Media Production Veteran/Military Documentaries, Media Production Refugee/Immigration Documentaries, and Support Material and Outreach

Prairie Public intends to create, produce, and distribute feature length programming and resources that help tell the story of local veterans, refugees and immigrants with a goal of recognizing and celebrating their journey, service, and inclusion as a citizen of the great state of Minnesota. Prairie Public intends to share all of this content with the other MPTA stations for distribution, and also with educators on the PBS Learning Media platform as a valuable source of Minnesota history curriculum.

Three (3) 30-minute Documentaries

1. Veteran Oral Histories: Oral histories of Minnesota veterans from the second Gulf War and the Afghanistan War. Topics of discussions would include the torture of prisoners, PTSD upon returning to civilian life, how they were treated when they returned, and the adjustments they made to acclimate back into society.

2. Refugee Stories: Documenting stories and personal accounts of refugees, including people who recently arrived to northwest Minnesota or descendants of those who came to this region as refugees.

3. Wounded Warriors: The Wounded Warrior Project provides support to post 9/11 wounded service members, ranging from mental health and wellness, physical health, financial wellness assistance, career counseling, and long-term support for critically wounded. Locally, we hope that by connecting with Minnesota veterans who have benefitted from The Wounded Warrior Project, we can amplify their voices, while also showing the impact of this comprehensive organization on veterans and their families.

Four (4) Mini-documentaries/short features

1. Italian Immigration Settlement: In 1909 the Northern Pacific Railway recruited workers from Italian communities in Minneapolis and Wisconsin to Dilworth, MN. Stories of this culture and community and the impact on northwest Minnesota will be investigated.

2. Women in the Military: Stories and needs of women Veterans within our region.

3. Wounded Warrior oral histories: Testimonials of Minnesota veterans to educate viewers on the Wounded Warrior Project.

4. Current Immigrant oral histories: Minnesota refugee and immigrant experiences.

Interstitials-Segments of productions for digital and broadcast platforms

Premiere Screening + Discussion Event-Community outreach events and venues that encourage interaction and fellowship

Story-gathering-Organizational partnerships with the intention of gathering oral histories and engaging with regional communities

Educational Resources (PBSLM)-Unique video and tools for educators

Marketing Efforts- Print, video, public relations, social media

Acquire/caption/broadcast military/refugee-based programming-supplemental perspectives

Project
Administrator Comments.

* Digital Shorts/Interstitials Do you know how many digital
shorts/interstitials will be produced'
* Community Engagement and Story Gathering Can you elaborate on the
result of the community engagement and story gathering' Is it to provide
information for the documentaries, etc.' Or is there additional/other work
that will take place as a result of the community engagement and story
gathering'
* Educational Toolkit Resources Do you know what these resources will
be' How many' Are there any specifics you can share'
* Acquire/caption/broadcast military/refugee-based programming What
does this mean' Are you purchasing programming' Can you please provide some
specific outputs around this'

MN Special project response

Digital shorts/Interstitials:
We will produce a minimum of 5 digital shorts from each of the three full-length documentaries. 15 digital shorts total.

Community Engagement and Story Gathering:
The community engagement involves the process of gathering the stories and interviews of individuals and experts throughout northwestern Minnesota who will contribute to the content of the documentaries and mini-documentaries. The Premiere screenings and related events are considered community engagement as well.

Educational Toolkit Resources:
Prairie Public will utilize the PBSLM platform to connect with educators, students and families by providing supplemental materials that are directly correlated with the primary outputs of this grant. Discussion questions that recall portions of the produced video will challenge the viewer to absorb the content. Questions that instigate analysis of the topic will also be included in the PBSLM materials. And finally, information will be provided that is related to the video but intended to take the viewers' knowledge further into topic.

Acquire/caption/programming:
Additional military and refugee-based programming will expand on topics we feel are of greatest importance and relevance to Prairie Public's primary outputs of this grant. These supplemental programs will enhance or be associated with the general topics of military and immigration. Programs will be purchased but are not yet designated.