National / Local Activities, Conferences and Special Events

ITVS COMMUNITY CAMPAIGNS will be tracking local and national Country Boys inspired activities.
List your event or activity and learn about what others are doing!!

SOUTH

Blue Ridge PTV - Roanoke, VA
Blue Ridge is establishing a partnership planning committee of youth service organizations and institutions in Southwest and Central Virginia to advise and plan how to use Country Boys to bring attention to the issues of at-risk youth. A live call-in discussion program post Country Boys broadcast will feature guest experts and phone bank volunteers from regional community service organizations that will answer questions and make referrals to youth based organizations and register mentors and volunteers. The effort will be augmented by the creation of a special web page that will serve as a central destination for links to community services and organizations.
Activity partners: Foundation for Roanoke Valley, regional Bid Brothers Big Sisters, Total Action Against Poverty, Boys and Girls Club, Child Health investment Partnership, Bedford Community Coalition.
For more information: contact Sandra S. Broughton, sbroughton@wbra.org

Atlanta, GA (details coming soon)

WVA PTV - Charleston, WV
West Virginia Public Broadcasting will collaborate with Youth Build of North Central West Virginia (YBNC) and its network of partners on an outreach campaign, which will use Country Boys resources as tools to focus on the impact of youth in interpersonal relationships and the social context of these relationships. YBNC will develop a project-based learning assignment requiring program participants to perform research, promote viewing of Country Boys content and conduct follow-up discussions that will encourage adult mentorship for at-risk youth and build awareness of the developmental and nurturing needs of boys.
Activity partners: Youth-Build, Life Reflections, Youth Health Service, Elkins Workforce WV Center.
For more information: contact Robin Pyle, rpyle@wvpubcast.org

KET - Lexington, KY
KET, in partnership with Kentucky Center for School Safety, America’s Promise, 4-H and Kentucky Child Now, will conduct outreach focused on successfully registering a state partnership with MENTOR. KET and partners will put together a planning group for the state partner registration and have set the goal to be a sate partner by January 2006. KET and partners will also be promoting individual registration on MENTOR.org through conference sessions and outreach opportunities. Country Boys program outreach materials will be aligned to America’s Promise 5 Promises to inspire adults to become mentors and register as such on MENTOR.org. The MENTOR website will be promoted as a resource for positive youth development.
For more information: contact Carrie Grate, cgrate@ket.org

EAST

WSKG - Binghamton, NY
WSKG is planning a four-week camp for at-risk middle schools students in a rural school district. Three weeks of camp will concentrate on life-building skills. During the last week, students will be paired with high school senior mentors for Project Adventure team building and self-esteem enhancing activities. During the school year, students will meet regularly with counselors and teachers who will track their progress. Student’s families will be included in picnics, home visits and a screening/discussion of Country Boys. WSKG plans to create a CD with student interviews to offer to schools and organizations that may be interested in mentor programs.
Activity partners: Family and Children’s Society, Harpursville Central School Counseling and teachers
For more information: contact Carolyn Weston, Carolyn_Weston@wskg.pbs.org

Philadelphia, PA (details coming soon)

WGBH - Boston (details coming soon)

Washington, D.C. (details coming soon)

MID-WEST

WFWA - Fort Wayne, IN
In an effort to foster enduring relationships between youth and adults, WFWA is partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Indiana to promote mentoring and assist with recruitment of volunteers. A planned recruitment strategy includes a 30 minute live call-in program for matching mentors and provide on-going case management.
For more information: contact Susie Pierce, susanpeirce@wfwa.org

WNIN - Evansville, IN
WNIN, in partnership with Youth First, Inc., Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ohio Valley, and additional local social service agencies, will promote and produce a live television forum to air following the Country Boys documentary. The primary purpose of the forum is to increase discussion and awareness of local resources available to provide support to at-risk youth. The secondary purpose is to recruit mentors for organizations that provide such services. In the one hour moderated forum, experts from local service organizations will outline their services and answer questions from the studio audience and viewers who phone in.
For more information: contact Steve Cato scato@wnin.org

WCMU - Mt. Pleasant, MI
WCMU is planning activities on the following: (1) Conduct focus groups with teens, parents and community members. (2) Using the National Issues Forums model, conduct a community forum regarding adolescents’ needs, community responsibility and the possibility of the need for local policy change. (3) Collaborate with “Mentor Michigan” to produce and air a follow-up program that promotes mentoring and recruits volunteers. (4) Conduct a feasibility study on establishing a non-profit teen center on CMU’s campus, using college students as staff/mentors, and providing a variety of social/emotional & physical health/academic services in a “one-stop shopping” environment.
Activity partners: Mentor Michigan, Central MI University, representation from Mt Pleasant Schools, Community Foundation, Chippewa Tribe
For more information: contact Linda Dielman, dielm1lk@cmich.edu

