Amid controversy, charter schools — free public schools funded by tax dollars — first opened in the United States 20 years ago, largely in response to low graduation rates and the failure of schools to better prepare students for higher education and the job market. Today, charter schools make up an increasing percentage of the U.S. educational landscape, with approximately 5,000 schools in 41 states.
Tue, 09/24/2013 - 7:00pm
When Kelsey Carroll entered high school, she was a more likely candidate for the juvenile justice system than graduation. Diagnosed with ADHD and carrying the emotional scars of homelessness and substance abuse, as well as the actual scars of repeated self-mutilation, Kelsey was volatile, disruptive and, by her own admission, "not a nice person" to be around.
Mon, 09/23/2013 - 9:00pm
Thanks to digital media, the Internet and new advances in understanding how students learn, educators are beginning to appreciate the importance of breaking out of the classroom and into the wider world. There’s a growing understanding that learning should not just be preparation for life, but is actually “life itself.”
Thu, 09/19/2013 - 7:00pm
Twenty million passengers embark on cruises each year, vacationing in deluxe "floating cities" that offer everything from swimming pools to shopping malls to ice skating rinks. And the ships just keep getting bigger: The average cruise ship has doubled in size in just the last ten years. Some engineers fear that these towering behemoths are dangerously unstable, and the recent tragedy of the Costa Concordia has raised new questions about their safety.
Wed, 09/18/2013 - 7:00pm
The story of a librarian — and a library — like no other. A decade ago, Colombian grade-school teacher Luis Soriano was inspired to spend his weekends bringing a modest collection of precious books, via two hard-working donkeys, to the children of Magdalena Province’s poor and violence-ridden interior.
Great Plains: America's Lingering Wild
Sun, 09/15/2013 - 9:00pm
This two-part program follows photographer Michael Forsberg, as he examines what wildness remains in the plains of North America. Stretching nearly one million square miles down the heart of the continent, the Great Plains is a fragile and threatened ecosystem. Covering a variety of wildlife and habitats, this program introduces a host of dedicated people working to keep the wild alive. Produced by Nebraska Educational TV and based on Forsberg's book of the same name.
Fri, 09/13/2013 - 4:00pm
Mixing humor and heartbreak, the public television special delves into the lab of charismatic professor Dr. Lawrence Shapiro, and follows three irrepressible graduate students as they pursue a Ph.D. degree and race to publish their scientific findings. Their challenge: to decipher the structure and mechanism of a tiny protein that controls the burning and storage of fat.
Faces of America
Tue, 09/10/2013 - 4:00pm
Takes up the search for the guests’ ancestries where the historical record leaves off and links their distinctive family histories to the broader history of “the family of man.” Combining the documented stories of some of the guests’ last known ancestors with DNA evidence, the series travel backward through time to reveal both distant relatives and surprising shared ancestral connections.