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Capturing American: The Carol Highsmith Story • WXXI-TV

80-year old Carol Highsmith, America’s visual documentarian, completes her photographic study of the country for a massive, copyright-free collection of more than 75,000 images for the Library of Congress.

Capturing American: The Carol Highsmith Story airing Sunday, July 26 at 7 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

The film follows Carol in Alaska, Louisiana, New York City, Utah, and Arizona as she reflects on what drove her to document everything from sweeping landscapes to Mardi Gras celebrations to the grandeur of the Grand Canyon for more than 40 years.

Photo Credit:   PBS

Webinar: How to involve NY State K-12 students in the NY250: Tapestry of New York Project

Who Should Attend: New York State Teachers, Public Librarians, School Librarians & Media Specialists, Out of School Practitioners and Staff, Museum Outreach and Education Staff, Arts Organizations, Teen and Youth Organization Staff, Home School Parents and others interested in the involving students in this digital quilt project through December, 2026 to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S.

When: Tuesday, July 14, 2026 10am-11am ET (Register to attend and/or receive the recording)

Register for Webinar

Description:

Looking for a way to engage your K-12 students with America at 250 here in New York State? Uplift youth voice through project-based learning while contributing their work to a new digital platform! Find out about the Tapestry of New York project submissions by K-12 students which will run from June, 2026-December, 2026.

Join the NYS Library as we welcome special guests from WNET, New York City’s public media station. Learn about the Tapestry of New York—a new online platform showcasing the creative work of New York students in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. This webinar will provide a full project overview, explore examples of student work, and outline strategies to implement this exciting program within the library which can also supply ideas for other educational and community settings to implement with their K-12 students.

More About the Presenters:

Susan Buttaccio is the Manager of Special Collections at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library’s Grosvenor Room, where she oversees Local History, Genealogy, Map, Music, and Rare Book collections. She has worked across multiple library roles, including Teen Services, Children’s Services, Cataloging, and Digital Resources, bringing a broad public service and technical background to her current work in special collections management.

In her current role, she leads a team focused on expanding access to historical materials through digitization and public programming. She also provides leadership in public reference and research services, ensuring support for patrons engaging with local and regional history collections. She works closely with community and institutional partners on regional history projects, including collaborative efforts connected to America 250 commemorations and local heritage initiatives.

Her work emphasizes connecting people with primary sources, strengthening preservation practices, and making local history more accessible through both in-person and digital experiences.

Sandy Goldberg is the Education Director in the Kids’ Media & Education department at The WNET Group, the nonprofit parent company of Thirteen PBS – the flagship public television station of the New York City tri-state area – and WLIW PBS on Long Island. In that capacity, she oversees the department’s preK-12 classroom content production, teacher professional development, and outreach efforts and helps to create a vision for the department’s future growth and development. Ms. Goldberg has worked in the education field for over 30 years and is an experienced classroom teacher, technology staff developer, and educational software producer. Since joining WNET in November 2002, she has produced numerous media-rich learning experiences for K-12 classrooms drawn from PBS productions. A key focus of her work has been inclusion of underrepresented groups in K-12 teaching and learning to help promote understanding, awareness, and self-esteem.

This public program is offered by the New York State Library and made possible by federal Library Service and Technology Act funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which enable the New York State Library to champion lifelong learning.

Mr. Bates vs the Post Office • WXXI-TV

Four-part British drama that recounts a major miscarriage of justice in which hundreds of sub postmasters were wrongly accused of theft, fraud, and false accounting due to a faulty IT system.

“Mr. Bates vs the Post Office” airs Sunday, August 30th at 7pm-10pm on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

“Episode 1”: After the rollout of the Horizon computer system, village Post Office tills show unexplained cash shortfalls. Airs at 7pm.

“Edisode 2”: Alan and Jo meet Sam Kaur, another accused subpostmaster, and Michael Rudkin, an insider with Horizon knowledge. Airs at 8pm.

“Episode 3”: Alan and Paula set up a mediation scheme for compensation, but Martin Griffiths’ case collapses after his death by suicide. Airs at 9pm.

“Episode 4”: At the Royal Courts of Justice, Alan and his allies give evidence for 555 subpostmasters. Airs at 10pm.

Photo Credit: THE TVBD

Fredrick Law Olmsted: Designing America • WXXI-TV

The story of the man who made public parks an essential part of American life.