WQPT - Moline, IL
WQPT is partnering with five local youth advocacy organizations from eastern Iowa and western Illinois to expand valuable mentoring, adolescent development and substance abuse prevention outreach initiatives. Our multi-state partnership will enable WQPT to produce local outreach programs that augment the three-part series of Country Boys; increase the number of mentors within the WQPT area, support discussion and build awareness of the developmental needs of youth, connect teens and family to substance abuse programs, and strengthen partnerships to provide better access to services to youth. Activity partners: Arrowhead Ranch, Black Hawk College, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Quad Cities, Center for Alcohol & Drug Service
For more information: contact Ana T. Kehoe, kehoea@bhc.edu

WTTW - Chicago, IL
Throughout the Chicago area, there are many service organizations that focus on addressing the growing needs of children and youth. The WTTW/Country Boys outreach campaign will focus on elevating communication among selected project partners to support a mentoring recruitment campaign for youth. Through WTTW coordinated outreach initiatives, the campaign would build awareness about the need for adult mentors. The program will also seek various businesses and organizational outlets that will support the initiative by participating in youth mentoring programs.
Activity partners: Chapin Hall Center for Children (U of Chicago), Chicago Dept of Family and Children Services, Advisory Council of National League of Ciities Institute for Youth, Education and Families & NLC member, YMCA, Tutor-Mentor Connections, Center for Faith & Health
For more information: contact Shaunese Teamer, steamer@wttw.com

WILL - Urbana, IL
WILL is currently planning for a Town Hall Meeting in January 2006 involving Country Boys and how the issues raised in the film impact local communities.
For more information: contact Kimberley Kranich, kranich@uiuc.edu

South Dakota Public Broadcasting - Vermillion, SD
South Dakota PB is currently working with local organization to plan Country Boys outreach activities and community screenings.
Activity partners include: Prairie View Prevention Services, Inc., Meth Awareness and Prevention Project Sioux Falls, New Beginnings.
For more information: contact Sherri Rodgers, Sherri.Rodgers@state.sd.us

WEST

KTOO - Juneau, AK
KTOO-TV proposes to invite local youth currently involved with Juneau Youth Services, a local non-profit providing shelter and social services to at-risk youth, to attend a screening of Country Boys and participate in a post-show discussion. We will also invite health care and education providers to attend this event. They will then hold a second discussion recorded for broadcast in conjunction with the national airing of Country Boys.
Activity partners: Juneau Youth Services, Johnson Youth Center, Big Brother Big Sisters, University of Alaska SE, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
For more information: contact Bill Legere, bill@ktoo.org

Los Angeles, CA (details coming soon)

KBDI - Denver, CO
KBDI will produce a one-hour live broadcast devoted to highlighting the need for mentors and the positive effect that mentoring organizations are having on at-risk youth. Using the resources and experience of Denver Metro Partners, KBDI-TV plans to develop this program for broadcast during the season when mentoring programs are in their greatest need for new adult volunteers.
To get involved: contact Kim Johnson, kim_Johnson@kbdi.pbs.org

KRMJ Grand Junction, CO / 4-H Colorado State University Cooperative Extension
Country Boys Screening and Community Dialogue on January 5th in partnership with Men Against Violence and Family First.
To get involved: contact lfortson@coop.ext.colostate.edu for more information

Boise, ID (details coming soon)

Seattle, WA (details coming soon)

COUNTRY BOYS: Conferences and Special Events

Country Boys Premiere Screening and Community Engagement Campaign Reception
Mountain Arts Center
Prestonsburg, Kentucky
ITVS Community Campaigns, KET Community Outreach and David Sutherland Productions are partnering for an outreach reception prior to the Premiere Screening of the Country Boys Series to introduce a new mentoring initiative for the state of Kentucky.
For more information: contact locsi_ferra@itvs.org

82nd Annual National League of Cities: Congress of Cities and Exposition
December 6-10, 2005
Charlotte, North Carolina
Country Boys materials will have an exhibition booth for free distribution of outreach materials.
For more information: visit http://www.nlc.org/Conferences%5F%5F%5FEvents/

Kentucky League of Cities Conference
Louisville, Kentucky
October 5-8, 2005
Country Boys will have an exhibition booth that will screen the trailer and distribute Country Boys resources.
For more information: visit www.klc.org/

2005 National Summit: National League of Cities Institute for Youth Education and Families
September 25-27, 2005
San Antonio, Texas
Country Boys will have an exhibition booth that will screen the trailer and distribute Country Boys resources.
For more information: visit www.nlc.org/IYEF/

2005 Safe School Successful Students
Louisville, Kentucky
Sept 20, 2005
Session: Country Boys: A Media Resource for Safer Schools
This interactive session explores the developmental needs of adolescents through the use of the Country Boys Outreach and Educational Module and Discussion Guide. The session featured: Country Boys’ Cody Perkins, Judy Flavell from KET, Locsi Ferra representing ITVS, Dorris Settles and guests from Kentucky Child Now.

If you'd like to request Country Boys content, resources or speakers at a conference, please contact Locsi Ferra, locsi_ferra@itvs.org.