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Archives of
NPR:
Cultural Programming
and Program Services Division:
Educational Services Files
Processed by: Kristi Mashon and Jennifer A. Bull, July 1994
Revised by Karen E. King, May 1996
9.0 lin. ft.
Administrative History | Scope and Content | Provenance | Series Descriptions
National Public Radio created the Education Services Department in October 1978 as part of the Cultural Programming and Program Services Division. The purpose of this department was to foster use of radio/audio for educational purposes. The department lasted until the end of fiscal year 1983, with outstanding projects ending in 1984. Brian Brightly served as the director from 1978 until October 1983, after which he became the director of the newly formed Adult Learning Listening Network. Ann Stookey served as Assistant Director from 1978 to September 1983, but was retained as consultant to finish outstanding projects through March 1984.
The Archives of National Public Radio: Cultural Programming and Program Services Division: Education Services files, which span the years 1978 to 1985, documents the development and funding of several adult learning radio programs which were aired in the early 1980's. The focus for many of these programs both complemented and was inspired by other National Public Radio Cultural Programming productions. In order to provide adult learners with quality cultural programming, National Public Radio received both private and public funding from sources including the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE), the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Exxon Foundation. Many programs were developed in conjunction with higher learning institutions such as the University of Arizona, the Universities of California, and Boston College. These institutions provided consultation and evaluation of their programs. In the early stages of development of some programming, students at designated institutions piloted and evaluated specific adult learning radio course programs. Finally, several community colleges and universities later offered college credit courses and associates of arts programs which incorporated elements of these radio and audio programs. Types of documents include correspondence, reports, memoranda, curriculum material, and a few photographs.
This collection has been divided into seven series:
- Series 1: General Administrative Files
- Series 2: Adult Learning Listening Network
- Series 3: International Studies
- Series 4: Jazz and Classical Music Programs
- Series 5: Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE)
- Series 6: Understanding Project
- Series 7: Other Programs
These boxes were transferred from National Public Radio to the National Public Broadcasting Archives, University of Maryland Libraries in August of 1991 as part of a larger accession of 255 boxes.
Series 1: General Administrative Files, 1979-1984 (1.5 lin. ft.)
This series contains general information relevant to several projects during this period. Types of documents include consultant agreements, mission statements, planning issues, the department's organizational structure and information about key players. This series also includes information regarding various project budgets and grants.
Series 2: Adult Learning Listening Network Project, 1979-1985 (1.5 lin. ft.)
The Adult Learning Listening Network (ALLN) was established as a non-profit entity of National Public Radio with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Its purpose was to facilitate the interests of education and the public radio community by developing, producing and marketing adult learning radio programming in cooperation with higher learning institutions. Some of the adult learning radio programs included: American Diplomacy, World of Islam, Global Resources, Small Business Management, Taylor Made Piano and You and the Law. The University of California, San Diego provided promotion and marketing for these programs. This series contains CPB/NPR contracts and agreements, university correspondence and marketing and promotional material.
Series 3: International Studies, 1980-1984 (1.5 lin. ft.)
During the early 1980s, National Public Radio and the Foreign Policy Association collaborated to produce two radio/audio programs and related materials for the post-secondary international studies courses: Global Resources: Challenges of Interdependence and Islam: the Religious and Political Life of a Community. The advisory committee and evaluation team for the programming was composed of academic personnel from the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Texas at Austin. These shows were marketed through the Adult Learning Listening Network project. The documentation which consists primarily of course material and correspondence follows the entire development of these projects.
Series 4: Jazz and Classical Music Programs, 1979-1984 (1.5 lin. ft.)
This series contains documentation related to the Peabody Award winning adult learning radio course, Taylor Made Piano: A Jazz History. Consultation and evaluation for the series was provided by personnel from Raleigh Dickinson University and Rutgers. This series also contains materials relating to NPR's partnership with the New York Philharmonic in the creation of a project aimed at secondary level students. This project, funded by the Exxon Education Foundation, was called "The Message and the Music; A Series of Listening Experiences for Today's Youth". Types of documents include extensive course material and correspondence and are arrange chronologically within each program.
Series 5: Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE) 1978-1984 (0.5 lin. ft.)
In 1979, National Public Radio's Cultural Programming Division was awarded The Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE) by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. With these funds National Public Radio was able to develop radio programming to meet the instructional needs of adult learners while simultaneously expanding their existing educational services department. National Public Radio designated stations WHRO-FM (Norfolk, VA), WBGO-FM (Newark, NJ), KPBS-FM (San Diego, CA) as workshop sites where universities were recruited to fulfill the need for program developers and consultants on specific adult learning program projects. Documentation related to funding and the establishment of these workshops is in this series and is chronologically arranged.
Series 6: Understanding Project, 1982-1984 (1.5 lin. ft.)
National Public Radio in conjunction with Columbia University and University of California, San Diego developed two audio/print post-secondary courses entitled Global Understanding: Understanding Western Europe and Understanding China and Japan. Funding for the development of these courses was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE). The American Political Science Association provided consultation for the project. This series contains extensive correspondence and memoranda material and is arranged chronologically.
Series 7: Other Programs, 1978-1984 (1.0 lin. ft.)
This series contains documentation related to various programs such as current affairs projects such as the Panama Canal, Poland, SALT II, Skills for Self-Employment, Southwest Asia and The World of F. Scott Fitzgerald. The materials are arranged alphabetically by program title, and then chronologically within each program listing.
A complete guide in Adobe Acrobat (*.pdf) format can be downloaded here.
