University of Wisconsin - Extension

A three-year-old in a Sauk County Head Start program building a block tower may appear to be far removed from the University of Wisconsin-Extension's Office of the Chancellor. Yet a decision made in that office last fall could have more of an impact on this toddler than first assumed.

The three-year-old will benefit from a $25,000 one-year cross-divisional grant built around The Whole Child project, which marries the outreach capabilities of Cooperative Extension's Family Living Office and the broadcasting and other information resources of Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) to enhance the skills of Wisconsin's child-care providers.

Broadcasts focus on care for young children

The Whole Child, a 13-part series broadcast last winter on WPT, outlines information about children's physical, social, emotional, cognitive and brain development with a focus on cutting-edge developments in child care for the critical years from birth to age five.

WebTV Plus offers opportunities for interaction

WPT enhanced the broadcasts with interactive Web components and gave WebTV Plus terminals to eight counties: Calumet, Outagamie (partnering with Winnebago), Manitowoc (partnering with Kewaunee), Columbia (partnering with Adams and Sauk), Eau Claire, Langlade, Clark, and Richland. An additional eight counties used the broadcasts and print resources, without the WebTV component, to spark professional discussions. These counties included Burnett, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Price, Shawano and Taylor.

WebTV Plus boxes were hooked up to televisions and VCRs at County Extension training sites. Together family living agents and care providers watched The Whole Child and accessed Internet links and exclusive interactive content related to the program. Alternatively, they could download the information, save it and reference it at a later date.

Web site provides learning materials

In addition to the broadcasts, the project includes a Web site with Wisconsin-specific links and downloadable PDF worksheet files on topics such as infant development, respecting diversity and building inner controls. Traditional print materials were also used.

"We advertised the availability of grant money through newsletters and other contacts," WPT's Lynne Blinkenberg, project lead, says. "We were able to fund everyone who came forward."

All counties completed their work by the end of April and an evaluation is in process. Early reports are favorable. One participant from Columbia County said she appreciated the project because it helped her "see different needs in different children."

WPT will rebroadcast The Whole Child weekdays at 1:30 p.m. beginning May 21.

For more information: http://www.wpt.org/wholechild/">www.wpt.org/wholechild/