People are the backbone of strong communities and have the power to make a difference. In this edition of the Impact Report you’ll learn how TVO uses media as a force of good to inspire people to be more engaged in their local communities and to make the world a better place.

Inside you’ll get a glimpse of our new live-action series Giver, which shows Ontarians what is possible when kids are given a chance to make a difference. Giver focuses on 13 different groups of kids who improve their local community by rebuilding and restoring their neighbourhood park. It’s a fresh and creative series that teaches children about the importance of volunteering, teamwork and community engagement. In cities and towns all across Ontario, Giver has been inspiring kids, parents and people of all ages to volunteer and get involved in making their community a better place to live.

I also want to share with you a story from Mike Street, a loyal TVO donor. Mike is an active father of five who watches TVO with his kids. After watching Wild Kratts, a science program that airs on TVOKids, two of his kids decided to fundraise for endangered species. Mike’s kids were inspired by what they learned on TVO and were empowered to make a difference in the world.

I am also proud to introduce you to Frank Ferrao, a member of the TVO team and one of the many who are committed to making a difference in our province, both at work and as volunteers in their communities. Frank is a TVOKids illustrator who volunteered his artistic talents to transform a Boys and Girls Club space with a beautiful mural. The room is now the most active space in the community centre that houses the club and is inspiring kids each and every day.

Small actions can amount to big changes in the world. Your continued support helps TVO to inspire people of all ages to be more actively involved in their communities and to make a difference. Together we’re building a strong Ontario. Thank you for your continued support.

Lisa de Wilde Chief Executive Officer

REPORT TO DONORSEDITION 6 • SUMMER 2012

TVO.org

Small Actions Can Amount to Big Changes in the WorldA Message From Lisa de Wilde

Mural by TVOKids illustrator Frank Ferrao

Summer Impact Report to Donors | Page 1

Ontario Kids Make a Difference in Giver

Helping Creativity Grow

What can six kids accomplish by working together in their community? Giver, a new 13-part live-action TV series, answers this question and transforms playground spaces so that even more kids and families can enjoy them.

Working with the Ontario Parks Association and Sinking Ship Entertainment, TVO created Giver as a way to teach kids about the importance of community involvement. In each episode, six kids (ages 6-14) have just three days to plan, design, and physically build - with the help of local volunteers and businesses - a really fun and unique new playground, based on the needs of their community.

Sinking Ship Entertainment and TVO chose six communities across the province to participate in the program. In Niagara Falls, 14-year-old Andrea was one of the lucky kids chosen to be on Giver who helped design and build a Maid of the Mist inspired playground. “Now everyone is enjoying the park and there are many more people in the neighbourhood.

People are telling their friends to come and it’s been very busy,” says Andrea. “Everyone thanked me and I felt like I really made a difference. Even the mayor of Niagara Falls told me I should run for political office! The project made me really enjoy helping others.”

Sinking Ship Entertainment and TVO have a special relationship. In 2010, Sinking Ship Entertainment won the Shaw Rocket Prize for their educational series Dino Dan, as voted by kids across Canada. They immediately wanted to support TVO and donated $25,000 of the prize to TVO. “We have many fond memories of watching wonderful TVO shows as kids,” says Blair Powers, partner at Sinking Ship Entertainment. “This donation was our way of saying thanks to TVO for providing such a rich television environment when we were children and for taking risks with us on our shows as adults.”

For a behind-the-scenes look at Giver visit www.about.tvo.org

Building a community playground - Kids and volunteers of the live-action series Giver

TVO Staff Transform a Community Space for KidsThat’s when TVOKids illustrator Frank Ferrao, along with a number of other TVO staff, decided to volunteer to transform the space with a colourful and creative mural. “Having had a chance to meet many of the kids at the community centre during the testing period for some of our TVOKids.com games, I wanted a greater chance to help their creativity grow. My team and I decided to

Part of the TVOKids commitment to quality is that all of our content is tested with kids and teachers to ensure it delivers on specific Ontario curriculum outcomes. When TVO staff were testing an educational game for TVOKids com at the Boys and Girls Club of Durham (Eastview), they noticed that one of the main rooms was dull and unused.

.

Page 2 | Summer Impact Report to Donors

Mike Street is a father of five kids who are true TVOKids fans. As an engaged parent, Mike likes to bring the lessons his kids are learning on TVO to life through activities in and around their home.

