Additional Program Information

Developer and contact

Connect with Kids Network, Inc. 6285 Barfield Road, 2nd Floor, Atlanta, GA 30328. Web: www.connectwithkids.com. Email: assistance@cwknetwork.com. Telephone: 888-598-KIDS (5437).

Scope of use

CWK Network, Inc., founded in 1998, produces the Connect with Kids television series. In 2001 Connect with Kids piloted educational programs focused on children's health and wellness issues in key school districts through Georgia Public Broadcasting Education Network. According to the developer, Connect with Kids has been implemented in hundreds of schools and districts across the country, including Washington, D. C., New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami-Dade, and Broward, Florida. According to the developer, implementation sites represent a diverse student population for grade level, age, race, ethnicity, urbanicity, and socio-economic status. Connect with Kids may have changed since the study was conducted. The WWC recommends asking the developer for information about the most current version of this curriculum and take into account that student demographics and school context may affect outcomes.

Teaching

Connect with Kids teaches character and life skills by incorporating peer-to-peer videos based on real stories of children and youth. Each skill is supported with grade-appropriate lesson plans based on story summaries, student activities, vocabulary, and discussion questions and is supplemented by web resources. At the elementary level there are eight units—three character traits per unit that include 48 student activities for both core and supplemental traits (two per trait). The middle/high school program has 36 lessons introducing 26 character traits that include 104 student activities for both core and supplemental traits (four per trait). The teacher resources include a teaching manual, story summaries, discussion questions, lesson plans, assessment guidelines, rubrics, and correlations between the program and national standards.

Each lesson begins with an introduction of the trait being taught followed by the Connect with Kids video for that trait. There are three video segments for each character trait in the middle/high school program and one video per character trait in the elementary school program. The video is followed by teacher-led discussions using questions from the teacher resource guide. One to two weeks after the video and discussion lesson a follow-up activity is taught. Students practice and demonstrate behaviors associated with the character trait being taught through cooperative learning exercises and other activities. Students are also introduced to monthly television specials aired on local stations. Parents are encouraged to view the show with their child. Some schools record the shows for classroom use, and teachers lead discussions following the airing of the shows. Teachers can access the Connect with Kids website to view weekly examples of the character traits being taught. Students and their parents can use the website in association with the classroom lessons.

The CWK Network offers one day of in-person or longdistance professional development for teachers. This workshop incorporates lectures, discussions, peer-to-peer interaction, and simulated activities. The CWK Network also provides ongoing technical assistance support through its toll-free hotline and dedicated email address.

Cost

The Connect with Kids program and professional development for elementary and middle/high school students costs $4,000 per school. This cost includes an eight-video series that teaches core character values, a curriculum guide in English or Spanish, an evaluation and assessment tool, correlations between the curriculum and national standards, a six-video series titled "Character Parent Outreach," professional development for the school staff, one-year unlimited access to Connect with Kids WebSource, and ongoing educator support through a toll-free hotline.

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