CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—March 15, 2010—WTCI-TV (PBS) is launching the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest, a national competition designed to promote the advancement of children’s reading skills through hands-on, active learning.  The effort encourages children in grades K-5 in WTCI's 35-county viewing area and communities across the country to celebrate the power of creating stories and illustrations.  The deadline for entries is Thursday, April 15, 2010.

“This contest is one our favorite outreach activities at WTCI,” said Paul Grove, WTCI President and CEO. “Not only does it encourage a life-long love for reading, it encourages children to use their imagination and share their creativity with others. This is just one example of the dynamic educational services WTCI provides to the community.”

The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest extends the powerful tradition and annual success of the 15 year national “Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest,” originally created by WNED-TV Buffalo/Toronto and NET Nebraska.  The new Contest is produced by WNED-TV, Buffalo/Toronto and PBS. The contest attracts over 500 entries locally and more than 40,000 entries nationally each year.

“We know from research that there is an important connection between writing and the development of early literacy skills, critical cornerstones for school readiness and achievement,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS. “PBS KIDS GO! uses the power of media to open up the worlds of letters and words for all children, encouraging them to explore ways to communicate more effectively.”

All children that enter the contest will receive a Certificate of Achievement, and WTCI will honor first, second and third place winners in each grade with prizes, a trophy and an awards ceremony held at WTCI's broadcast center. First place local winners in grades K-3 will be entered into the national level of the Contest where a renowned panel of judges will identify the national winners.  Winners will be announced and national prizes, including laptops, digital cameras and MP3 players, will be awarded in summer 2010.

Complete rules for the contest and entry forms may be obtained online or by calling Jennifer Hoff, Director of Public Relations, at (423) 309-7464.  In addition, contest information is also available on a new PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest Web site at pbskids.org/read. It will include the winning stories in each of the Contest categories, as well as a searchable archive.

There are minimum and maximum word requirements for each grade level, and all stories submitted must also have a minimum of five illustrations. There is no charge to enter the contest. Parents, teachers, afterschool programs, and other community organizations are encouraged to get children involved in the contest.

The contest is sponsored locally by Boyd Buchanan, Chattem, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Dr. Joseph Chung, and Lawson Electric.

“WNED is proud to continue its leadership role in literacy for public television through the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest,” said WNED President and CEO Donald K. Boswell.  “Building on the important legacy of Reading Rainbow, this new contest ushers the powerful mission of our programs directly into the homes and classrooms of the community, motivating young students to create and imagine.”

The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest is produced by WNED-TV, Buffalo/Toronto and PBS,

and is part of PBS KIDS Raising Readers, a national initiative which uses the power of public media to build the reading skills of children ages 2-to-8, with an emphasis on children from low-income families.  The effort is funded by a Ready To Learn grant from the U.S. Department of Education, part of a cooperative agreement with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), PBS and The Ready To Learn Partnership.

About WTCI-TV (PBS)

WTCI, PBS for the Tennessee Valley, has been helping the community “Be more connected” for 40 years by encouraging our viewers to engage more deeply in the world around them. WTCI was recently named the 2010 Nonprofit of the Year by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, a testament to the dedication of our staff, board of directors, and volunteers. WTCI reaches over 312,000 households and serves a total population of over 850,000 in a four-state, 35-county viewing area. Through quality programming and educational outreach services, WTCI can help you “Be More!”.

About PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO!

PBS KIDS, for preschoolers, and PBS KIDS GO!, for early elementary school kids, offer all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and community-based programs. With positive role models and content designed to nurture a child’s total well-being, PBS’s children’s media and family and educator resources - including PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! television series, PBSKIDS.org, PBSKIDSGO.org, PBS Parents (PBSPARENTS.org), PBS Teachers (PBSTEACHERS.org), PBS KIDS Raising Readers and literacy events across the country - leverage the full spectrum of media, technology and community to build knowledge, critical thinking, imagination and curiosity. Empowering children for success in school and in life, only PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! have earned the unanimous endorsement of parents, children, industry leaders and teachers. In September 2008, PBS KIDS GO! launched its video player (PBSKIDSGO.org/video), featuring hundreds of video clips and dozens of full-length episodes. Since launch, the site is averaging 1.3 million streams per week. PBSKIDS.org averages nine million unique visitors a month. PBS is a nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation’s 356 public television stations, serving more than 115 million people on-air and online each month. For more information on specific shows supporting literacy, science, math, and more, visit PBS.org/pressroom.

The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest is part of PBS KIDS Raising Readers, which is funded in part by a Ready To Learn grant, in a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Education and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The contents of these contest rules were developed under a grant, #PRU295B050003, from the Department of Education.  However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.