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Make a Circle Screening & Discussion

Join WXXI and Monroe Community College (MCC) for a special screening and community conversation around the film, Make a Circle, at the MCC Downtown Campus on Wednesday, April 8. This engaging evening will bring community members together to reflect, connect, and explore the film’s themes in a welcoming space.

Event program: Doors will open at 6 p.m. The screening of the film, Make a Circle, will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by a panel discussion at 7:30 p.m. The panel will feature local early childhood professionals including: Ann Marie Stephan (Executive Director of Rochester ChildFirst Network), Tiffany Howard (Early Childhood Professional at Friendship Children’s Center), and Crystal Campo (Family Child Care Provider). And, the panel will be moderated by WXXI News Reporter, Noelle Evans. The evening will also include a community resource fair with local, regional, and New York State early learning partners. Light refreshments will be provided.

Family-Friendly: To help make this experience more accessible for adults with young children, a family-friendly viewing space will be available. Adults will need to stay with their children at all times.

Please register using the form below. All registered participants will receive a follow-up email with confirmation and additional event details.

The screening and discussion are free and open to the public but registration is required.

Make a Circle Screening Event

Join WXXI and Monroe Community College for a special screening and community conversation around the film, Make a Circle. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Please use the form below to register. Questions? Contact Rachel Rosner at RRosner@wxxi.org

Full Name(Required)
What is your connection to child care or early learning?(Required)
Check all that apply.
Will you be bringing children to the event with you?(Required)
Families with young children are welcome. A designated family-friendly viewing area will be available, along with a kid-friendly activity space to support participation. Please note that this is not a drop-off event—children must remain with their caregiver at all times.
Are you interested in receiving professional development credit for attending this event?
If yes, please indicate whether you are requesting NYS Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) credit, ASPIRE credit, or both.
As New York State moves toward universal child care and expanding access to prekindergarten, what questions do you have about the future of these efforts and what they will mean for children and families across Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes?
Please let us know if you or anyone in your party requires accommodations to fully participate in this event (e.g., ASL interpretation, language translation, mobility access, sensory considerations, etc.). We are committed to accessibility and will do our best to support your needs. For any questions regarding the accessibility of this event, please contact Sarah Murphy Abbamonte at sabbamonte@wxxi.org.

About the Film

From an award-winning filmmaking team, Make a Circle follows a group of child care providers who are determined to change how society values the education of its youngest citizens. With a mix of humor, outrage, and passion, Make a Circle captures the unfolding stories of Patricia, a leader of a new union for child care providers, as she fights on behalf of a largely immigrant workforce; Charlotte, another union member who tirelessly lifts up the low-income families in her care; and Anne, the director of a large preschool, who finds novel ways to value and support her teachers when jobs at Starbucks are offering higher pay. Within their stories are interludes that offer a cinematic glimpse into the unique, imaginative world of the young children in their care. The film culminates as thousands of child care union members march on their state capitol demanding better working conditions, just as their contract is set to expire. Weaving together the magic they create in the classroom, the struggles they endure at home, and their unwavering activism for their profession, Make a Circle is a moving portrait of life as an early childhood educator and a promising blueprint for fixing our broken child care system.

Educator Webinar: Teach the Declaration’s Global Impact Using Media and Artifacts

When: Tuesday, March 25, 7-8pm ET

Description:

Join PBS LearningMedia and the Museum of the American Revolution as we share new classroom resources for teaching the lasting influence of the American Revolution. Participants will explore how the Declaration of Independence’s impact extends beyond 1776 and the United States and continues to inspire global citizens today.

PBS LearningMedia will investigate the importance of the Declaration of Independence in the Revolutionary Era through the Ken Burns in the Classroom The American Revolution Collection, followed by a walkthrough of the Museum of the American Revolution’s new exhibit, The Declaration’s Journey, and a discussion of the Declaration’s global impact. You will leave with a deeper understanding of the consequences and legacies of the Revolutionary Era and ideas for sparking curiosity within your students as they connect the past to the present.

