October 28, 2020
Delta College Public Media, in partnership with Michigan’s public television stations and area educators, has announced the launch of a new learning channel that will support the work of teachers and parents.
The Michigan Learning Channel (MLC) will use a variety of media platforms and broadcast channels to deliver educational programming and curriculum-aligned instructional resources, beginning with Pre-K to third grade and eventually expanding to include grades four through 12.
Delta College Public Media will begin airing the station in early January on channel 19.5. It will also be available as a digital livestream and on demand at MichiganLearning.org.
“Public television has a long history of developing educational content in partnership the communities we serve, and the Michigan Learning Channel takes this one step further. There will be a crucial need for this service during the pandemic and into the future,” said Thomas Bennett, general manager of Delta College Public Media.
The channel will deliver lessons in 30- and 60-minute blocks for each grade level throughout the day, which will be repeated during the evenings and weekends. All content is offered at no cost to schools, families and caregivers. The content will be aligned with Michigan’s educational standards and lessons will be presented by a diverse group of educators.
The concept has been endorsed by the Michigan Department of Education, the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators, and the Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators.
The MLC plans to eventually add adult educational content, developed in collaboration with unions, community colleges and universities. These programs would support the completion of college and career certification programs to help fill high-need positions in the workforce.
Participating public television stations include Detroit Public Television, WKAR Public Media from Michigan State University, WGVU Public Media from Grand Valley State University, WCMU Public Media from Central Michigan University and WNMU-TV from Northern Michigan University.
Initial funding is provided by awards totaling $3.5 million; 43 percent of the budget is through a grant from the Michigan Department of Education supported by the Governors Education Emergency Relief (GEER) Fund Grant, part of the CARES Act. The remainder is through funding from the Michigan State Legislature.
About Delta College Public Media
WDCQ-TV is owned and operated by Delta College with 45,000 households tuning in weekly. WUCX-FM is operated jointly with Central Michigan University. It is the mission of Delta College Public Media to educate, inform and inspire through commercial-free radio, television and other media, touching the lives of all mid-Michigan citizens by providing quality programming and services.