Topics Education Completes Web-Based Educational Project for PBS

01.20.2010 – CHARLOTTE, NC – Topics Education, a strategic communications firm specializing in educational product development, recently completed work for PBS on a website designed to foster economic literacy among students. The online resource, "Access, Analyze, Act: From Economic Theory to Financial Reality” contains content that is important in building a foundation of economic literacy and can be accessed at PBS Teachers®.

“Realizing the lack of economic and financial knowledge among youth in the shadow of the financial crisis, PBS saw an opportunity to create meaningful resources around the issues,” states Bruce Nofsinger, co-founder of Topics Education and leader of their financial education practice area. “We’re passionate about these issues ourselves and fully understand the urgency and need around creating a place for students and teachers to go to better understand our economy.”

Topics Education designed, developed, and produced the website and the content for the initiative, including case studies with original video content that illustrate economic concepts, a multimedia glossary of economic terms, and lesson plans. The lesson plans incorporate multimedia content from PBS partners and encourage high school students to engage with and act upon the information.

The Access, Analyze, Act resource collection is part of the Economy Collaboration project. Through a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a collaboration of public media organizations are producing a wide range of stories and resources on the economy for public and station use. This unique collaboration harnesses the formidable news assets across all of public media to inform the American people about important economic issues in their community – and around the world. Public Media's Economy Story provides a one-stop shop for finding thoughtful editorial coverage of wide-ranging issues facing the American economy and their global implications. Partners in the collaboration include NPR, “The NewsHour,” PBS, PRX, PRI's “The World,” “Marketplace” (American Public Media), “Nightly Business Report,” Youth Radio/Youth Media International (YMI), Capitol News Connection, Public Interactive (PI), WNYC, and KQED.

About Topics Education
Topics Education develops educational programs found at the center of consumer education, workforce development, and philanthropic initiatives. Since 1995, we have helped our corporate, nonprofit, and government clients create programs that engage and educate their various stakeholders in schools, homes, workplaces, and communities. To learn more, please visit TopicsEducation.com.

About PBS
PBS, with its 356 member stations, offers all Americans – from every walk of life – the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches more than 124 million people on-air and online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; hear diverse viewpoints; and take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS’ premier children’s TV programming and Web site, pbskids.org, are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet.