AMBASSADOR AMBASSADOR
Welcome!
Dear Rootle Ambassadors,
It’s a great honor to work with you to connect children and families across the state with much-needed educational and community resources. We’re stronger together, and with your expertise and passion, I believe we can positively impact North Carolina’s future. Thank you for being a part of our team!
As a Rootle Ambassador, you’re part of a statewide network of champions who will collaborate and grow together well past this season. Your commitment to young learners will continue to make a lasting impact for years to come.
We value you and the enormous contributions you’ve made to your community. Thank you for sharing your talents and vision with PBS North Carolina and the children, parents and caregivers of our state. We’re thrilled to work with you.
With
Pyle Director of
The Rootle Ambassador Journey
Each Rootle Ambassador’s journey is shaped by the intersection of unique skills/abilities and the needs of the county served. This guide will support achieving Rootle Ambassador deliverables and making an impact in the community.
Media Mix
WATCH PLAY
Learn about current PBS KIDS programs and online resources, imagining how they can be employed in your community. With the Rootle Ambassador deliverables in mind, dream about what could be! Ask PBS NC about additional resources.
Productive Playtime
Share with others your Rootle Ambassador commitment, the PBS NC resources, and the dream of impacting early learners in the community. Build and leverage relationships. Brainstorm with PBS NC, we can help!
Deep Dive
EXPLORE SHARE
Take a deeper dive and collaborate to develop an engagement plan to employ the resources and make a difference. Include data collection survey in the plan and take pictures at the event. Inform PBS NC of the plan early.
Create Connections
After the engagement, share what community and PBS NC content connections were made - this is a key part of the experience! Celebrate the accomplishment!
Share learnings and pictures with PBS NC.
• 24-hour TV channel
Digital livestream
Interactive educational games
• 3.8 million households reached by Rootle
• 11 million people visit pbskids.org monthly
• 71% of US children ages 2–8 watch PBS
Lab ........................................................................................................... pbskids.org/lab PBS KIDS for Parents pbs.org/parents
• Thousands of PBS KIDS activities
• Many activities available in Spanish
• Save, share & print activities
• Free downloadable apps
KIDS Shows pbskids.org
NewsHour Classroom .......................................................... pbs.org/newshour/classroom
PBS LearningMedia ................................................................................... pbslearningmedia.org Free curriculum-aligned videos, interactives and lesson plans:
• Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
• Literacy
• Math
• The Power of Play
• Science
• Global awareness
• Art
• So much more!
Sesame Workshop ................................................................... sesameworkshop.org/resources Free resources for parents and childcare providers including:
• Resources on addressing tough issues
• Printables
• Professional development
• Trauma-informed content
• Content in English & Spanish
Bright by Text Text CONNECT to 274448
• Free tips, information & resources in English & Spanish
• Developmental tips based on child’s due date or age
• Info about local resources & events from community organizations
• Learning materials, short modeling videos & related resources
SOCIAL MEDIA BEST PRACTICES
Overview
Facebook and Instagram are all about community. Your fans and followers are looking for a connection and are more likely to engage with a post that feels personal rather than something that’s overproduced. We hope that you will share PBS KIDS resources with your network of friends and colleagues through your existing social media networks.
If you don’t have a Facebook or Instagram account, or if content separation between home/ work/Rootle Ambassador accounts is important to you, consider creating a new Facebook or Instagram account with the account name “NAME_RootleAmbassador.” Note that all brand logos are legally protected and must not be incorporated into your account. Instead, share official content from PBS North Carolina, Rootle, PBS KIDS, etc.
You’re also invited to join the private Facebook group created for Rootle Ambassadors: “PBS NC’s Rootle Ambassador Group (Closed Group).” Here you will receive internal updates specific to your Ambassador role as well as previews of upcoming content from PBS North Carolina and its partners.
Be Creative
• Be conversational and authentic in your messages and captions.
