Posted on December 9th, 2011

National contest challenges students and professionals

Austin, TX — KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, is one of 12 stations nationwide chosen to participate in the National STEM Video Game Challenge grant. KLRU will bring local middle school and high school students together with game developer mentors and education experts to create new games to compete in this national contest.

Inspired by the Educate to Innovate Campaign, President Obama’s initiative to promote a renewed focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, the National STEM Video Game Challenge is a multi-year competition whose goal is to motivate interest in STEM learning among America’s youth by tapping into students’ natural passion for playing and making video games.

In early 2012, KLRU will bring mentors from Austin’s vibrant gaming community together with youth from one area middle school and one high school. The teams of students will work to create games to be entered into the national contest. KLRU will also document the creative process on the station’s blog. Game developers who would like to participate in the mentoring project should contact KLRU at 471-4811.

The National STEM Video Game Challenge has four categories — Middle School, High School, Collegiate, Educators — and is open to any U.S. citizen or legal U.S. resident  To participate in the challenge as an individual or a non-KLRU team, please see the rules and guidelines for each level on the competition’s website at stemchallenge.org. Deadline to enter is March 12.

About KLRU:
KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, presents quality multimedia content that engages people in the thoughtful exchange of ideas, the expression of the arts, and enjoyable lifelong learning opportunities, resulting in a more vibrant community and a higher quality of life. In addition to providing locally produced and quality national television programming, KLRU is also a non-profit organization helping to build a stronger community through educational workshops, community engagement projects and public events. Known as the producing station of the longest-running live music television show AUSTIN CITY LIMITS, KLRU has also worked on several other national productions including OVERHEAD WITH EVAN SMITH and documentaries like CITIZEN ARCHITECT and LAST BEST HOPE. Get more information about KLRU at klru.org.

Posted on November 22nd, 2011

Jim Lehrer from PBS NewsHour with Austin High School students

Guest blog by Laura Laufer
senior media arts student at Austin High School

Having been involved with the PBS Student Reporting Labs for the last year as a junior, it was a real treat to be able to tour the KLRU studio and view one of the tapings for Overheard with Evan Smith with Jim Lehrer as the guest. It was only a year ago when my teacher was showing me a video clip of Mr. Lehrer addressing me and my classmates about the journey we were about to take working with the PBS NewsHour Extra website. Having only seen a high school media studio it was mind blowing to walk around the maze of KLRU’s office to see studios the size of our classroom and a control board that looked like something off of a spaceship. It was not only the size that was impressive, but the staff of KLRU is truly amazing; being able to watch them in their element was enjoyable and enlightening. (See photos from this taping on KLRU’s Flickr page)

The taping was my favorite part, listening to Jim Lehrer crack jokes about all of the politicians he’s interviewed was the highlight of my day. My parents were also jealous that I got to sit in on such an influential political figurehead which made the gloating that much more enjoyable. It was a learning experience as well. Being the youngest crowd there Overheard gave insight to the class about the inner workings of political interviews, a process that had never been explained to us. (more…)

Posted on November 14th, 2011

November 10, 2011 — This month’s Literacy Night/Meals for Minds at Pickle Elementary on Tuesday, November 15th, will focus on the KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, program Sesame Street’s Food for Thought. The project will help approximately 400 families in the Austin area.

Sesame Street’s Food for Thought, a bilingual, multimedia program, is designed to help families coping with uncertain or limited access to affordable and nutritious food. With a focus on families with children ages birth to 8, the project provides resources including recipes, menu guides, shopping lists and tips for families. Sesame Street’s Food for Thought also features one of the show’s newest characters that will help children learn about food issues.

“It’s an important sign of the times that Sesame Street has introduced a new Muppet, Lily, who lives with food uncertainty, and that the nationwide reaction to Lily has been so strong,” said Ben Kramer, KLRU’s Director of Educational Services. “We’re thankful to take part in this project, a remarkable collaboration of Austin organizations tackling hunger, nutrition, and education.”

