The WSIU Friends Board is honoring people making a difference in the region with a "Good Neighbor" award.

Find important details about voting in Illinois and watch engaging election-related videos in this story.

Join us for "InFocus: The Idea of Democracy" Sunday, 9/15 at 5:30 p.m. and Thursday, 9/19 at 7:00 p.m. The program is also available to watch in this story.

A group of students from Japan visited WSIU this week.

WSIU continues to grow its educational outreach. Recently, the station hosted an event in Carbondale that provided education about solar power to children and families.

WSIU is continuing its partnership with Kroger, educating area children and families about nutrition, while providing PBS Kids learning materials at area stores.

On Wednesday, May 22, WSIU, in conjunction with Molina Healthcare of Illinois, held a reading event at the C.E. Brehm Memorial Public Library in Mt. Vernon. Roughly 50 children and parents attended. They were entertained with a book reading, educated on American Sign Language and each child received an age-appropriate book, courtesy of Molina.

WSIU recently completed a series of Family Fun Day events across the region to engage with families around the theme of “Downunder” centered around the PBS KIDS show “Work It Out Wombats!” The annual events expanded in reach in 2024, adding a Quincy celebration to events in Mt. Vernon and Springfield.

WSIU, the Carbondale Public Library, and Indie Lens Pop-Up, presented by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS will host a screening of “The Tuba Thieves,” featuring a free dinner and community dialogue. Directed, written, and produced by hard of hearing filmmaker Alison O’Daniel, the film uses a series of tuba thefts in Los Angeles high schools as a jumping-off point to explore the nature of sound itself, through several d/Deaf people telling stories in the film equivalent of a game of telephone.

Children in the region are attending family reading events and receiving free books thanks to a partnership between WSIU and Molina Healthcare.