WXXI was honored with a Public Media Award from the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA) for its Move to Include national initiative. In the Community Engagement category, WXXI received the National Project Award for the work that Move to Include accomplished by expanding the multi-faceted approach to public awareness of issues surrounding disability across the country. The award was presented at NETA’s 53rd Annual Public Media Awards Gala held virtually on January 26 at the 2022 NETA Conference and CPB Public Media Thought Leader Forum.
Move to Include is designed to promote inclusion for people with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities. Through programming and special events, the initiative works to build a more inclusive community by inspiring and motivating people to embrace different abilities and include all people in every aspect of community life. The initiative is comprised of PBS KIDS programs, prime-time curated TV specials, news and arts features, radio talk shows, social media, and online content, and film screenings. Additional assets include EXITED, a five-part podcast series that shares the stories of eight young people as they navigate life transitions, and a collection of 50+ video segments on inclusion distributed nationally through PBS LearningMedia, the go-to destination for classroom-ready, digital resources.
Move to Include was launched in 2014 as a partnership between WXXI and the Golisano Foundation, the nation’s largest private foundation devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Foundation has provided more than $1 million in funding to date for Move to Include.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting recognized the importance of the Move to Include model and awarded WXXI a grant to expand efforts to five additional public media stations. Each station organized its own community partnerships, acquired and created content, and provided outreach, engagement, and promotion for the initiative.
