Dr. Jerry C. Lee, Chancellor of the National University System and President of National University, and Dr. Rudy M. Castruita, San Diego County Superintendent of Schools and the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE), have announced an innovative public/private partnership that will benefit San Diego County's educators and families, as well as students in National University's new School of Media and Communication.
Under the partnership, National University will initially underwrite two current programs on the County Office of Education-operated cable television station, ITV Channel 16; produce original programming for ITV on issues of health, wellness, and peak performance along with companion newsletters; make a one-time contribution to upgrade existing equipment; and offer televised professional development courses to educators in San Diego County school districts.
The partnership will also provide National University students in the new School of Media and Communication with television production internships at ITV. In addition, National University students will have access to such areas as web casting, online program development, graphic arts, and computer technology.
Also as part of the partnership, the SDCOE will work with National University to provide classroom space in its Joe Rindone Regional Technology Center, the SDCOE's South County Regional Education Center in National City, and its North County Regional Education Center in San Marcos (under construction). National University will use the classrooms to provide its academic programs to educators.
"This partnership with Superintendent Castruita and the Office of Education clearly demonstrates our commitment to providing San Diego educators with highly relevant educational programming, resources, and opportunities for personal and professional growth," said Dr. Lee.
"We're pleased to partner with National University in our effort to upgrade ITV," said Dr. Castriuta. "The station's programming and production have improved considerably in recent years, and we feel that the partnership with National University will help us continue that improvement."
Specifically, National University will sponsor two programs: Issues in Education, which is hosted by Dr. Castruita and focuses on current headlines in public education; and Aqui Entre Nos, a Spanish-language program exploring the cultural, social, and language barriers faced by immigrant families searching for educational opportunities.
This year, National University also plans to develop two original programs: One featuring information on youth nutrition, wellness, and fitness issues, and a second focusing on peak performance related to individuals, athletes, and organizations. To augment the programming, National University will create companion newsletters on those subjects for distribution to interested school districts.
"Wellness and its related disciplines have a prominent role in educational success and play a significant role in our plans," said Dr. Lee. "National University proudly assumes the responsibility of developing programming based on a healthy lifestyle, wellness, and peak performance for the benefit of San Diego's families, students, and teachers."
Dr. Castruita added that the partnership with National University will help ITV meet the needs of more local teachers. "Using television to bring high-quality staff development to teachers makes perfect sense," he said. "It's another way to make the information accessible, and for many teachers it's a very convenient way."
