04-20-2011, 11:10 AM
SANDUSKY, OH - A partnership between a monthly newspaper and the Ohio Department of National Resources (ODNR), Office of Coastal Management to teach children Lake Erie stewardship has resulted in national recognition for both entities.
Brenda Culler, public information officer for the ODNR Office of Coastal Management, wrote a series of full-page stories on "Lake Erie Literacy: Why it is important to protect a Great Lake." The series received the Kidsville News award for Best Article or Series of Articles local educational content enrichment. The award was presented during a recent national convention for Kidsville News publishers where Drawbridge Lane Publishing, Kidsville News Northern Ohio, also received the Most Improved Kidsville News publication of 2010. The series began in March 2010 and will continue into the foreseeable future.<br />
Each Lake Erie literacy lesson was written as a conversation between Brenda and the publication's mascot Truman. Together they have explored topics from Lake Erie's role in the Great Lakes fresh water ecosystem and the lake's influence on weather to its connection to Earth Day and aquatic invasive species. The articles also encouraged kids - big and small - to get outside and play at the 164 public access sites along Ohio's shore.<br />
"No other publication came close to matching the scope of these articles," said Conrad Marsili, publisher of the local Kidsville News. "For more than a year, the lessons on Lake Erie have been outstanding in the way Brenda and Truman, the Kidsville News Dragon, interacted to help explain and the characteristics, function and value of this natural resource."<br />
"The opportunity to present the Lake Erie Literacy Principles and Concepts to children by crafting a monthly adventure with a green dragon has been a unique and exciting adventure," said Culler. "While the award acknowledges our efforts, the true reward is seeing kids empowered by experiencing Lake Erie, learning that they can have a positive impact and making informed decisions about the use of our wonderful lake and watershed resources." Culler also said that the series could not have been written without the assistance from many of her colleagues at the ODNR.<br />
Locally, Kidsville News is distributed at no charge to 25 schools and more than 120 businesses in Erie and Ottawa counties. According to Drawbridge Lane Publishing, the newspaper has an estimated readership of 25,000 people. Nationally, Kidsville News has 100 publishers in 22 states with a distribution of 1.4 million.<br />
The Lake Erie Lessons featured in Kidsville News can be found in the "Multimedia" link on the Coastal website: www.ohiodnr.com/coastal. The Lake Erie Literacy Principles and Concepts used to craft the stories are found at www.ohiodnr.com/lakeerieliteracy. The Kidsville News publication for Northern Ohio can be downloaded at www.kidsvillenews.com/northernohio.<br />
ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.
Brenda Culler, public information officer for the ODNR Office of Coastal Management, wrote a series of full-page stories on "Lake Erie Literacy: Why it is important to protect a Great Lake." The series received the Kidsville News award for Best Article or Series of Articles local educational content enrichment. The award was presented during a recent national convention for Kidsville News publishers where Drawbridge Lane Publishing, Kidsville News Northern Ohio, also received the Most Improved Kidsville News publication of 2010. The series began in March 2010 and will continue into the foreseeable future.<br />
Each Lake Erie literacy lesson was written as a conversation between Brenda and the publication's mascot Truman. Together they have explored topics from Lake Erie's role in the Great Lakes fresh water ecosystem and the lake's influence on weather to its connection to Earth Day and aquatic invasive species. The articles also encouraged kids - big and small - to get outside and play at the 164 public access sites along Ohio's shore.<br />
"No other publication came close to matching the scope of these articles," said Conrad Marsili, publisher of the local Kidsville News. "For more than a year, the lessons on Lake Erie have been outstanding in the way Brenda and Truman, the Kidsville News Dragon, interacted to help explain and the characteristics, function and value of this natural resource."<br />
"The opportunity to present the Lake Erie Literacy Principles and Concepts to children by crafting a monthly adventure with a green dragon has been a unique and exciting adventure," said Culler. "While the award acknowledges our efforts, the true reward is seeing kids empowered by experiencing Lake Erie, learning that they can have a positive impact and making informed decisions about the use of our wonderful lake and watershed resources." Culler also said that the series could not have been written without the assistance from many of her colleagues at the ODNR.<br />
Locally, Kidsville News is distributed at no charge to 25 schools and more than 120 businesses in Erie and Ottawa counties. According to Drawbridge Lane Publishing, the newspaper has an estimated readership of 25,000 people. Nationally, Kidsville News has 100 publishers in 22 states with a distribution of 1.4 million.<br />
The Lake Erie Lessons featured in Kidsville News can be found in the "Multimedia" link on the Coastal website: www.ohiodnr.com/coastal. The Lake Erie Literacy Principles and Concepts used to craft the stories are found at www.ohiodnr.com/lakeerieliteracy. The Kidsville News publication for Northern Ohio can be downloaded at www.kidsvillenews.com/northernohio.<br />
ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.