Ball State University's Electronic Field Trip program added more glamour to its already impressive resum+â-¬.
The program, created by the Teachers College in 1996, recently received six more Telly Awards for last year's programs.
However, one of the awards was special.
At this year's ceremony, EFT received a silver Telly for "Exploring Our Daily Decision Making," a program discussing the Holocaust and how people went from upholding the public good to being active participants in civil rights violations and mass murder. This is the highest award a recipient can receive, and the first for Ball State's EFT program.
Mark Kornmann, director of Teachers College outreach services, said this program was different from other award winning EFT's because of its compelling nature.
"This program was very moving and was put together very well," Kornmann said. "The program involved some Holocaust survivors, as well as testimonies from people who hid Jewish people in their homes. It just made for a very good program."
The EFT program is an interactive educational experience that brings content from museums and parks from all over the nation to children. Each field trip allows 15 million students and teachers to be a part of this experience.
Telly awards are given to honor excellence in local, regional and cable television commercials and programs, as well as video and film productions. The other five bronze Telly Awards included the broadcasts "Just Where Is That Zero-G Room?" and "Biological Invasion" as well as promotions utilizing animations for "Painting the Corners: Art and Inspiration," "Discovering Our American Spirit: finding Common Ground in the National Pastime" and "Just Where is that Zero-G Room?" The program has now won 19 Telly Awards.
Each field trip has three elements to it: a Web site featuring educational content for students, classroom activities created by teachers involved with that field trip and a live 90-minute broadcast from the location of the field trip.
The broadcasts are shown twice in one day to 15 million people, based on the time zones throughout the country. Because the broadcasts are live, students are allowed to call in and ask questions.
Recently, the broadcast has expanded to more than 10 countries.
"During one of the broadcasts, a girl from Mexico called in to ask a question," Kornmann said. "We thought that was very cool just to know that other countries are now tuning in to it."
The Web site has also won awards, including a Best of the Web award by the Center for Digital Education and gold and silver awards at the 2005 World Media Festival.