August 2026

In Jacqueline Woodson’s The Day You Begin, a little girl walks into a classroom carrying everything that makes her different — her lunch, her stories, her whole world — and wonders whether any of it will belong there. Every child knows that moment. Most adults do, too.

This month, we’re airing the animated special of The Day You Begin, and I can’t think of a more perfect story for this time of year. Back to school is about supplies and new shoes and schedules. But even more, it’s about the courage it takes to walk into a new room and decide to fully be there.

I’m thinking about that courage a lot right now. My daughter starts kindergarten this fall, and our whole household is balancing the excitement and the weight of that at once. She’ll carry her own whole world through that door, and I hope it finds a home.

What I know, as a parent and as someone who has spent years in public media, is that children who feel seen before they enter the classroom carry themselves differently once they get there. PBS KIDS does that every day. Through storytelling and characters who look, sound, and explore like they do, children learn that their experiences matter. They build the emotional vocabulary they need to walk into new rooms with their whole selves intact.

This doesn’t end at childhood. Curiosity doesn’t have an expiration date. All of us, at every age and stage of life, deserve stories that challenge us, reflect us, and remind us that there is always more to learn. That’s what public media is for. That’s what PBS Michiana – WNIT is for. That’s what you make possible.

Whether you’re sending a child off to school, starting a new chapter of your own, or just looking for something that sparks your curiosity, I hope you’ll join us this month. You never know where the next beginning might lead.

Sincerely,

Amanda Miller Kelley
President & General Manager