothing–a pair of pants–when I was 15 years old. I’ve been sewing ever since. I’ve made gifts and handbags, pillows and curtains, christening gowns and my wedding dress, along with countless other outfits and projects. I love to surprise people with items...just because. I enjoy the process of quality workmanship that I learned from all those MPT shows I watched as a kid. I still search out design shows, for inspiration, and I can’t wait to get the MPT Digital Channel so I can watch The Creative Life (see clip below!).

I still sew today, and I have about 10 projects going at once. I can’t imagine my life without this creative outlet!

Jen Reece
Associate Online Producer, Thinkport.org
(Check out Jen's sewing blog at http://www.davidanddaisy.com!)

Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr. (Part I)

This is first in a series of blog entries by the Maryland Humanities Council honoring the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 40th anniversary of his assassination.

It was April 4, 1968, 40 years ago. I was a third-year student at Howard University Law School. With classmate, Kellis Earl Parker (who would serve as a Professor of Law at the University of California, Davis and Professor of Law at Columbia University, New York City) I was at the office/chambers of the Honorable Spottswood W. Robinson in downtown Washington, D.C. At a point in the early evening, a U.S. Marshall, clearly shaken—and almost disoriented—announced the news that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated, and that many cities, communities and neighborhoods, including Washington, D.C., were being assaulted, experiencing fires, violence and looting.

An immediate call to my home assured me that my wife and our children were all safe. Kellis made contact with his family and to our relief, they were also safe. We still faced a hurdle. Because of the manifestation of action and anger, the city had been placed under police and National Guard (martial law) control, and if I were going to reach my home (at 5th and Hamilton Streets, N.W.) I would have to obtain a pass from the U.S. Marshall or face the possibility of arrest for curfew violation.

Black men, walking or driving, on that evening in the streets of Washington were likely to be detained. Very carefully, I drove toward Union Station, such that I could take North Capitol, toward the Old Soldiers Home, thus dodging and bypassing Georgia Avenue, 7th Street, H Street, New Jersey Avenue, 14th Street, and V Street, where signs of disorder were being described on the radio.

Now, some 40 years later, we look back at Rev. King's efforts, at the modern Human and Civil Rights Movement, and it is easy to realize that he was asking the nation to implement the socioeconomic and political equality promised by the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

In recent months, this nation and world have heard some strongly expressed concerns about human rights. The president of the United States and the leaders of Russia, China and other countries have exchanged verbal attacks and counterattacks with respect to which country is more humane toward its citizens, and who is more genuinely concerned about the political, social and economic plight suffered by many people around the world. The record shows that these debates have escalated.

I fully expect a continuation of these verbal exchanges, particularly between the various powers as they jockey for position on the stage of world affairs. In fact, many may look at the contest and conclude that it is a classic game of transnational politics and that their concerns and energies must be directed toward more immediate matters. Some might even say that international affairs are so far removed from domestic issues that we should look the other way.

But when we examine what is involved, it becomes transparently clear that the global search for human rights is in close kinship to the day-to-day struggle which confronts millions of people in the U.S., and those matters which affect the lives of thousands in every American hamlet, village and town.

Our experience has shown that the matter of human relations and human rights usually is examined from the perspective of political observations and social contexts. And the emphasis is placed on the constant needs in these areas. But we would advance the notion that political and social rights mean little without the existence of economic justice and economic democracy. I am of the opinion that human rights must be assured through the existence of political democracy—institutions through which every person can enjoy peace and the pursuit of happiness.

Rev. King recognized that the absence of economic justice—or economic democracy—translates into matters about which much of the nation is concerned:

l. Housing: It is axiomatic that the Black, brown and the poor of the country still believe that home ownership is security. And that home ownership is a hallmark of good and responsible citizenship. And we know that home ownership is good for the building industry and thereby improves the condition of the economy. Just about every working person aspires to home ownership.

2. Health: It is fairly clear that good health care is a salable commodity. And that its economic nature places it at the door of those who can afford to pay.

3. Education: History reveals that Black and poor people have always looked to education as one of the sure paths to participation in the American dream. Our ancestors risked life and limb to obtain education for their children, and, for themselves, some exposure to the joy and utilitarian quality of education. Long before Benjamin Roberts sued the city of Boston (in 1849) for equal access to educational resources, Black and poor people have known the value of education.

Power, prestige, political influence, social status and wealth are obtained by birth, gift or through one's personal efforts. And let there be no confusion about it, personal effort means education and training.

There are those who say that the value of an education is on the decline. That is not the case. And unfortunately, the struggle for economic and social justice is in the forefront of those movements which would increase our numbers and percentage in some of the important professional and graduate schools in the country.

M. L. King would have the Black, brown and poor demand the substantive, long-term developmental support from the government's use of our tax dollars; we must organize our own business enterprises, around mutual support rather than mass dependence on the government. We must, finally, face the reality that only we can save ourselves. We must face up to the reality that none of the privileged institutions, individuals or groups which comprise America's power brokers will favor or sponsor changes in our society which are anything more than cosmetic. If we expect those who oppress us to relieve us of the oppression voluntarily, we are mistaken. We are the ones who must change the situation. Our priorities must reflect the needs of our people.


Dr. Walter J. Leonard

Dr. Walter J. Leonard is a distinguished educator and widely published author, a former president of Fisk University and Special Assistant to the President of Harvard University. An eyewitness to one of the most tumultuous periods in recent American history, he was present in the Supreme Court when the Brown v. Board decision was handed down. For the many years following, he remained a friend and confidant of the leaders of the Civil Rights movement and today continues to share publicly his humane reflections on the state of race relations in America.

RFK Remembered

Thursday, June 5 at 8 p.m. MPT will be the first television station since 1968 to broadcast Robert Kennedy Remembered, a tribute honoring the late politician’s life and work on the 40th anniversary of his assassination.

The Academy Awardwinning film by Charles Guggenheim was broadcast just once on all television networks when it was shown during the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention. This moving film tribute to a man who had hoped to win the presidency created an historic moment when it brought the proceedings to a standstill and the crowd, in tears, to its feet. It hasn’t been seen on television since.

Commissioned by the Kennedy family, the film begins with the funeral train to Washington, D.C., and follows the triumphs and tragedies in the late senator’s life through extraordinary newsreel footage, archival stills and home movies.

The film was produced in only four weeks—two months after the senator’s assassination—in order to meet the convention deadline. Charles Guggenheim, with the country’s resources at his fingertips, worked around the clock to complete this poignant eulogy and compelling reflection on the spirit, quality and commitment RFK brought to his life and work. Richard Burton narrates. The film went on to win an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Subject.

These are 30 goosebump-inducing minutes you won't want to miss.