"Other than the occasional "After
School Special", there are very few television programs
that are devoted to the many challenges teens face in our
fast-paced and often confusing world. So I was delighted to
see that you are producing a series dealing with serious issues,
such as depression and bullying that affect young adults.
As I said when we spoke by phone, 'Jenny's Reasons' and 'Ghosts
in the Hall', part of the MAPLE AVE series, were two of the
finest shows for young people I've ever seen. They honestly
address important issues from the teens' point of view without
ever feeling contrived or preachy. Your shows are honest and
compassionate and, above all, REAL! Kudos to your talented
writers and actors! When I watched the preview, I believed
in these people and cared about them. To me, that's one of
the hallmarks of great programming. I can hardly wait to see
the next episode of MAPLE AVE and I'm looking forward to GORDON
TERRACE and CEDAR GROVE as well. Many thanks for allowing
us to air 'Jenny's Reasons' and 'Ghosts in the Hall' on ThinkBright
TV. I know our young viewers and their families will enjoy
them as much as I did." - Goldie Gardner, WNED ThinkBright,
Program Manager, Buffalo, NY
"WFWA Fort Wayne, IN is thrilled to have
'Jenny's Reasons' and 'Ghosts in the Hall' available to us.
We plan to schedule both shows and follow them up with local
call-ins offering local expert advice to teens and parents
and highlight local resources available. These are the only
programs we've found that speak to both audiences and we are
very impressed by the quality." - Claudia Johnson,
Operations Division Manager, WFWA, Fort Wayne, IN
"Out of hundreds of programs available
for broadcast from various distributors and independent producers,
it's nearly impossible to find programming for adolescents.
Thanks to OutreachArts I have access to quality films that
capture the attention of adolescent viewers and deliver a
positive message." - Golden Thomas, Manager of 'City
12' Public Television (in partnership w/ WXXI & the city
of Rochester, NY).
"I loved the show. The 'Maple Ave' program
on teen suicide ('Jenny's Reasons') provides compelling and
realistic insight into the events and emotions that can lead
to suicide. The program provides a springboard for focus groups,
classroom discussion and family conversations about recognizing
the warning signals and offering support to teens who are
contemplating suicide. 'Maple Ave' provides a venue for parents,
teens and the greater community to connect and learn." - Danielle Heiny ,KSMQ Station Manager, Austin, MN
"Richard: as you know, AETN has previewed
the first two MAPLE AVE episodes, "Jenny's Reasons"
& "Ghosts in the Hall." We found both productions
to be focused on issues of importance to the targeted audience.
We appreciate you making them available for our broadcast
and hope you are successful in securing the financial resources
to continue the series. We look forward to seeing additional
episodes." - Kathy Atkinson, Director of Programming,
AETN, Conway, AR
"The 'Maple Ave' series is comprised
of films that encompass highly identifiable social concerns
that are in need of exposure within our local communities.
How else can we expose our younger/teenage viewers to these
real life situations that they can then learn from? Outreach
Arts provides us the opportunity to do just this. The 'Maple
Ave' series also identifies with the adults that are struggling
through these trivial times who may not comprehend how to
cope with the situation. This series has the potential to
help people in awful situations, that may have never have
received help at all." - Leslie O'Hara, Educational
Services Mgr., WPBS-TV, Watertown, NY
"I just watched 'Jenny's Reasons' and
was very moved by it. These are such complex times - hard
for adults to navigate so it must be especially difficult
for teens. This video provides a wonderful opportunity to
have dialog with teens about depression and the emotions they
are feeling. I liked the fact that the depression Jenny was
feeling was hard for her to understand and that it illustrated
the guilt that she felt over feeling depressed when "so
many others in the world face much worse." This video
and the others in the 'Maple Ave' collection offer us unique
opportunities to address real issues that teenagers face in
today's complex world. These can serve as teaching tools that
harness the power of television and address a real issue that
is often not understood. I know that various community agencies
that work with teenagers would find these resources invaluable.
Thanks again for sending them." - Kim Kelling Engstrom,
Education and Outreach Manager, WFSU, Tallahassee, FL
"WSKG's Educational Advisory Committee
viewed the two episodes of 'Maple Ave' and felt it depicted,
in a real way, some issues teens are facing. They felt the
series could provide an impetus for discussion among teens,
teens and parents, teens and teacher, as well as teens and
counselors." - Carolyn A. Weston, Educational Services
Coordinator, WSKG Public Television Binghamton, NY
"I was highly impressed with the production
and acting quality in 'Jenny's Reasons' and 'Ghosts in the
Hall'. I think the content within these programs provides
a good look into the reality of what kids are going through
these days. It's been hard to find a drama series that focuses
on the youth today and I want to thank OutreachArts for helping
to fill that void. I hope and look forward to seeing more
'Maple Ave' episodes in the future." - Val M.B. VanderSluis,
Director of Programming, KTWU, Channel 11 (Topeka, Kansas)
"Thanks for making JENNY'S REASONS and
GHOSTS IN THE HALL available to WHYY for air. We are looking
forward to airing them in the appropriate timeslot and hope
you are able to create more films in your MAPLE AVE series.
Please keep us in the loop. Thanks again." - David
Rubinsohn, Dir. of TV Programming, WHYY-TV, Wilmington, DE
"'Maple Ave' is an important drama series
that touches on what is happening with the youth of today.
Addressing these issues with this drama series gives kids
the opportunity to see a positive outcome and know that there
is help out there. Outreach Arts is exposing a very pressing
issue in our community that WYBE's viewers have experienced
and enjoyed learning from." - Joni C. Helton, Director
of Programming, WYBE Public Television, Philadelphia, PA
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