UCM’s KMOS PBS Receives Grant to Raise Awareness on Local Environments and Climate

This spring, KMOS PBS was named a recipient of an $8,000 grant from PBS as part of the wider PBS Climate Station Engagement Initiative to build awareness of climate change and encourage community engagement.

KMOS PBS aims to create awareness of climate change and encourage community engagement through the use of thought-provoking content. The efforts include educating communities via screening events and programming that highlights the importance of climate change and its impact on life in central Missouri. To achieve these goals, KMOS PBS will utilize its traditional and digital media resources.

To help make these initiatives possible, KMOS PBS will partner with local government and educational and community partners, including the Runge Conservation Nature Center in Jefferson City, The Liberty Center Association for the Arts in Sedalia and many others.

“We are proud to partner with PBS and some great local partners for this project as we seek to create engagement and enthusiasm surrounding our local environment and our impact on them,” said Scott Alvested, community engagement coordinator for KMOS PBS.

Efforts include two primary components of content creation. At community and station events, KMOS PBS will display and capture video from audiences answering prompted questions such as “I am doing my part to help the environment by ______.” and “Changing weather conditions affect me by _______.” KMOS will then use these short video clips on its digital and social media platforms to foster engagement and discussion.

The second content component involves the KMOS PBS production titled “Focus On,” a series of short digital interviews designed to highlight entities, organizations or individuals working in the fields of environment, climate and sustainability. This production is coordinated, edited and produced entirely by student employees at KMOS PBS.