Outcomes

Outcomes

With a number of different targets, the outcomes from Culture Shock were varied and exciting. For example:

• An Oklahoma school board delayed its vote on whether to remove The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from its required reading list until after viewing "Born to Trouble," because a school board member's colleague had attended WGBH's workshops at the NCTE conference.


• Novelist and professor Howard Norman successfully petitioned the University of Maryland to offer a new course designed around Culture Shock.


• Colleges around the country scheduled Culture Shock-related programming throughout the spring semester after the series premiere.


• Borders Books & Music stores promoted the series and educational materials twice, receiving from WGBH only phone support, a book list, copies of Culture Shock brochures and guides, and a small poster for displays. Many local stores scheduled related programming, in some cases in collaboration with local universities, through WGBH's partnership with the National Association for Campus Activities.


• More than 50 public television stations distributed Culture Shock materials locally, and Television Race Initiative station members designed extended activities, some ongoing.