WOUB Learning Lab wins NETA Public Media Award for its Our Ohio project

The WOUB Learning Lab’s Our Ohio High School Documentary Film Festival was recently honored with a National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) Public Media Award in the Educational Resources for the Classroom category. The award winners were announced at the 56th Annual Public Media Awards on Sept. 15, 2024, at the NETA Conference and CPB Public Media Thought Leader Forum in Pittsburgh.

The Our Ohio project challenges high school students to learn about and explore independent documentary film, Appalachian cultural identity, media literacy and multimedia storytelling. Throughout the course of the school year, the students worked with a team from WOUB including Educational Services Manager Deborah Brewer, Community Engagement and Membership Manager Cheri Russo, News Reporter Theo Peck-Suzuki and Documentary Filmmaker Chris Flanery, as well as Ohio University Scripps College of Communication Media Arts and Studies Associate Professor Brian Plow, to learn how to create documentary films.

“We are so proud of the work of our local high school students,” said Brewer. “It's great to see that NETA recognizes the project as valuable. The more opportunities the students have to share their work, the more investment we get in the program, and the better student work becomes.”

“This project is about empowering students in our region to tell their story in their voice with authenticity,” said Russo. “We are so proud of the work done at WOUB which amplifies the powerful stories of this region.”

The Public Media Awards, presented by NETA, honor their member's work in the highest caliber community engagement, content, education, and marketing and communications. A mosaic of relevant content that reflects both creativity and diversity that paint rich stories of truth and consequence.

“Congratulations to all of this year’s honorees and award recipients,” said NETA President Eric Hyyppa. “The entries were exemplary, showcasing the best of the best from across the public media system.”

With the exception of the overall excellence categories, stations compete within their divisions based on their station size. Awards were judged by a group of expert panelists from within the public media system, as well as industry professionals working outside of public media.

A segment that was part of WOUB’s spring 2024 episode of its new digital and TV series, Foothill Features, called The Land of Giants: The Ohio Art Corridor was also nominated for a NETA Public Media Award in the visual arts category.

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