The 26-episode series is scheduled to debut in the nation’s top three public television markets: Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago. Click here to see where and when Biz Kid$is airing. 

“The number of PBS stations committing to carry Biz Kid$keeps growing,” reports RoxAnne Kruger, Biz Kid$Project Manager and Executive Director of the Washington Credit Union Foundation.  “Many other cities are already on the list, representing a diverse geographic balance of coverage across the country in big market areas.”

Biz Kid$will also air on all High Definition (HD) Channel PBS stations (approximately 100) on Sundays at 5 p.m. beginning on Jan. 27, 2008.  This means all PBS stations that have HD channels will air Biz Kid$at the same designated daytime across America.  Biz Kid$is already airing in the United Kingdom and Ireland on a national business channel.

Produced in high definition by the Emmy Award-winning creators of Bill Nye the Science Guy, Biz Kid$ is a fun, fast-paced series designed to entertain, engage, and elevate kids’ knowledge about money.  The vision is for Biz Kid$ to do for financial education what Bill Nye did for science.  For comparison, Bill Nye the Science Guy initially launched on 40 PBS stations.

Every Biz Kid$ episode will begin and end with a narrator reminding viewers that “Production funding for Biz Kid$ is provided by America’s Credit Unions, where people are worth more than money.”

The National Credit Union Foundation (NCUF) is the largest funder of the America’s Credit Unions underwriting group.  NCUF committed $2 million over three years from a special sub-fund of its Community Investment Fund (CIF).

“The National Credit Union Foundation is proud to be Biz Kid$’ largest sponsor,” affirmed NCUF Executive Director Steve Delfin.  “This TV series, together with the teaching curriculum being produced in partnership with Junior Achievement, will fulfill a key part of our mission: to bring financial education and literacy to our nation’s youth.  Biz Kid$ has the potential to be the most visible youth financial literacy program our nation has ever seen.”

Credit Union Dollars Needed
The first 13 episodes of Biz Kid$ are produced and paid for.  “National underwriting dollars are needed now for the second 13 episodes currently in production,” explains Kruger.  “We are asking credit union supporters to please consider a contribution before Biz Kid$ airs in 2008 to help cover the television production, website and curriculum development costs.”

To keep Biz Kid$ on the air with credit unions’ funding, supporters can contact their state credit union league to receive wire transfer information or a pledge form.  The pledge form is also available on NCUF’s website at http://www.ncuf.coop/.  (Click the top story, then click “pledge form” on the Biz Kid$ page.)

“When you fulfill your pledge to Biz Kid$, you will become a part of television history,” concludes Delfin.  “You will join the underwriting team supporting the first national TV series ever funded by credit unions.”

Credit Unions Can Teach Biz Kid$
Each episode of Biz Kid$will come with teaching materials developed by Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide to be used in classrooms and homes.  Junior Achievement can help open doors for credit union staff and volunteers to teach financial literacy to as many as 4 million students in 178,000 classrooms.

Companion materials and other resources for teachers and parents will be available at no cost on the Biz Kid$ website, http://www.bizkids.com/.  The site also features clips from the series and invites kids to appear on the show.  Website visitors can now sign up for the Biz Kid$ monthly newsletter, The Vault.  The e-mailed newsletter offers ideas on how kids can start their own businesses, earn money, and make their money grow.

“We profile real kids running real businesses, from big companies with product lines to small businesses like dog-walking,” says Biz Kid$ Executive Producer Jamie Hammond.  “The series also shows kids who are running businesses to advance social causes and give back to their communities.  This humanizes the financial literacy aspect of the production and shows kids the range of possibilities available to anyone who wants to become a biz kid.”

Biz Kid$is produced in association with JA Worldwide and WXXI Public Broadcasting in Rochester, New York.  It is distributed by American Public Television.  Major funding for Biz Kid$is provided by a coalition of America’s Credit Unions, led by the National Credit Union Foundation and the Washington Credit Union Foundation.

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About Biz Kid$LLP
The Biz Kid$ team is best known for creating and producing Bill Nye the Science Guy.  The series received multiple awards – 26 national Emmys (including two for Outstanding Children’s Television Series) – and in 1999 received the National Science Board Public Service Award, among others.  Over the past decade, the producers have also created over 275 episodes for PBS in the areas of How-To and Natural History. The team’s experience includes working with Danny Thomas, Bob Hope, David Letterman, Willie Nelson, Gary Coleman, and many others on projects for NBC, CBS, ABC, The Food Network, General Electric, General Motors, Microsoft, National Geographic, and President Bill Clinton. Other awards include two Gold Medals from the New York Festivals, the first Annenberg Foundation Award, two Monitor Awards, and two Environmental Media Awards. Visit the Biz Kid$Show Site.

About the Washington Credit Union Foundation
The Washington Credit Union Foundation (WCUF) is a 501 (c) 3 philanthropic organization affiliated with the Washington Credit Union League.  The WCUF engages in several endeavors, including consumer financial education, community outreach grants, small credit union development grants, scholarships, and disaster relief grants. Visit the Washington Credit Union Foundation Site.

About the National Credit Union Foundation
NCUF is the U.S. credit union movement’s primary national charity and fundraiser. In 26 years, NCUF has provided more than $26 million in grants supporting its mission to promote consumers’ financial independence through credit unions.  Visit www.ncuf.coop for more information.  NCUF continues to earn the Better Business Bureau seal of approval as an “Accredited Charity” by meeting all 20 of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance Standards for national charities. Visit the National Credit Union Foundation Site.

About JA Worldwide
JA Worldwide is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy.  Through a dedicated volunteer network, JA Worldwide provides in-school and after-school programs for students in grades K-12.  JA Worldwide offers educational programs that focus on three key content areas: entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy.  Today, 140 individual area operations reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional 4.3 million students served by operations in 114 other countries worldwide.   Visit the JA Worldwide Site.

Biz Kid$Carriage Information