• Share exclusive content that followers can’t get from anyone else, like behind-the-scenes photos and videos.
• Post a variety of content to maximize your reach. Your audience won’t all have the same content preferences—some like videos, some like photos and others like stories.
• Make it fun by using creative tools like Boomerang, face filters, stickers, drawing tools and more to share your highlights and everything in between.
Engage with Your Followers
• Acknowledging a comment may earn you a lifelong follower. Take a moment to like a comment or respond with a few words.
• If you go live on Facebook/Instagram, dedicate time to do a Q&A with your viewers.
Video
• Video is being watched on Facebook and Instagram more than ever before, especially on mobile phones.
• Create videos that let fans feel like they’re there with you and offer context. Add a description that lets viewers know what they’re watching and why it’s interesting.
Stories
• The most engaging Facebook and Instagram Stories are made in the moment and use a combination of videos, photos and other creative tools.
• Stories can be added to both Instagram and Facebook at the same time. You can adjust your settings to have your Instagram Stories automatically shared to Facebook every time, or you can share individual stories when you create them.
Locations & Hashtags
• More than 150 million people visit the Instagram Explore tab every day. Increase the likelihood that your content will surface here by using hashtags to make your content more discoverable. But don’t go overboard; simply choose the most relevant tags for your posts.
• Use location tags and hashtags to connect with a moment or place, and encourage fans to use them at your shows, events and more.
• Tag pages/accounts when relevant to make the post eligible to appear in more feeds.
Post Frequency
1–3 posts per week
Profiles to Tag
Facebook: @mypbsnc
Instagram: @mypbsnc @rootlenc
Hashtags
#RootleNC #RootleAmbassador #PBSNC #PBSKids
Best Times to Post
Tuesday–Thursday, 9 AM– 4 PM
Optimal Image Sizes
Profile Picture: 400 x 400 pixels
Facebook Post: 1200 x 630 pixels
Story Post: 1080 x 1920 pixels
Instagram Post: 1080 x 1080 pixels
Instagram Portrait Size: 1080 x 1350 pixels
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
BEST PRACTICES
Connect
• The first step in planning an engagement is to connect to the community and the content. As you begin, consider community needs, community partners, PBS KIDS content and resources.
• Connect with a community partner/agency for support with event space, planning, promotion and implementation. Consider integrating your activity into an existing event or activity such as a community fair, library night or farmers market.
• Utilize the Rootle Road Map on page 6 for an engaging learning experience. Each engagement should integrate the Watch Play Explore Share model.
• Check Microsoft Teams files for logos, templates and more.
• Keep each learning style in mind and provide multiple means of representation (say it, write it and display it).
• Extend reach beyond the engagement by providing take-home materials.
Collaborate
• Collaborate with a fellow Rootle Ambassador for support during planning and/or implementation.
• Complete the Planning Tool for Family & Community Engagements on page 14 and schedule a run-through with our Education & Innovation Team at least 60 days prior to the engagement.
• Talk to families in your community about what type of experience and resource would support their interests and needs.
Technology & Evaluation
• Plan for the necessary equipment to support all engagement activities (e.g., slide deck, laptop, projector, camera, etc.) and have a back-up plan ready.
• If Wi-Fi is needed, make sure to secure the login information and test it in the space.
• Administer surveys to participants at the conclusion of events.
Reach
Please consider steps you can take to create an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere, ensuring that all families can participate fully and benefit from the resources and activities provided. An initial step can be to consider any potential language barriers you can support during your engagement. Here are a few steps you can take during planning to ensure all families feel welcome and can fully participate:
• Assess the primary languages spoken by families in your community.
• Provide multilingual materials.
• Consider partnering with bilingual staff and volunteers.
• Create visual aids.
Please contact the Rootle Team with any questions regarding planning and implementation.
