*UEN News Release:

For Immediate Release, 3/20/2010*

For more information, contact:

Rich Finlinson, rfin@uen.org, 801-585-7271 or

Laura Hunter, lhunter@uen.org, 801-581-5852

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(Washington, DC) – The Utah Education Network (UEN) received a /My Source/ Education Innovation Award from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) this weekend in Washington, D.C. The national award is for UEN’s NetSafe Utah project which brings Internet safety resources to schools and communities throughout the state.

“NetSafe Utah is a great example of a strong partnership and resources that positively impact Utah communities,” said UEN Instructional Services Director Laura Hunter, who accepted the award on behalf of the Utah consortium. Pat Harrison, the president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, presented the award to Hunter at the Council of Chief State School Officers/Public Media Executive Summit. The award includes a $3,000 grant to further support the project which has an extensive online component at www.netsafeutah.org.

“Stations across the country are using technology in creative and innovative ways to deliver educational tools and resources that are making a real difference to teachers, parents and children,” explained Harrison. “Public media is the definitive education partner for a new generation of learners and CPB congratulates UEN for its outstanding contribution to the state of Utah.” The /My Source /Education Innovation Awards recognize and showcase how public broadcasting stations such as UEN-TV use pioneering approaches and emerging digital technologies to serve the educational needs of their communities on-air, online and in the classroom.

NetSafe Utah is supported by the Utah State Legislature through a grant from the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice Services and is a collaboration of many Utah educational and community partners.

CPB is a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967 and is steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,100 locally-owned and -operated public television and radio stations nationwide, and is the largest single source of funding for research, technology, and program development for public radio, television and related online services.

The Utah Education Network operates UEN-TV (KUEN) on behalf of the Utah State Board of Regents. UEN is a consortium of education partners, including the Utah System of Higher Education and its ten universities and colleges; the Utah State Office of Education, local school districts and the Utah Electronic High School and; the state’s Library system. In addition to broadcasting, UEN designs, manages and operates the state education wide area network.

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DSC_8453 (download below)

Caption: President Pat Harrison, CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, presents a /My Source/ award to Laura Hunter, Director of Instructional Services at the Utah Education Network. The national award recognizes UEN’s NetSafe Utah project which brings Internet safety resources to schools and communities throughout the state of Utah.

hi res .jpg file of the photo available here:

http://my.uen.org/documentmanager/downloadfile?userid=59337&documentid=6219248