August 24, 2006
PBS' Online NewsHour teams with Global Kids to reveal students' perspectives of the September 11 attacks, five years later

On Monday August 28, 2006, the Online NewsHour, the Web site of PBS' the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and Global Kids, a New York City-based educational organization that educates youth about international and public policy issues, will launch "Five Years After - A September 11 Youth Circle."

Available at www.pbs.org/newshour and www.newzcrew.org, the forum will allow high school students to constructively discuss how the attacks of September 11 have affected their lives, their communities and their perspectives on world affairs.

Based on the popularity of and respect for the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and Newz Crew, a partnership of the Online NewsHour and Global Kids, "Five Years After" is expected to be the premier discussion about September 11 for high school students. The forum will be active between Monday, August 28, 2006 and Monday, September 25, 2006, and throughout the discussion, students will be able to view background information about September 11 issues from the Online NewsHour and the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

"September 11 was a defining moment for the high school generation," said Online NewsHour Editor-in-Chief Lee Banville. "We realize that students who were as young as 9 five years ago are now at an age at which they want to talk about their feelings, and, by providing students entry points into our broadcast and online archive, we are supporting friendly, intelligent conversation."

These discussions, and the Newz Crew site as a whole, utilize Global Kids' unique Youth Circles approach to online dialogues. The Global Kids model limits the size of groups, each of which is monitored by a Global Kids youth leader. All participants must agree to maintain civil behavior. The approach creates an online environment in which participants can develop personal relationships and engage in focused and respectful dialogues. In addition to Newz Crew, now in its third year), Global Kids used this model to mark the six-month anniversary of September 11, "Everything After: A 9/11 Youth Circle," received international attention and involved over 350 students from 20 countries.

"Our experience in conducting these dialogues has demonstrated that youth are surprisingly knowledgeable, thoughtful, and deeply concerned about issues relating to the September 11 attacks and their aftermath," said Global Kids Executive Director Carole Artigiani. "This forum will provide youth with a safe environment through which to exchange their views and opinions about the post-9/11 world and also a place where adults can go to learn what teens are thinking about their own lives and the future."

The Online NewsHour has made a major commitment to students and teachers through NewsHour Extra (www.pbs.org/newshour/extra), which provides educational resources based on current events and issues. Lesson plans at NewsHour Extra will help guide teachers through the discussion. NewsHour Extra's September 11 coverage won an Eddy Award for "Best Companion Content to a National Broadcast."

The collaboration is part of a larger initiative from the Online NewsHour." Sept. 11: Five Years Later" will launch on Sept 4 at www.pbs.org/newshour, with online content marking the anniversary as well as access to the extensive September 11 archives of the Online NewsHour and the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

About Global Kids, Inc.
Active since 1989, the mission of Global Kids (www.globalkids.org) is to transform urban youth into successful students and global and community leaders by engaging them in socially dynamic, content-rich learning experiences. Through its leadership development and academic enrichment programs, Global Kids educates youth about critical international and domestic issues and promotes their engagement in civic life and the democratic process. Through professional development initiatives, Global Kids provides educators with strategies for integrating experiential learning methods and international issues into urban classrooms. More than eighty-five percent of the high school seniors who participate in GK's leadership program graduate and attend college.

About The Online NewsHour
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2006, the Online NewsHour (www.pbs.org/newshour) is the premiere news and public affairs site at PBS.org -- one of the most popular non-commercial sites in the world. Every week, approximately 300,000 people from all over the world come to the site for the in-depth analysis, background and context of the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. Through NewsHour Extra (www.pbs.org/newshour/extra), the Online NewsHour has made a major commitment to education and developing resources for teachers who want to make their curriculum come alive with current events. The Online NewsHour has been honored by the Online News Association, the Webby Awards and the Education Writers Association.

About The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer is seen five nights a week on more than 315 PBS stations across the country. The program is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, in association with WETA, Washington, D.C. and Thirteen/WNET in New York. Funding for The NewsHour is provided by the Archer Daniels Midland Co.; CIT; Pacific Life; BP and The Atlantic Philanthropies, with additional funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television viewers.

Contact: Anne Bell 703.998.2175, Rob Flynn 703.998.2174.