CPB Awards $350,000 in Veterans Coming Home: Finding What Works Grants to 14 Public Media Stations

Washington, D.C. (May 1, 2018) —The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) today announced grants totaling $350,000 to 14 public media stations for Veterans Coming Home: Finding What Works, a digital-first content and engagement project. The project will focus on successful examples of veterans “finding what works” as they transition to civilian life: advancing their education, furthering their careers and contributing to their communities.

“One of the most important ways public media honors and supports those who serve our country is telling their stories of commitment, courage and perseverance,” said Pat Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. “As veterans return to civilian life, public media is connecting these men and women and their talents to a productive future through jobs and careers.”

The new grants are the third phase of public media’s Veterans Coming Home project, which has featured nearly 200 digital veteran-related stories, shared across public media, partner organizations and social media since 2016. The videos, including locally produced stories, have been viewed more than 4.5 million times as part of a cohesive national digital series and innovative campaign to help bridge the military-civilian divide.

The stations participating in Veterans Coming Home: Finding What Works will produce local digital content as part of a co-production and social media campaign with national producer The Kindling Group and Wisconsin Public Television.

“Wisconsin Public Television is honored to once again serve in the lead station role for CPB’s Veterans Coming Home as public media continues its work in support of our military veterans and their families,” said Jon Miskowski, Director of Television at Wisconsin Public Television. “WPT has a long tradition of working with, and on behalf of, our state’s veterans. Veterans Coming Home is an excellent platform for giving voice to our veterans and helping bridge transitional issues with the general public. We’re proud of our work and public media’s continued role in veteran’s issues.”

Stations will convene local organizations, community leaders and engaged citizens to increase dialogue around “what works” for post 9/11 veterans’ reintegration. The events and social media engagement will launch over the summer and culminate in a digital series to premiere on Veterans’ Day, November 11, 2018.

“By continuing to look holistically at what makes for a successful transition for veterans, these stories are raising awareness and deepening conversations that help actualize the incredible potential that veterans bring to their communities in civilian life,” said Danny Alpert, Executive Director of Kindling Group.

The 14 stations each receiving $25,000 grants to participate in Veterans Coming Home: Finding What Works include:  

AETN (Little Rock, AR)

Arizona PBS (Phoenix, AZ)

East Tennessee PBS (Knoxville, TN)

KALA-FM (Davenport, IA)

KBTC (Tacoma, WA)

KCPT (Kansas City, MO)

KSFR-FM (Santa Fe, NM)

Louisiana Public Broadcasting (Baton Rouge, LA)

Montana Public Radio (Missoula, MT) in collaboration with Montana PBS (Bozeman, MT)

Rhode Island PBS (Providence, RI)

WHRO (Norfolk, VA)

Wisconsin Public Television (Madison, WI)

WQED (Pittsburgh, PA)

WUSF (Tampa, FL)

About Veterans Coming Home

Veterans Coming Home is a collaborative, multi-platform effort to highlight innovative, effective programs and individuals that are leading the way to better outcomes for veterans transitioning to civilian life. Combining public media storytelling, local station convenings, deep local partnerships, and innovative digital distribution and dialogue, Veterans Coming Home is moving the narrative beyond traditional veteran stereotypes to build understanding of veterans’ value to their communities and ease their transitions to civilian life.

About Kindling Group

Kindling Group is a nonfiction media studio that produces outstanding documentaries and impact campaigns to inspire, entertain, and ignite change.  Kindling’s long form documentaries (Radical Grace, @home, The Calling, A Doula Story) have aired on PBS, other broadcasters and around the world. Its innovative digital documentary campaigns (CPB’s Veterans Coming Home and ITVS’ Pulling the Thread.) are reaching millions online. For all its work, Kindling combines highly crafted, award-winning media that explores today’s most pressing issues and innovative strategies that takes this media across platforms to create measurable and lasting impact.  The cross-pollination of KG’s documentaries, digital media, impact campaigns and work for leading NGOs and social causes fuels its innovation and belief in the power media as a tool for change.

About WPT

Wisconsin Public Television is an essential resource that brings a balanced and independent perspective to news and documentaries; shares the stories of Wisconsin and its residents; inspires learning to broaden personal horizons; exposes new generations to music, art, theater and dance; and opens children’s minds to new worlds of discovery. Wisconsin Public Television is a place to grow through learning on WHA-TV, Madison; WPNE-TV, Green Bay; WHRM-TV, Wausau; WLEF-TV, Park Falls; WHLA- TV, La Crosse; and WHWC-TV, Menomonie-Eau Claire.

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 nearly 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit http://www.cpb.org, follow on Twitter @CPBmedia,  Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe for email updates.