November’s Literacy Night/Meals for Minds at Pickle Elementary takes place from 5-7:30 p.m. on November 15th and includes dinner for the invited families, teaching activities and food distribution. The event is part of a Target and Capital Area Food Bank grant called Meals for Minds, which brings food to feed elementary school students and their families most in need. With nearly 1 in 4 Texas children now living at risk of hunger the Capital Area Food Bank in partnership with Target, created this program to combat childhood hunger, and its impact on children’s education, while increasing parental involvement in their child’s education. Other sponsoring agencies include Austin ISD, City of Austin Parks and Recreation, Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department, Austin Public Library.

About KLRU:
KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, presents quality multimedia content that engages people in the thoughtful exchange of ideas, the expression of the arts, and enjoyable lifelong learning opportunities, resulting in a more vibrant community and a higher quality of life. In addition to providing locally produced and quality national television programming, KLRU is also a non-profit organization helping to build a stronger community through educational workshops, community engagement projects and public events. Known as the producing station of the longest-running live music television show AUSTIN CITY LIMITS, KLRU has also worked on several other national productions including OVERHEAD WITH EVAN SMITH and documentaries like CITIZEN ARCHITECT and LAST BEST HOPE. Get more information about KLRU at klru.org.

Posted on November 1st, 2011

After months of trading ten-dollar bills to sit in a theater for two hours, while disappointing films like Transformers III, The Hangover 2, and Rise of the Apes flashed in front of me, I was quickly losing faith in the film industry the way the Autobots lost faith in their fearless leader Optimus Prime when a Decepticon cuts off Optimus’ arm in battle.

Enter: the Austin Film Festival.

For those feeling like they’ve been wandering through a barren desert of movies that deliver a message shallower than a gutter puddle, the Austin Film Festival provided an oasis for weary blockbuster-filmgoers to take shelter and feast.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the Austin Film Festival, tune into KLRU’s series, On Story. Showcasing exclusive footage from past festival panels, as well as interviews with the screenwriters and filmmakers behind the films, On Story gives viewers a chance to experience the Austin Film Festival in a unique way. Every episode of On Story pairs interviews and panel discussions with a short film from a Texas filmmaker who was featured at the Austin Film Festival.

As a first-time festivalgoer, I had no idea what to expect, so I decided my only objective would be to see and do as much as possible on Saturday and Sunday. Below is a tasting of some of the films I saw, including ones that made me think “what on earth?”, films I appreciated, but did not necessarily love, and films that made me want to be a better person:
(more…)

Posted on September 30th, 2011

The Still Water Foundation has just awarded KLRU-TV a $25,000 grant to help establish the Inspiration Fund.

The Inspiration Fund is an opportunity for donors to support comprehensive services at our station:  local productions, outreach and education activities including Ready To Learn, Community Screenings, Community Cinema and Spark! @ The Moody Theater.  Each of these elements frames KLRU as a trusted window to the world with universal access to educational and creative content in and beyond Austin.

KLRU is deeply grateful to the Still Water Foundation for its past support of our station.  Their continued investment in our mission will help bring pioneering programs, authentic engagement and meaningful acquisitions to Central Texans.  Thank you!

Posted on September 22nd, 2011

Independent Television Service (ITVS) recently awarded KLRU a $750 Women & Girls Lead grant to fund costs associated with a Community Cinema screening in early September at Windsor Park Branch Library.

Women and Girls Lead is a multiyear public media initiative to leverage independent documentary film and public service engagement to amplify the voices of women and girl leaders, expand understanding of gender equity, and engage a network of citizens and organizations to tune in and get involved.

Community Cinema brings communities together through independent film by providing resources and opportunities for education, engagement, and action — transforming film and public broadcasting into powerful resources for individuals, communities and organizations.  Community Cinema presents a different documentary the first Tuesday of the month at a public library.

