Award-winning Education Series Launches in Houston with Help of BP's Additional $15 Million National Commitment

Award-winning Education Series Launches in Houston with Help of BP's Additional $15 Million National Commitment

'A Place of Our Own' and 'Los Ninos en Su Casa' to Air on HoustonPBS

HOUSTON, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- A Peabody Award-winning public television series, which has a goal of helping prepare young children to enter kindergarten, will now be televised on HoustonPBS Channel 8 as part of a nationwide launch due primarily to the multi-million dollar support provided by BP America and the BP Foundation.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000724/NYM120LOGO )

KCET/Los Angeles launched A Place of Our Own and Los Ninos en Su Casa, its Spanish language companion, in California. The series offers information, practical advice and resources for parents, grandparents and caregivers of preschool-age children. BP was one of the original funders of the series in 2004 with an initial grant of $10 million.

Now, thanks to more than a $15 million commitment from the BP Foundation and BP America, and support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the First 5 California Commission, the shows will be made available through PBS stations across the country beginning in 2007. The funding, which will underwrite the cost of production and extensive outreach in communities, is part of BP's ongoing commitment to education across the continuum, from pre-school through college.

A Place of Our Own and Los Ninos en Su Casa will air weekdays at 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. beginning January 15th on HoustonPBS.

Bob Malone, BP America President and Chairman, said, "A Place of our Own and Los Ninos en Su Casa have already made a remarkable contribution to the lives of young children and caregivers in California. BP's additional investment is focused on enabling young people here in Houston and in other locations throughout the country to have the same chance at scholastic success." Malone added, "I'm proud that BP's ongoing commitment to education will make a difference in the communities where we operate."

Houston PBS General Manager John Hesse said, "Research confirms that, through these programs, we will be providing important support for those who care for our young children. We are encouraged by the positive response in California to the series, the workshops and websites. BP's extraordinary funding will allow us to reach out through our station to a much wider television audience, impacting child caregivers and parents in Houston."

A Place of Our Own and Los Ninos en Su Casa, and their websites, provide parents and caregivers of young children with information about helping their children develop social, emotional and cognitive skills. Kindergarten teachers estimate that one in three children is unprepared for the challenges of school.

BP: BP is one of the world's largest energy companies, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services, renewable and alternative energy sources, and petrochemical products for everyday items. BP America employs more than 37,000 in the United States. BP's family of brands includes Amoco, Aral, ARCO, BP and Castrol. More information about BP America can be found at http://www.bp.com/us.

BP Foundation: The BP Foundation is a non-profit charitable foundation funded through gifts from BP. It supports educational institutions and programs of other non-profit organizations in communities where BP operates.

KCET: KCET, the West Coast flagship station of PBS, is public television for southern and central California. KCET is watched by four million viewers a week in 11 counties, the largest broadcast reach of any public television station in the United States. The station also serves as a content provider for national and regional PBS member stations.

Throughout its more than 40-year history, KCET has garnered hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's programs, and its outreach and community services. Series produced from the station's Hollywood studios include Life & Times, Visiting With Huell Howser, California Connected, Tavis Smiley and A Place of Our Own/Los Ninos en Su Casa.

About the Series: A Place of Our Own and Los Ninos en Su Casa are produced as part of KCEd(TM), the education initiative at KCET. Since the series launch, viewing studies conducted have shown that 80 percent of participants report increased knowledge in tested areas such as managing aggressive child behavior, sharing and the importance of learning through play, as well as changes in their own attitudes and behavior as childcare providers. For more information on the series, please visit http://www.aplaceofourown.org/ and http://www.losninosensucasa.org/.

A Place of Our Own and Los Ninos en Su Casa are produced by KCET, in association with Sesame Workshop. The series are also produced in association with 44 Blue Productions Inc. Stephanie Drachkovitch and Mary Mazur are executive producers. Joyce Campbell is executive in charge of production.

HoustonPBS (KUHT-TV/Channel 8 & KUHT-DT/Channel 9) is America's first public television station. It provides programming designed to inform, educate and entertain viewers throughout the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast. HoustonPBS is an active producer of programs for national and international audiences, with shows like "InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse," "Living Smart with Patricia Gras," and "Mary Lou's Flip Flop Shop." These and other PBS programs such as "NOVA," "Masterpiece Theatre," and "Frontline" attract weekly viewers from almost 50 percent of the television households in the Houston area. In addition, the station serves the community by providing televised college courses in its overnight schedule, and educational outreach workshops committed to improving school readiness for young children, as well as facilitating 'beyond broadcast' initiatives on issues concerning area viewers. KUHT is licensed to the University of Houston and is supported through ACB, the Association for Community Broadcasting.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000724/NYM120LOGO
Source: BP America

CONTACT: HoustonPBS: Sarah White, +1-713-743-8533; or BP: Sarah Howell,
+1-202-340-6938

Web site: http://www.bp.com/
http://www.aplaceofourown.org/
http://www.losninosensucasa.org/

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