AETN new series spotlights schools

The Arkansas Educational Television Network is producing two new digital series that highlight innovative Arkansas school programs and inspiring educators.

Episodes of Cool Schools and Heart of a Teacher are being released on alternating Thursdays on AETN’s Facebook page, which is facebook. com/aetntv; its YouTube channel, youtube.com/aetntv; and its website, aetn.org/coolschools.

The first Cool Schools episode — featuring a self-defense program in the Horatio School District — was released Thursday. Starting this Thursday the episodes released earlier on social media and the network’s website will be broadcast on AETN during prime time.

“Moving into the future, we are meeting audiences where they are — on air, online, on video-on-demand and face to face in Arkansas communities,” AETN Executive Director Courtney Pledger said about the use of the website and social media outlets.

Cool Schools and Heart of a Teacher will air at 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. after the Doc Martin or 800 Words programs, Tiffany Head, an AETN spokesman, said.

AETN is traveling to the schools to produce each of the pieces, which are each about 3-5 minutes long.

Some of the school programs to be featured in coming episodes of Cool Schools will be the Hungry Hound Cafe in the Newport School District, the House of Grounds in the Harrison district, and the heavy machinery program in the Gurdon School District.

Educators to be featured in forthcoming episodes of Heart

of a Teacher include David Poindexter of Pea Ridge School District, Kim Hall of Nemo Vista School District, Cassie Crane of Morrilton School District and Jodi Taintor of Warren Public Schools.