Lights! Camera! Action!
MPT joins local-national pilot with PBS' ZOOM™!
Local kids featured in Friday episodes

OWINGS MILLS, MD: Maryland Public Television (MPT) viewers will soon be seeing local children when they watch the popular PBS series ZOOM™! MPT is one of only 40 PBS stations participating in a localization pilot project with the series and will begin broadcasting segments featuring local kids on Friday, January 25 at 5:30 pm.

Throughout the year, kids across Maryland will have a chance to be part of the ZOOM™! experience. Local kids will be included in "ZOOM Into Action™" (highlighting and promoting volunteerism) and "whatZup™" (kids share their likes, activities and goings-on) segments as well as show opens and closes.

In the first show of the new season of ZOOM™!, kids from Volunteer Frederick! are featured at the Frederick Community College Children's Center performing puppetry to educate young children about mental health issues such as feelings, peer pressure, stereotyping. In other segments, students from Towson can be seen introducing the show and kids from all over the state share their favorite places in Maryland.

See the following segment lineup to see when kids in your community will be featured.

Friday, January 25
"Hi and Goodbye":
Towson students
"whatZup™":
"Where's your favorite place to go in Maryland?"
"ZOOM Into Action™":
Volunteer Frederick! kids perform at Frederick Community College Children's Center

Friday, February 1
"Hi and Goodbye":
Arlington Elementary students, Baltimore, MD
"whatZup™":
"What's your favorite holiday?"
"ZOOM Into Action™":
Shannon Watt, Hampstead, MD, raising money for bulletproof vests for police dogs

Friday, February 8
"Hi and Goodbye":
Stephen Decatur Middle School students , Berlin, MD; Ocean City Elementary
"whatZup™":
"What do you think is the most important sense and why?"
"ZOOM Into Action™":
Chatsworth School, Reisterstown, MD visits adult daycare center

Friday, February 15
"Hi and Goodbye":
Marlton Elementary School students, Upper Marlboro, MD
"whatZup™":
"What is your pet's name and why did you name it that?
"ZOOM Into Action™":
Junior Girl Scout Troop #503 visits Garden Harvest, Glyndon, MD, to pick food for the hungry

MPT's "ZOOM Into Action™" community partners - the Maryland Student Service Alliance and the Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism - are helping MPT find kid volunteer projects for our local episodes of ZOOM™!. Whether it's holding a bake sale to raise money for a charity, raking leaves for an elderly neighbor, or helping to clean up a neighborhood park, "ZOOM Into Action™" invites kids to "turn off the TV and do it!" "ZOOM Into Action™" is being promoted through daily television segments that honor young volunteers and a new Web feature that gives kids ideas on how they can volunteer and resources to help them get involved. In addition to the on-air segments, MPT will host outreach and promotional activities as well as provide print materials coordinated with the series and Web site, highlighting and supporting young volunteers.

Maryland Public Television is a not-for-profit, state-licensed public television station which serves the citizens and communities of Maryland and beyond through a variety of broadcast and nonbroadcast activities.

For more information on Zoom MPT, visit mpt.org.

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