PBS North Carolina
Facebook: facebook.com/mypbsnc
Instagram: @mypbsnc
YouTube: youtube.com/mypbsnc
eNewsletter Signup: pbsnc.org/signup
Rootle
Instagram: @rootlenc
YouTube: youtube.com/rootle
Email: Rootle_Ambassador@pbsnc.org
Rootle Ambassador Email Syntax
[COUNTY]@rootlekids.org (e.g. Durham@rootlekids.org)
Questions?
Contact the Rootle Ambassador Program Coordinator at rootle_ambassador@pbsnc.org.
PLANNING TOOL FOR FAMILY & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS
Download, fill and email this form to Rootle_Ambassador@pbsnc.org.
Please do not submit handwritten or photocopied forms. Instead, scan QR code below to download.
Ambassador Name(s)
Event Date
Event Title
Facilitator(s)
Hours/Length of Time
Intended Audience
Community Partner(s)
Event partners & their involvement
Event Purpose
Broad statement of what you intend to teach
Event Objectives
What you hope participants will gain from engagement
Event Overview
Describe what will take place
Event Environment
Where your event will be held (location; virtual/in-person)
Materials for Attendees
List of materials needed (food, signs)
Workshop Aids
Materials for Ambassadors (slide deck, virtual background)
Instructional Materials
List & link handouts needed
Data Collection Plan
How post-event feedback will be collected from participants
Attendee Survey
Scan & Complete
Researchers at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at NC State University have partnered with PBS North Carolina to examine the impact of today’s program on you, the children you work with and your community.
Across NC
Education Trainers
James Sebastian Byers jbyers@pbsnc.org
Khalilah Gilmore kgilmore@pbsnc.org
Jason Lineberger jlineberger@pbsnc.org
LaToya McCrimmon lmccrimmon@pbsnc.org
Celia Santos csantos@pbsnc.org
Jennifer Sarmento jsarmento@pbsnc.org
Angela Wilson awilson@pbsnc.org
Engagement Trainers
Andrea Ausby aausby@pbsnc.org
Annalise Bocko abocko@pbsnc.org
Krista Keith kkeith@pbsnc.org
Jennelle Lewis jlewis@pbsnc.org
Ruthie Styles rstyles@pbsnc.org
Rootle Ambassadors are collaborative leaders from across North Carolina who support young learners and their families and communities. Each Ambassador was nominated by their community and trained to use and share PBS early education resources. Follow their journey on social media throughout the year using #RootleAmbassadors.
∙ Alamance
∙ Alexander
∙ Alleghany
∙ Anson ∙ Ashe
∙ Avery ∙ Beaufort
∙ Bertie ∙ Bladen ∙ Brunswick ∙ Buncombe
Burke ∙ Cabarrus
Caldwell
Camden
Carteret
Caswell
Catawba
Chatham
Cherokee
Chowan
Clay
Cleveland
Columbus
Craven
Cumberland
Currituck
Dare
Davidson
Davie
Duplin
Durham
Edgecombe
Forsyth
Franklin
Gaston
Gates
Graham
Granville
Greene
Guilford
Halifax
Harnett ∙ Haywood
Henderson
Hertford
Hoke
Hyde
Iredell
Jackson
Johnston
Jones
Lee
Lenoir
Lincoln
Macon
Madison
Martin
McDowell
∙ Montgomery ∙ Moore ∙ Nash ∙ New Hanover ∙ Northampton
Onslow
∙ Orange ∙ Pamlico ∙ Pasquotank ∙ Pender
Perquimans
Person
Pitt
Polk
Randolph
Richmond
Robeson
Rockingham
Rowan
Mecklenburg ∙ Mitchell
Rutherford
Sampson
Scotland
Stanly
Stokes
Surry
Swain
Transylvania
Tyrrell
Union
Vance
Wake
Warren
Wilkes
THE ROOTLE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM IS MADE POSSIBLE WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT FROM
The William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust
Health Trust
Camber Foundation
and Jeffrey Goodman
The Unifour Foundation
Dogwood
Dianna