Register

Organized by PBSLearningMedia Events

On-Demand America 250: Engaging Students with History, Media & Civic Voice Educator Webinar Archive

Description:

Watch the archive to discover classroom-ready civics resources to support teaching the America 250 anniversary in this fast-paced virtual resource slam and Q&A. From Wednesday, March 11, 2026, from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

What you’ll do

  • Explore a wealth of resources from leading education organizations, including: Center for Civic Education, Facing History & Ourselves, KQED, National Writing Project and PBS LearningMedia.

What you’ll get

  • Practical ideas and resources you can use right away to teach this landmark anniversary
  • A copy of the presentation deck

Watch
Presentation Deck

Organized by KQED Education Events

Educator 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution NYS Resource Guide from the NYS Education Department

More About The American Revolution NYS Resource Guide from the NY State Library: To support this statewide initiative, the Office of Standards and Instruction at the New York State Education Department has developed the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution Resource Guide, a comprehensive instructional resource designed to help educators explore the complex and inspiring history of the Revolution and the founding of the nation. 

It features interdisciplinary, standards-based learning experiences, including adaptable resources, instructional prompts, and project-based learning ideas. A defining feature of the guide is its emphasis on experiential learning, with each instructional prompt paired with opportunities for students to engage directly with New York’s rich collection of Revolutionary War sites.

The resource also aligns with NYSED’s strategic priorities, including the Portrait of a Graduate, by fostering critical thinking, creativity, and real-world problem solving. At the high school level, the activities are further connected to the Seal of Civic Readiness, reinforcing civic engagement.

Primary sources make lessons and presentations come alive for students or participants. Materials shared provide inquiry and context clues to increase awareness and tell a story. Historical context within a narrative of primary source items prepares students to make connections for deeper understanding. 

Educator Webinar: 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution NYS Resource Guide Webinar

When: Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Description: As part of Civic Learning Week 2026, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) will host a webinar on the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution New York State Resource Guide

The webinar will explore how to use the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution New York State Resource Guide to support interdisciplinary, standards-aligned instruction and civic engagement.

The guide includes instructional prompts, project-based ideas, and experiential opportunities tied to New York’s Revolutionary history.

All educators across grade levels and content areas are encouraged to attend.

Register

For questions, contact the Office of Standards and Instruction at P12StandardsInstruction@nysed.gov.


Learn more about the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution NYS Resource Guide

PBS Books: Filmmakers Talk of The American Revolution Series On-Demand


Join Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, Geoffrey C. Ward and Rick Atkinson for a powerful PBS Books Filmmaker Talk about The American Revolution — the groundbreaking series that examines how America’s founding struggle reshaped the world. Hosted by Lauren Smith, the conversation explores the themes and creative process behind this epic documentary series.

Check your local PBS listings or stream The American Revolution anytime on the PBS App.

Learn more at pbsbooks.org/theamericanrevolution

Watch the on-demand PBS Books interview from January 7, 2026

Educator Webinar On-Demand: Visualize History with Student-Created Documentaries

Description

History documentaries transform research into powerful films that bring the past to life and help make sense of complex topics. To coincide with the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, join National History Day and PBS member station KQED, and PBS LearningMedia to explore how student-created history documentaries can help your students share their voice, knowledge, skills, and creativity.

When: Archived from Tuesday, December 9, 2025 7:00-9:00 PM EST Virtual Training via Webinar

What you’ll do:

  • Explore ready-to-use curriculum using National History Day’s 2026 theme of Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History and the Revolutionary Era as a case study
  • Practice video pre-production strategies
  • Start a sample mini-documentary you can use as a model with students

What you’ll get:

  • National History Day’s documentary projects
  • Modifiable curriculum and resources in English and Spanish for PBS LearningMedia’s The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge (hosted by KQED)
  • No-cost access to web-based video tools
  • A copy of the presentation deck to modify and use with students
  • A PDF letter of attendance–verifying 2 hours of attendance–to submit to your district or administration for approval towards professional development credit. (Requirements for professional development credits vary, so check with your district and/or state.)
  • Ongoing facilitator support for technical and classroom implementation questions, as needed

Designed by educators for educators, KQED’s well-paced workshops provide ready-to-use resources, instructional strategies, and genuine interaction with experienced and dynamic facilitators.

