Ball State's Electronic Field Trips (EFT), Electronic Author Visits (EAV), and one-time events such as A Life in the Wild: A Conversation with George Schaller are bringing interactive history, science, and culture experiences directly into the homes and classrooms of millions through live television programming and Web streaming—while demonstrating our national leadership in emerging media and commitment to education.

Electronic Field Trips and Electronic Author Visits

Ball State's Teachers College launched the award-winning EFT program in 1996. The nationally recognized program now has more than 230,000 classrooms registered, meaning that each EFT and EAV—the latter created in partnership with Simon and Schuster (S&S) Children's Publishing in 2008—has the potential to reach 11 million students globally by way of PBS television as well as live Web-hosted streaming, discussion forums, and downloadable learning activities.

Schoolchildren call or e-mail their questions during each EFT and EAV broadcast. Past events have connected them with experts on whales, surviving members of the Little Rock Nine, racers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and many other guests discussing subjects from environmental conservation and the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement to the physics of speed. Meanwhile, Andrew Clements, D.J MacHale, Doreen Cronin, and Betsy Lewin are among the best-selling children's authors and illustrators involved with EAV.

Because of our ability to deliver these unique educational experiences, Ball State has gained the trust and support of respected institutions such as Apple Learning Interchange, which provides technology for the discussion forums during each live broadcast and makes available archives of past EFT broadcasts, as well as NASA and the National Park Service, past participants in the program.

A Life in the Wild: A Conversation with George Schaller

Partnering with the Indianapolis Zoo, Ball State's Teleplex orchestrated and hosted a live, interactive evening with George Schaller, the world's preeminent field biologist and recipient of the 2008 Indianapolis Prize, the world's leading award for animal conservation.

The one-on-one interview with Schaller took place in front of an on-campus studio audience and was broadcast live on select PBS stations across the country. In addition, the forum was simulcast worldwide over the Internet, with Schaller fielding questions from both studio audience members and viewers who called or e-mailed.