Peace Unveiled is the film that took center stage on September 6th.  It told the story of three women who organized in late 2009 when ground was being laid for peace talks with the Taliban.  In order to protect women’s interests, they maneuvered against formidable odds to have their voices heard in a peace jirga and high peace council.

Peggy Kelsey of The Afghan Women’s Project spoke at the event about her personal visits to Afghanistan.  She had interviewed a few of the women in the film for her book.  Gaea Logan, a psychologist who started the Dakur project and who specializes in neurology behind psychological states, also spoke.  She discussed the psychological strength it took the women to stand up and demand to be heard in front of the war lords who were on the peace panel.  Audience discussion primarily focused on the topic of hope for the future of Afghanistan, and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn more about the issues presented in the screening.

Thank you, ITVS, for making this Community Cinema event possible!

Posted on September 21st, 2011

The City of Austin Cultural Arts Division recently announced its funding allocations for the 2012 fiscal year.  KLRU was awarded $9,000 to support the creation of new Arts In Context specials. This represents an increase in funding from the first year of our contract, which granted our station $3,862.

Arts In Context is an original KLRU production which reflects the creative culture in our local community and explores the people and things which make our lives more interesting — from the biggest bands to the unsung heroes, from the celebrated auteur to the starving artist.  Shot in high-definition and edited to present the same kind of quality you have come to expect from PBS national productions, Arts In Context fosters new creativity and talent as a vibrant representation of the performing arts in Austin.

This initiative is a “win” four times over:  KLRU succeeds in fulfilling its mission to bring the magic of local arts productions to viewers; Austin-based arts organizations that partner with us gain exposure and build name-recognition; Austin’s reputation for thriving, creative culture is strengthened; and affiliate PBS stations gain access to new content.

We are thrilled to continue partnering with the City in this endeavor — thank you!

Posted on August 26th, 2011

A free screening of the KLRU documentary Wildflowers: Seeds of History will take place on Monday, August 29, at 6:45 pm at the Flower Mound Public Library, 3030 Broadmoor Lane, Flower Mound, TX 75022. Space is limited so please RSVP by visiting the Library’s Information Desk or by calling 972.874.6165

Wildflowers: Seeds of History
A trip through the legends, facts, and ecological impact behind Texas Wildflowers. Discover what wildflowers are really doing, their historical use for food and medicine, and how they grow. Produced definition video in the stellar wildflower season of spring 2010. DVDs of this documentary are available for sale at klru.org/wildflowers

Hosted by volunteers representing:
The Mound Foundation
Keep Flower Mound Beautiful
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
KLRU-TV, Austin PBS

Posted on July 14th, 2011

Rarely seen Austin City Limits footage will be shown in a special screening series at Alamo Drafthouse theaters this summer! KLRU and the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema have teamed up for a series of screenings of classic ACL performances beginning Monday, July 25th.

The first screening of the Reel Rarities: Handpicked Gems from the ACL Vault series will be the Austin City Limits pilot episode featuring Willie Nelson, followed by highlights from the ACL archives. The performance that started it all was taped in 1974 and includes hits such as “Whiskey River” and more. Monday, July 25th at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz and Monday, August 1st at the Alamo Drafthouse Village.

The Alamo Drafthouse wrote: Is there anyone on earth who doesn’t love Willie Nelson? He is one of those Texans we can all look at and say, “Yep, that’s our guy.” And he was the only fitting choice to kick off a little TV show that originated here to showcase the best of Texas and other roots music to the whole world through long-form live concerts. Alamo Drafhouse will screen the full pilot episode of ACL as well as selected clips of other great performances from the show.

Tickets to attend Reel Rarities: Handpicked Gems from the ACL Vault screenings are $5 each and all proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. Learn more about HAAM here: myhaam.org Tickets can be purchased at: drafthouse.com.

Posted on July 14th, 2011