Speakers

  • KQED Education
  • National History Day
  • PBS LearningMedia

KQED is a nonprofit, public media station and NPR and PBS member station based in San Francisco. As a leader in media innovation, KQED provides free standards-aligned classroom content and professional development that educators can trust. Our workshops and courses help educators in all roles, subjects and grades strengthen their media literacy skills, empower youth voices, and encourage civil discourse. Learn more at kqed.org/education.

National History Day®, a world leader in history and civics education, is a nonprofit education organization improving the teaching and learning of history. NHD reaches more than half a million students and tens of thousands of teachers each year via its international student history contest and its wide range of teacher professional development programs, curriculum tools, and other educational activities.

PBS LearningMedia, a partnership of PBS and GBH, is an online destination that offers free access to thousands of resources from PBS stations and partners. These digital tools are designed to complement classroom instruction — from videos, images, and interactives to lesson plans, articles, and primary sources. Available for free to all educators PreK through 12th grade, PBS LearningMedia offers classroom-ready content aligned to state and national standards, compatible with the tools teachers use most, such as Google Classroom, and contextualized with supporting materials. Learn more at pbslearningmedia.org.

Questions about the event? Email education@kqed.org

Educator Webinar: Revolutionary Voices: Student Media-Making and The American Revolution

Description

Bring The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge to your classroom. Discover how your students can connect the foundational principles of the American Revolution to their lives today by amplifying their knowledge through media-making. 

In this interactive workshop for middle and high school teachers, we’ll explore the extensive, curriculum-aligned, multimedia resources from The American Revolution classroom collection on PBS LearningMedia, created with educators and drawing on content from the film by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt. Workshop participants will learn how to use the resources in the collection to inspire students to create a media project for The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge, focusing specifically on audio production, a media format that can be made accessible to all learners. Participants will learn how to create a podcast in the classroom setting — no special studio or equipment required – and they will leave with a pathway to empower and share student voice beyond the classroom.  

When: Tuesday, January 13, 2026 7:00-9:00 PM ET Virtual Training for Teachers via Webinar

Register

What you’ll do:

  • Learn about PBS LearningMedia’s free, curriculum-aligned resources from The American Revolution classroom collection and The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge
  • Get hands-on experience with the basics of audio production and start your own short podcast
  • Discover how to guide the creation of audio projects in your classroom setting

    What you’ll get:

    • A pathway to empower and share student voice beyond the classroom
    • Modifiable resources in English and Spanish
    • No-cost access to web-based audio tools
    • A copy of the presentation deck to modify and use when implementing the project in your classroom
    • A PDF letter of attendance–verifying two hours of attendance–to submit to your district or administration for approval towards professional development credit. (Requirements for professional development credits vary, so check with your district and/or state.)
    • Ongoing facilitator support for technical and classroom implementation questions, as needed

    Designed by educators for educators, KQED’s well-paced workshops provide ready-to-use resources, instructional strategies, and genuine interaction with experienced and dynamic facilitators.

    Speakers

    • KQED Education
    • PBS LearningMedia

    KQED is a nonprofit, public media station and NPR and PBS member station based in San Francisco. As a leader in media innovation, KQED provides free standards-aligned classroom content and professional development that educators can trust. Our workshops and courses help educators in all roles, subjects and grades strengthen their media literacy skills, empower youth voices, and encourage civil discourse. Learn more at kqed.org/education.

    National History Day®, a world leader in history and civics education, is a nonprofit education organization improving the teaching and learning of history. NHD reaches more than half a million students and tens of thousands of teachers each year via its international student history contest and its wide range of teacher professional development programs, curriculum tools, and other educational activities.

    PBS LearningMedia, a partnership of PBS and GBH, is an online destination that offers free access to thousands of resources from PBS stations and partners. These digital tools are designed to complement classroom instruction — from videos, images, and interactives to lesson plans, articles, and primary sources. Available for free to all educators PreK through 12th grade, PBS LearningMedia offers classroom-ready content aligned to state and national standards, compatible with the tools teachers use most, such as Google Classroom, and contextualized with supporting materials. Learn more at pbslearningmedia.org.

    Questions about the event? Email education@kqed.org

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