Katie Stone has been working with the radio program “The Children’s Hour” for more than two decades.
In 2018, she started The Children’s Hour Inc., a nonprofit that produces the internationally syndicated kids public radio program and podcast.
Beginning at 10 a.m. March 14, the radio program will begin a six-part Southwest history series online called, “A Brief History of the American Southwest for Kids,” with a virtual field trip to White Sands National Park.
“We are blessed that we can talk and work with guests on this program,” Stone says. “I have expanded what ‘The Children’s Hour’ is and I can partner with teachers in making radio programming together.”
Stone says she works with Title I schools and works with at-risk children.
“The skills that they can take away from working on the program are ones that help build confidence,” she says.
Stone says the upcoming project is about partnering with Indigenous students so that New Mexico history can be explored through their stories.
In the first episode, Stone says the story begins some 23,000 years ago at White Sands National Park, with a series of fossilized footprints.
“Finding of these footprints puts humans in this area way before we originally thought,” Stone says. “What’s great about this is, the footprints that were found near White Sands are those of a teenager.”
Stone will be joined by White Sands National Park Resource Program Manager David Bustos and archeologist Mary Weahkee from the New Mexico Office of Archeological Studies.
Teachers and students from the Native American Community Academy, and the Native American Community Academy (NACA)-inspired schools network will participate, with plenty of opportunities for questions and discussion with our experts, as they lay out the human history of our region, evidenced by footprints deep inside White Sands National Park.
The public will be able to view the events on a live YouTube feed.
“It’s our hope that this project will connect children with the rich and enduring history of the American Southwest,” says Stone, who is also executive producer of “The Children’s Hour.” “We want to create a durable curriculum to share the remarkable stories of endurance, perseverance, resilience and ingenuity which has created the place we call home today.” Each episode will include a learning guide that will meet New Mexico and National educational standards.
Find the full schedule and more information at childrenshour.org/history.
Stone says children are an integral part of the production of “The Children’s Hour” and participate each week in the broadcast arts training program.
The radio show airs on more than 120 stations worldwide.
“The Children’s Hour” airs at 9 a.m. Saturday on KUNM-FM.
