What is the Rootle Ambassador Program? 

Building on the successful implementation of the CPB-PBS Ready to Learn Community Collaboratives for Early Learning & Media Initiative, PBS North Carolina and its partners recognized the greater need to serve children and families across the state in a manner that was sustainable, long-term. 

By understanding the tremendous impact that local educators, parents, caregivers and community leaders can have within the early childhood education space and beyond, we have developed a program that celebrated the work that community members were already doing as well as support them along the way. Rootle Ambassadors give us the opportunity to equitably reach classrooms, communities and homes across the state with curriculum-informed content and resources that gets children excited about learning.

Rootle Ambassadors are community members who support families of young learners in counties across the state of North Carolina. Ambassadors serve as leaders, connecting PBS KIDS and early learning resources to the unique needs of their communities. They are equipped with tools to share that enrich learning for all children, provide valuable training and experiences, and create a community network for early childhood educators and families to connect.

PBS North Carolina and our statewide partners nominate individuals who have been identified as strong community advocates to serve as Rootle Ambassadors in their county. Recruitment for the program occurs on an annual basis. Over the course of five years, North Carolina will have a Rootle Ambassador in all 100 counties. Meet our first group of Rootle Ambassadors below!

Brandon worked in the Asheville Public Library system for four years and was the Youth Services Specialist for the East Asheville Public Library at the time of his death in September 2022. 

Upon becoming a Rootle Ambassador in 2021, Brandon said, "The children and their caregivers in our library community look up to me as a resource for their entertainment and educational needs. Serving as Rootle Ambassador will help me fulfill this critical responsibility by expanding my knowledge of high-quality early education resources."

Brandon was creative, passionate, and had superpowers he brought to work daily. We will miss having Brandon in our Rootle Ambassador community.