Q&A: Art Ellis, WHYY

On April 8-9, WHYY Public Radio will host the 2013 National Talent Dividend Meeting in their modern broadcast facilities in Philadelphia. TDN checked in with Art Ellis, WHYY's Executive Director of Public Relations, to find out a little more about WHYY's mission and how it reflects the goals of the Talent Dividend Network.
 
Talent Dividend Network: What is WHYY's commitment to education?

WHYY is an active participant in American Graduate, a long-term public media commitment, supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), to help local communities identify and implement solutions to the high school dropout crisis. Public broadcasting has a long history improving educational outcomes for high-need students and communities.
 
WHYY's participation includes teaching students how to make their own documentaries on the topic of school dropouts, conducting workshops for teachers on the use of media to make classroom lessons more engaging, hosting an education summit to discuss education issues and providing extensive multi-media coverage of educational issues on WHYY-TV, FM and our NewsWorks.org news site.
 
TDN: What makes WHYY a good fit for the annual Talent Dividend Network conference?

Lifelong learning is one of WHYY's core principles. Pre-schoolers learn the alphabet on Sesame Street. Older kids develop their math, science and reading skills. Adults can appreciate the finest arts and culture performances, learn from experts in dozens of subjects they are interviewed on our own Fresh Air with Terry Gross and find inspiration for higher learning through countless other programs and events. 

TDN: What can conference attendees look forward to?

WHYY's Technology Center and Dorrance Hamilton Public Media Commons are located just down the street from Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Conference participants will enjoy the flexible meeting space equipped with a 16' high-definition screen. Walking through the building visitors will pass studios used for television and radio production and the Technical Operations Center where engineers monitor three television and two radio signals along with satellite, Internet and phone traffic.