BROADCAST TELEVISION TO HELP FILL THE E-LEARNING GAP
INDIANAPOLIS – April 20, 2020 – DuJuan McCoy, owner, president, and CEO of Circle City Broadcasting (parent company of WISH-TV and MyINDY-TV 23), today announced a partnership with Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) to produce and broadcast academic lessons to IPS students in Grades K–8 five days a week. IPS, along with all other Indiana public schools are closed through the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Lessons will air 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday–Friday on MyINDY-TV 23, beginning April 27 through the end of the school year. Each lesson will vary in length and will cover a variety of subjects, including English, Math, Reading, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL).
McCoy, an Indianapolis native and graduate of Butler University, attended IPS prior to graduating from Ben Davis High School. He knows first-hand the impact this connectivity will have on the more than 24,000 K-8 IPS students in the Indianapolis area.
“We’re very proud to bring these critical broadcasts to students in our community,” said McCoy. “While e-learning is fulfilling the educational needs of some students across the state, many families do not have internet access in their homes. Free broadcast television can help to fill the gap for those without access by providing a link to educational opportunities for all students, regardless of income.”
Although some internet service providers are making free access available, certain limitations can still make this unfeasible for many families. Nearly 99% of all U.S. homes have at least one television, and by simply using an antenna, the free, over-the-air signal of MyINDY-TV 23 should reach the majority of IPS homes.
“We are extremely excited about this new partnership with Circle City Broadcasting as a way to share critical learning with our K–8 families who may not have a computer or internet access,” said IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson. “This adds another layer to the instruction that our students are receiving through the IPS Home Learning Plan and increases access to families who need it most.”
MyINDY-TV 23 is providing production of the lessons, presented by IPS teachers, free of charge. The broadcast lessons will mirror the videos teachers have already recorded on their class pages online and will cover content in the homework packets mailed to families.
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