“Fredrick Law Olmsted: Designing America ” airs Monday, August 24th at 9pm on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

Known as the father of American landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted was co-designer of Central Park, head of the first Yosemite commission, leader of the campaign to protect Niagara Falls, designer of the U.S. Capitol Grounds, site planner for the Great White City of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, planner of Boston’s “Emerald Necklace” of green space, as well as designer of park systems in many other cities. To Olmsted, a park was both a work of art and a necessity for urban life. His efforts to preserve nature created an “environmental ethic” decades before the environmental movement became a force in American politics.

Photo Credit:   Buffalo Toronto Public Media

Neil Diamond: Hot August Night/NYC • WXXI-TV

Recorded live at New York’s Madison Square Garden in August 2008

“Neil Diamond: Hot August Night/NYC” airs Sunday, August 23th at 7pm on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

Features career-spanning hits from Neil’s phenomenal four-night sold-out run at the fabled concert hall. Songs include “Beautiful Noise,” “Cherry, Cherry,” “Thank the Lord for the Night Time,” “I Am…I Said,” “Solitary Man,” “Kentucky Woman,” “Forever in Blue Jeans,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “America,” and, of course, “Sweet Caroline.”

Photo Credit:  Mercury Studios

Great Performances at the Met “Eugene Onegin” • WXXI-TV

A romantic tragedy based on Alexander Pushkin’s novel.

“Great Performances at the Met ‘Eugene Onegin’ ” airs Friday, August 21th at 9pm on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

The opera tells the story of Tatiana, a young, lovestruck heroine, and Onegin, a man who realizes his love for her too late. The narrative is enriched by a narrator who provides an intimate, worldly perspective on the social and intellectual world of the characters

Photo Credit:  KPBS

REBA MCENTIRE LIVE FROM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN • WXXI-TV

Reba McEntire headlines a special night of music from New York’s Madison Square Garden.

“REBA MCENTIRE LIVE FROM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN” airs Thursday, August 13th at 8pm on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps.

 Featuring some of Reba’s biggest hits like “Turn On The Radio”, “Can’t Even Get The Blues”, “Going Out Like That” and “Fancy”, this concert was the final night of the Reba: Live In Concert tour which visited over 50 cities throughout 2022 and 2023. This concert, filmed on April 15, 2023 marked Reba’s first-time headlining the iconic New York City venue. Special appearance by Terri Clark who joins Reba for a Linda Ronstadt medley.

Photo Credit:  White Light International Media Ltd

Go Back to School with WXXI!

Back-to-school time means updating routines, packing school lunches, creating a new family calendar, and finding helpful resources to support learning! It can be a lot for everyone in the family – big feelings, big transitions, and even bigger to-do lists.

Let WXXI’s Education Team help you get ready for the back-to-school transition – use the following resources from PBS KIDS and PBS LearningMedia to help your family adjust to the new school year:

Adjusting to New Routines

With the new school year comes new or updated routines, to help the whole family with this transition – design a family routine calendar. It can be tailored for specific parts of the day (i.e. morning, after-school, or bedtime) or individualized for each kid! Shout out to PBS KIDS Alma’s Way for this idea!

First Day of School

The first day of school is a big experience! A brand-new special from PBS KIDS called “The Day You Begin” follows four kindergartners on their first day of school. It’s a great family watch and opportunity to start thinking about the first days of school, and what makes each of us unique. Watch on PBS KIDS beginning Friday, August 7, 2026. You can also borrow the book, The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, from your favorite local library or watch the PBS KIDS Reads video of Jacqueline Woodson reading her book!

Learn at Home

Explore PBSLearningMedia – this free resource is available to all families, educators, and students. It’s appropriate to support students in grades PreK-12th grade. Whether it’s exploring New York State history or the depths of space, PBS LearningMedia is a good first stop to keep the curiosity and learning flowing all school year long. Teacher pro tip: Check out the helpful tutorial videos for how to use PBS LearningMedia features for your classroom instruction!

    Listen Together

    PBS KIDS podcasts can help you and your kids create some screen-free-time during the week. Listen while you ride in the car, play in your living room, or even before bed. Enjoy your favorite PBS KIDS stories, in an audio format. Choose from Arthur, Lyla’s Loopcast, the Odd Squadcast, Molly of Denali, and more!

      More Back-to-School Helpers:

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