Last year, after watching TVOKids programming about Ontario’s Greenbelt Initiative, Mike took his kids on field trips to explore this environmentally sensitive green space. And after seeing how much his kids loved the TVOKids program Wild Kratts, they had a Wild Kratts-themed birthday party, complete with a Kratts cake, animal trivia and party games designed to teach the kids about different species.

After learning more about endangered animals on TVO, two of Mike’s children, Cameron and Daniel, wanted to do something to help preserve conservation sites that protect species. The two boys decided to set up a booth and sell lemonade and candy at the Markham Music Festival to fundraise for a cause that was becoming very important to them. For two consecutive years they’ve raised money for animal causes including wolverines and Peregrine falcons.

Mike became a donor after seeing the positive impact TVOKids has had on his kids. “When I think about the time we spend together and what we’ve learned together, I would do whatever I can to help.”

Interested in sharing your story of how TVO has made an impact in your life? We would love to hear from you. Email Anne at apathammavong@tvo.org.

Donor Profile: Mike Street

Cameron & Daniel Street

A colourful and creative new space for the Boys and Girls Club of Durham

Mike Street and his family

channel our creative energies into making an inviting kid-friendly space,” says Frank.

“After raising money through a Kick-Ball game, lots of personal time, and 10 gallons of paint, we turned a windowless warehouse into the most active room of the United Way-operated community centre. The kids loved it!”

Visit our website and sign up for our e-newsletter at: tvo.orgYou can connect with us online:

youtube.com/user/tvochannel • facebook.com/tvontario • twitter.com/tvo

Summer Impact Report to Donors | Page 3

Sponsor Spotlight: Scholar’s Choice

Scholar’s Choice is the presenting sponsor of the Best Teacher Ever Contest. TVOKids invited students across Ontario to nominate their favourite teacher in this sixth annual celebration of great teachers. From May 7 until June 17, the contest gave kids in Junior Kindergarten up to Grade 6 an opportunity to recognize their teachers for the outstanding work that they do. Last year’s contest received over 9,300 entries.

TVO appreciates the contribution of sponsors like Scholar’s Choice for their outstanding leadership and commitment to TVO’s educational mission.

Programming Highlights

Programs and documentaries are available for viewing online at www.tvo.org/video. You can view and download full program listings at tvo.org and sign up for our e-newsletter to receive program listings delivered right to your inbox.

National Geographic:City of AntsSaturday, July 7th at 7pm

Can a group of insects morph into a single creature? They can, when it’s a group of ants. Their colonies are so in sync that some scientists call them a super-organism, where individuals act more like cells in one huge

The Tall ManWednesday, July 18th at 9pm

This entrancing documentary dives deep into the issue of racism in Australia. In 2004, Cameron Doomadgee, an Aboriginal man, was arrested for drunkenly swearing at police Sgt. Chris Hurley and died less than an hour after being arrested. The Tall Man is an important documentary, shedding a new light on Doomadgee’s tragic death and the events that followed. Atmospheric, gritty and original, The Tall

Man takes the viewer into the courtroom, into the once notorious Queensland police force, and into the Indigenous community of Palm Island of Australia’s Far North.

The History of ScotlandJuly 30 to October 1 at 10pm

In this 10-part series, we chart the dramatic story of Scotland and how it shaped the world. Once known as the Dark Age kingdom of the Picts, Scotland was transformed by the Norse, Gaelic and Anglo-Saxon invasions. More upheavals followed, with the religious revolutions of the 17th century and the wars and economic crisis in the first half of the 20th century. Coast’s Neil Oliver presents.

Documentary:

body. City of Ants reveals ants as you’ve never seen them before. New science explores how ants communicate, organize and make decisions, all in the blink of an eye. State-of-the-art macro photography gets closer to these astonishing creatures than ever before, revealing how a million tiny brains can accomplish wonders by working together as one.

Donor Relations Thanks for being a TVO donor. We would love to hear from you. If you have any questions or comments please contact us at: T: 1-800-463-6886 (within Canada & the U.S.) Email: donations@tvo.org

Corporate Sponsorships For more information about how your company can become a sponsor contact:Michael Malone T: 416-484-2252 E: mmalone@tvo.org or Amit Kumaria T: 416-484-2765 E: akumaria@tvo.org

TVO Donor Relations Address Box 2444, Station Q Toronto, Ontario Canada M4T 2Z4

Contact Us

Page 4 | Summer Impact Report to Donors

In Canada, our charitable registration no. is 85985 0232 RR0001For our friends in the U.S, TVO is a tax exempt charity under section 501(c)3: Tax ID 75-1850754 and donors will receive a tax receipt.