ORLANDO, Oct. 8, 2024 — Caregivers looking for trusted educational resources to talk with their children about Hurricane Milton and its devastating impacts can turn to "Meet The Helpers" from WUCF, Central Florida's PBS station.
Through short videos with real-life helpers like meteorologists and line workers, WUCF offers kids a look at how community helpers support communities before, during and after emergencies.
WUCF's "Meet The Helpers" website also has strategies for caregivers to help children understand emergencies, such as:
- Talking about "big feelings"
- Explaining what is happening using age-appropriate language
- Letting children ask questions and learn about the answers together
- Putting together a "Comfort Kit" to help kids feel more secure—and related storm activities
"With the storm approaching and schools closing, children may have a lot of big feelings and fear," said Jennifer Cook, WUCF Executive Director. "These resources help families and our youngest learners cope with scary situations and respond to crises, not just with information but in ways that empower children to become helpers, too."
Quick links to "Meet The Helpers" resources:
Helper-focused emergency videos include:
- Meteorologist Crisis Video
- Line Worker Crisis Video
- Public Service Worker Crisis video
- 911 Operator Crisis video
- Paramedic Crisis video
- Youth Helper
Emergency response videos about comfort and coping include:
- Caregiver Tips for Talking About Emergencies
- Crisis Response for Kids
- Mister Rogers: Look For the Helpers
- Mister Rogers: Mentionable is Manageable
Printable resources for families include:
Full resources and videos are available at MeetTheHelpers.org.
ABOUT 'MEET THE HELPERS':
The award-winning, Emmy-nominated series "Meet The Helpers" is a preparedness and response initiative that readies children for emergency situations by teaching them about important community helpers. Created in partnership with subject-matter experts from the University of Central Florida's College of Community Innovation & Education and Nicholson School of Communication, "Meet The Helpers" brings together best practices in early childhood development and risk communications.
Since it launched in 2018, WUCF has distributed the series to more than 100 public television stations across the country. Often as a resource for caring communities in crises, the video series and its numerous educational resources and activities have been proven to help increase children's knowledge of helpers' roles and foster positive emotions. The initiative is made possible with support from the Ginsburg Family Foundation and The Paul B Hunter & Constance D Hunter Charitable Foundation Inc. and through a previous grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and contributions from Duke Energy.
ABOUT WUCF:
WUCF TV and WUCF FM are Central Florida's premier sources of compelling content and community engagement. As the sole-service PBS member station for nearly 4.5 million residents across nine counties, WUCF TV fosters curiosity and learning through award-winning local shows like Florida Road Trip and NewsNight, as well as extensive PBS KIDS programming. WUCF Education has reached over 1.5 million people at in-person events and aims to engage children, empower caregivers and support educators to build a community that helps change lives. With over 45 years of broadcasting from the University of Central Florida, WUCF FM is a leading source of jazz available both on-air and online. Both WUCF TV and FM are community-supported public broadcasting entities from UCF. Learn more at http://wucf.org.
Media Contact on Behalf of WUCF:
Christine Dellert Mullon
407.718.0199