PRESS RELEASE
ncIMPACT RETURNS FOR THIRD SEASON, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, AT 8 PM
Weekly Topical Series Focuses on Issues & Impact in the Public Interest
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, 9/16/2020 — UNC-TV Public Media North Carolina and the UNC School of Government continue building on the statewide strength of ncIMPACT, the weekly public affairs series that shares stories of community development and the ways ordinary North Carolinians and civic organizations engage with their communities to create positive change. Civic Federal Credit Union returns to sponsor ncIMPACT, which premieres its new season Thursday, September 17, at 8 PM, on the UNC-TV PBS & More channel.
In the third season, ncIMPACT host Anita Brown-Graham and lead reporter David Hurst explore stories about real issues affecting diverse North Carolinians and the innovative ways changemakers are meeting these challenges. ncIMPACT infuses its reporting with data and evidence about collaborative problem-solving efforts happening in communities across our state. Brown-Graham and the ncIMPACT team amplify the impact of these positive outcomes, inspiring opportunities to replicate their strategies and successes in other parts of the state.
During this extraordinary time, North Carolina communities seek creative ways to innovate and improve the quality of life available for residents. The ncIMPACT Initiative is North Carolina’s destination for trusted tools bridging policy and practice in response to today’s complex challenges. The third season of the series will feature 13 unique episodes and five Town Hall specials in a mix of in-person and virtual events.
The new season debuts with an episode looking at Elder Abuse Prevention, Thursday, September 17, at 8 PM, on UNC-TV. More new episodes continue Thursday nights, at 8, throughout the fall as ncIMPACT crosses the state covering such topics as Designing Better Local Food Systems (September 24), PPE Manufacturing (October 1), Rural Coworking Spaces (October 8), Water Infrastructure Challenges (October 15), Workforce Credentials of Value (October 22), Economic Impact of Historic Preservation (October 29) and Healthcare Access & Outcomes (November 5). Episodes will also air on the North Carolina Channel Friday nights, at 8. The latest schedule and more information on local listings can be found at unctv.org/schedule.
New for Season Three: Watch the live recording of ncIMPACT on Mondays at 12PM. ncIMPACT will broadcast its production on Facebook Live where you can ask questions and connect with others who are interested in topics covered. Follow ncIMPACT Initiative on Facebook and join events online.
Beyond the series’ over-the-air broadcasts, ncIMPACT is also online all the time at unctv.org/ncimpact. The site features individual episodes, segments and special digital extras to complement the series.
About Anita Brown-Graham
Anita Brown-Graham launched the UNC School of Government’s ncIMPACT initiative in 2016; she still leads the program, which was designed to expand the School of Government’s capacity to work with public officials on complex policy issues. In that time, Brown-Graham and her colleagues devised programs to support communities working on economic mobility, poverty, the expansion of prekindergarten, extending the labor pool and mitigating opioid misuse. Previously, Brown-Graham served as director of the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) at North Carolina State University, leading IEI’s efforts to increase the state’s capacity for economic development and prosperity. She also served on the UNC School of Government faculty from 1994 to 2006, where she specialized in governmental liability and community economic development aimed at revitalizing communities. Brown-Graham began her career as a law clerk in the Eastern District of California. She is a William C. Friday Fellow, American Marshall Fellow and Eisenhower Fellow. In 2013, the White House named her a Champion of Change for her work at IEI and the Triangle Business Journal named her a 2014 Woman in Business for her policy leadership in the state and a 2017 CEO of the year. Brown-Graham serves on the boards of several organizations. She earned an undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Learn more at ncIMPACT.org.
About the UNC School of Government
The mission of the School of Government is to improve the lives of North Carolinians by engaging in practical scholarship that helps public officials and citizens understand and improve state and local government. As the largest university-based local government training, advisory and research organization in the United States, the School of Government serves more than 12,000 public officials each year. Established in 1931 as the Institute of Government, the School of Government provides educational, advisory and research services for state and local governments. The School of Government is also home to specialized centers focused on information technology and environmental finance. Learn more at sog.unc.edu.
About Civic Federal Credit Union
Civic Federal Credit Union serves the employees who regularly work in local government in North Carolina, including municipal corporate and other legal entities. Civic's mission is to help improve the lives of members like you and to invest into the community you work so hard for. For more information, visit civicfcu.org.
About UNC-TV Public Media North Carolina
As North Carolina’s statewide PBS network serving the country’s third-largest public media market, UNC-TV educates, informs, entertains and inspires its statewide audience on-air, online and in-person. Through its unique partnership of public investment and private support, the statewide network includes in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery, and four over-the-air channels—UNC-TV PBS & More, the North Carolina Channel, Rootle 24/7 PBS KIDS and the Explorer Channel. Its transformational events and content spark curiosity and wonder for all North Carolinians. Additionally, UNC-TV serves as the backbone for North Carolina’s state’s emergency services. Visit unctv.org and join the conversation at facebook.com/publicmediaNC, instagram.com/publicmediaNC and @publicmediaNC on Twitter.
CONTACT Rebekah Radisch, UNC-TV: rradisch@unctv.org 919-549-7177
