Northern Virginia Chapter Helps County Earn Regional Emmy
Fairfax County Public Schools won a regional Emmy Award in June for the second installment of its documentary series
The series features four interactive electronic field trips designed for students in grades four through eight. It aims to introduce students to the mathematics and science principles involved in the evolution of flight. “
Sue Hoffman, AFCEA regional vice president, notes, “[The documentary series] seemed like the perfect way to do an outreach to children in math and science. You can’t go to high school seniors and say, ‘Do you want to be an engineer?’ This is where you have to catch them.”
The documentary project began in 2006, when Hoffman and Maribeth Luftglass, assistant superintendent and chief information officer for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), discussed a potential partnership between their organizations. Hoffman and Luftglass approached FCPS’ Department of Information Technology about producing a national educational outreach project through the Fairfax Network, which produces distance-learning programs that originate in FCPS.
The documentary’s concepts in part stemmed from a previous program the Fairfax Network co-produced with the
Heather Daniels, producer of the Emmy-winning installment, agrees. “The amazing backdrop of the museum creates a new world for students to get lost in. And while they are lost in this world, they don’t even realize they are learning history, math, science, technology and engineering.”
Jewell credits Hoffman; Luftglass; Daniels; Donna Franklin, coordinator of the multimedia service center and a founder of the Fairfax Network; Doug Baldwin, chief of education for the Udvar-Hazy Center; and Sandra Brennan, producer of the first installment in the series, for helping fund the project. Luftglass acknowledges Hoffman’s consistent support throughout the project’s stages. “She has been a true champion, providing promotion and content support and enthusiastic encouragement every step of the way,” Luftglass shares.
Daniels also is grateful for the support the Northern Virginia Chapter as a whole provided. She notes, “The resources [the chapter] provided were invaluable and took this program well beyond anything I could have created without them. The Fairfax Network is a better resource because of our relationship with our partners.”
The final installment of the series will air on October 8 at 1 p.m. EDT from the
Additional information about the program is available online.
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