WNED received a 2009 My Source Community Impact Award for Education from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for activities extending the reach of the award-winning national documentary, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Buffalo. Pamela Johnson, Ph.D., WNED Vice President for Education & Outreach, accepted the award on March 7 in Washington, D.C.

The WNED documentary, which aired on most PBS stations in September 2006, highlighted Buffalo’s role in the career of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright and helped build awareness about the city’s rich architectural heritage.

The My Source Community Impact Awards for Education were created by CPB to give well-deserved recognition to public television stations for their commitment to providing educational services to learners of all ages and abilities, all races and backgrounds, from preschoolers to senior citizens, as well as for the services the stations provide to teachers, parents and caregivers.

“The staff and board of WNED are honored to be recognized by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S BUFFALO, which put a national spotlight on one of our greatest local treasures,” said WNED President and CEO Donald K. Boswell.  “We also appreciate the opportunities the program created to partner with some great organizations in Western New York.”

Beyond the broadcast, WNED engaged in several outreach projects geared toward students, the broader community and out-of-town visitors, in collaboration with the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau and Preservation Buffalo Niagara (formed through the recent merger of the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier and the Preservation Coalition of Erie County). This in-depth education and outreach effort was supported through a membership driven charitable fund, the 21st Century Fund, of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.

Under this initiative, more than 1,600 DVDs of WNED’s documentary were distributed nationally by the Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) to promote Buffalo as an architectural and cultural tourism destination. DVD bonus material included the WNED-produced companion video Buffalo’s Architectural Treasures. WNED also produced the CVB video Buffalo: A Sense of Place. The CVB’s Vice President for Marketing, Ed Healy, calls the documentary “the single most powerful marketing tool this community has ever produced.” He touts the value of collaborating with WNED Buffalo/Toronto on this initiative as providing a “second life” for an “extraordinary” documentary. Healy is featured in a 60-second “My Source” testimonial now airing on WNED-TV.

Additionally, 11 permanent, outdoor signs that highlight Buffalo architecture and historical facts were placed at strategic locations throughout Buffalo, including Niagara Square, under the leadership of the Landmark Society.

Through other outreach activities, WNED:

• Distributed Frank Lloyd Wright’s Buffalo DVDs to schools and libraries;
• Created a companion Web site and comprehensive Educator’s Guide;
• Hosted a Frank Lloyd Wright student art show in WNED’s Horizons Gallery;
• Conducted presentations on Buffalo architecture at two Buffalo high school.

Funding for FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT’S BUFFALO was provided by The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, the Zemsky Family Foundation, The Buffalo News, The Gioia Family Fund, and the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau. 

Through WNED-TV, ThinkBright TV, WNED-AM 970 The Information Station and Classical 94.5/WNED-FM, the member-supported WNED Buffalo/Toronto provides high quality programming and services that enlighten, inspire, entertain and educate Western New York and Southern Ontario communities. Additional information about WNED can be found at www.wned.org.