Riley Institute, SCETV expand partnership

South Carolina ETV (SCETV) and The Riley Institute at Furman University today announced an expanded partnership that will leverage the resources of both entities to produce in-depth stories on public education, civic leadership and conversations with state, national and global policy leaders.

A trip to Finland in 2018 resulted in the type of collaborations viewers can expect to see more of. Led by The Riley Institute, Public Education Partners and Furman’s Department of Education, the trip allowed two dozen South Carolina educators, policymakers, funders and community and business leaders to gain insight into how Finland has overcome challenges in education that are similar to those that exist in South Carolina. The trip was documented by SCETV and covered on the network’s “Carolina Classrooms” program.

“The issues The Riley Institute focuses on are intimately connected to progress in South Carolina and the nation and are also of compelling interest for SCETV’s audience,” says SCETV President and CEO Anthony Padgett. “The basis of our collaborative work is a shared desire for all South Carolinians to have access to resources and information connected to a variety of critical issues.”

Fifth grade students at Kalliola Elementary School in Finland work on an assignment. SCETV and the Riley Institute led a trip to study solutions in Finland that might work for schools in South Carolina.

“The Riley Institute brings experts in critical issue areas to different venues in the state, with audiences between 400 and 2,000 people. With the help of SCETV, those voices can reach tens of thousands of people on the air, and many more on their digital platforms,” says Don Gordon executive director of The Riley Institute. “This is a natural partnership, and we hope to collaborate on another international education field study in the future.”

In another education collaboration, SCETV produces videos documenting programs that are finalists for the Riley Institute’s annual Dick and Tunky Riley Award for Excellence™ and creates short biographical pieces on the winners of the institute’s annual David H. Wilkins Award for Excellence in Legislative and Civic Leadership. Used to supplement the agency’s focus on careers, SCETV offers the videos to educators and the public through Knowitall.org, SCETV’s award-winning, education-focused multimedia platform.

The Riley Institute’s visiting speakers also form part of the organizations’ partnership. Over time, SCETV has interviewed and featured many of the institute’s distinguished speakers and visitors, including journalists Judy Woodruff and Bob Schieffer, NASA Director Charles Bolden, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, PBS President and CEO Paula Kerger, documentary filmmaker Henry Louis Gates, Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb and CIA Director David Petraeus.