In 2021, Make48 transformed the success of the PBS documentary into a movement and launched the ‘City Series’ with great success. Viewers can now watch the FIFTH season in its entirety on PBS CREATE.
Valerie VanDerSluis (GM/Executive Director at KTWU) has been Make48’s programmer since season one. “Thanks to the inclusion of Make48 on Create, we are guaranteed carriage in markets who license this programming service as part of the digital channel offerings. Create reaches 83+% of the nation, including major cities like San Francisco, L.A., Seattle, Las Vegas, Denver, Kansas City, San Antonio, New Orleans, Chicago, Cincinnati, Miami, and New York, and many more.”
STEAM toys was the 48-hour challenge and teams competed on the national stage for a grand prize of $10K. “These teams were the best of the best in the ‘City Series’ competitions leading up to Nationals,” Tom Gray expressed. “It doesn’t matter if you’re 8 or 80, anyone can have an innovative idea.”
The 48-hour national invention competition series returned for its 5th season on PBS.org and reached over 95% of US households on local PBS stations.
The eight participating teams for Season 5 were the top two winners from four 2021 regional competitions held in; Wichita, KS, Madison, WI, Indianapolis, IN, and Hartford, CT.
Teams competing include: Wichita, Kansas: Veni, Vidi, Vici and SuperVader. (Challenge Sponsor - Koch Industries); Madison, Wisconsin: The FreeWheelers and the Stainless Steel Badgers (Challenge Sponsor - Midwest Prototyping); Indianapolis, Indiana: The Mallorys and TheGrindery.org (Challenge Sponsor - Eli Lilly); Hartford, Connecticut: Magic Make and My Three Sons (Challenge Sponsor - Stanley Black & Decker). (teams pictured below)
Having the 5th season air on PBS Create allows another set of viewership around the country. Val VanDerSluis, “With 44 million viewers annually nationwide, the channel is produced and distributed by APT, WNET New York and WGBH Boston in association with NETA and PBS. Create is a digital channel option that increases air dates for many APT, PBS and NETA distributions, like Make48, so we get increased exposure being on Create, while stations continue to air the series on their primary and other secondary channels.”
Throughout the 5th season, teams were assisted by our Tool Techs, mentors and industry experts. In just 48 hours, the contestants built outstanding prototypes with the assistance of the makers. And the panel of judges came from around the country. Judges Kevin Mako (Mako Design + Invent), Rupal Thanawala (Trident Systems), and Leigh Anne Taylor-Knight (DeBruce Foundation) had the difficult decision of picking the first-place winning team. Filming and venue partner took place in Wichita, Kan. at GoCreate, a Koch Collaborative with the entire competition filmed and produced by Outpost Worldwide Productions.
Watch PBS CREATE by visiting https://createtv.com/ to find your station.
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