Dr. Milton Chen Receives Fifth Annual Fred Rogers Award

For Immediate Release on February 7, 2005

Corporation for Public Broadcasting Honors Excellence in Children's Educational Media

WASHINGTON, D.C., FEBRUARY 7, 2005 - Dr. Milton Chen, who has championed the use of technology in learning, is the recipient of the fifth annual Fred Rogers Award for excellence in children's educational media from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Dr. Chen, executive director of the George Lucas Education Foundation since 1998, is a nationally recognized advocate for the effective use of media and innovative technology in schools.

"I can think of no greater honor than one carrying the name of Fred Rogers," said Dr. Chen. "He was a great influence on me as an educator, a parent and a person. I and many others are proud to go on sharing Fred's lessons with today's children, parents, and caregivers."

"Dr. Chen is a preeminent education thinker who, like Fred Rogers, keeps our littlest viewers always at the heart of his work, and we are proud to honor his contributions," said Kathleen Cox, CPB President and CEO.

Before joining GLEF, Chen founded and directed of the San Francisco-based KQED Center for Education and Lifelong Learning where he oversaw the development of content and services (workshops, publications and web sites) for schools, families and the community.

In the mid-1990s, Chen assisted PBS in the design and development of the Ready To Learn Service, a cooperative effort of PBS and the U.S. Department of Education. PBS Ready To Learn (http://www.pbs.org/readytolearn) has helped nearly one million parents and teachers prepare eight million children for success in school through local workshops, free children's books and PBS KIDS TV programming, coupled with educational video spots and accompanying Web sites.

Chen also conducted research for the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop), where he participated in the development of Sesame Street, 3-2-1 Contact and The Electric Company. He is the author of the popular book, The Smart Parent's Guide to Kids' TV, and is the chair of the Rogers Center Advisory council of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media, established in September 2003 to serve as a national and international center for addressing emerging issues affecting children and families.

CPB created the Fred Rogers Award in 2001 to honor an individual or organization that, like the legendary Mr. Rogers, has contributed to excellence in children's educational media, and presented the first award to Mr. Rogers himself. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Rogers hosted the longest running children's television show in history, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. He remained active in children's education until his death in 2003.

Joanne Rogers and CPB Board member Gay Hart Gaines presented the award this past Friday, during the PBS Ready To Learn Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Gaines also served as Master of Ceremonies.

About CPB

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,300 locally-owned and -operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television and related online services.

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