Guest blogger Marge Betley  
Chief Executive Officer
Arkansas PBS Foundation
mbetley@myarkansaspbs.org 

I’d like to tell you about a young man, one of our audience members, for whom Arkansas PBS is a very important part of his life.  

Toad Suck Daze at a Glance
By Hailey Decker

Come join Arkansas PBS on May 3 through May 5 for the annual Toad Suck Daze festival in downtown Conway. This yearly celebration is a way to bring people together to commemorate the heritage of Conway and enjoy the community of central Arkansas. Whether you are seeking delicious food, live entertainment or interactive activities, Toad Suck Daze has something for everyone.

Did you know April 7 is National Public Television Day? We’re proud to celebrate with all of you! YOU are the reason for the work we do to serve Arkansas - and the reason that 350 other public television stations across America do the same. You are the support system that keeps us going each day.  

For our history buffs and PBS super fans, we thought we’d share a bit about how public television started, and some little known or new facts about Arkansas PBS. And don’t miss the end where we give you a sneak peek at what’s coming up!  

ABOUT PUBLIC TV

We are beyond excited for the total solar eclipse headed over Arkansas on April 8. We’ve all heard about it, but what is it about?

We’ve put together a little bit of background information for you, and a run-down of how you can make the most out of this monumental event with a special broadcast and livestream from four strategic Arkansas locations.

See more of your favorite fifth-grade detectives this Spring Break with encores of all 20 episodes of “Mystery League.”

Follow the adventures of Millie, Mike and Marta as they attempt to solve the never-ending mysteries of the fictional small Arkansas town of Mulberry Springs. Episodes will air through the next seven days on Arkansas PBS, giving you another chance to catch these detectives in action.

Learning from Children
“Why are we doing this?”

I sometimes heard the question “Why are we doing this?” from students when I taught in the classroom. And it’s a valid question. Sometimes, learning takes place when we don’t even know it.

What does learning look like to you? As a teacher, I tried to engage my students in learning by designing relevant content, creating interactive learning experiences and making real-world connections. It worked most of the time, but my students were most engaged when I listened and learned from them.

The Big Time
Writers’ rooms are places of legend. For shows like “Saturday Night Live,” “Seinfeld” or countless others, writers’ rooms are where colorful and storied careers begin. For TV writers, the chance to work in a writers’ room is “The Big Time.” This is what made the formation of Arkansas PBS’ “Mystery League” writers’ room such a special occurrence.

Purple Mystery Mash. Robot Teachers. Helpful Heroes. Crop Circles. Whew! The “Mystery League” detectives have been busy going places and solving cases, but who I am is no mystery. My name is Prentice Dupins, Jr. I work at Arkansas PBS as an education and instruction coordinator, and let me tell you, being part of “Mystery League” was a blast! Come with me now to learn all about how this amazing Arkansas PBS-original series was created.

Doing My Part

It was important to us that we get this right. Arkansas PBS has one of the largest teams of educators of any PBS station in the US, and we were set to begin planning for a new children’s show that was not only entertaining and enjoyable by the whole family, but also engaging, thought provoking, and most importantly—educational. We didn’t know what we would call the show for some time, but in the fall of 2022, we were in the very early stages of planning for “Mystery League.” And it has been one of the most fulfilling educational initiatives of my career so far.

We are one month away from the premiere of Arkansas PBS’s newest educational series “Mystery League”! Before we kick off this series, we wanted to introduce some of the faces you will see in the fictional town of Mulberry Springs.