MSUFCU presents a check for $50,000 at the PBS KIDS Day with WKAR celebration on Jan. 28, 2023. April Clobes and Susi Elkins of MSUFCU (back row left and right) and Shawn Turner and Julie Sochay of WKAR (back row center and front row right) pose with just a few of the hundreds of children attending the event. Photo credit: Emily Dickerson/WKAR-MSU.

WKAR Public Media (East Lansing) was recently awarded $50,000 from Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) to support the station’s community-wide educational initiatives. The donation was presented at WKAR’s annual PBS KIDS Day event on Jan. 28, 2023, where hundreds of families gathered to participate in educational activities hosted by partners from communities throughout mid-Michigan.

"We are proud to sponsor WKAR's educational initiatives, including the WKAR Reading Kit project that provides over 10,000 books to children and families," said April Clobes, MSUFCU president and CEO. “We’re pleased to partner with WKAR to ensure that all children in our community have access to high quality educational programming.”

The MSUFCU donation will enable WKAR’s education department to host community pop-up events and procure more literacy tools and books to be distributed to children and families throughout mid-Michigan. In addition, the donation will assist WKAR in hosting more virtual education workshops and trainings for educators and families.

“This gift from MSUFCU will allow us to support the educational needs of the community in ways that will have a lasting and positive impact on children and their families,” said Shawn Turner, general manager of WKAR. “Thanks to the generosity of MSUFCU, we are able to put resources in place to benefit parents, educators, and children across mid-Michigan. It’s the kind of work that really matters to everyone here at WKAR.”

As an award-winning producer of original television and radio programming, WKAR is uniquely poised to be a leader in children’s education across mid-Michigan. The station recently celebrated its 100th year in operation. The Century of Service celebration continues through much of 2023.