Apply to Become a Rootle Ambassador
Are you a champion for children 0-8 years old and their families in your county?
PBS North Carolina is recruiting for the next cohort of volunteer Rootle Ambassadors who have a passion to empower children, families and community partners as we work together, county by county, to make a lifelong impact on early childhood education and the children of North Carolina.
Nominations Are Open!
We are now recruiting a Rootle Ambassador in these 19 NC counties. If you are interested in applying for another county, please email rootle_ambassador@pbsnc.org for future Ambassador recruitment opportunities.
What is the Rootle Ambassador Program?
Learn about our Rootle Ambassador Program and its impact on North Carolina communities.
Building on the successful implementation of the CPB-PBS Ready to Learn Community Collaboratives for Early Learning & Media Initiative, PBS North Carolina and its partners recognized the greater need to serve children and families across the state in a manner that was sustainable, long-term.
By understanding the tremendous impact that local educators, parents, caregivers and community leaders can have within the early childhood education space and beyond, we have developed a program that celebrated the work that community members were already doing as well as support them along the way. Rootle Ambassadors give us the opportunity to equitably reach classrooms, communities and homes across the state with curriculum-informed content and resources that gets children excited about learning.
Our Partners
The Rootle Ambassador Program is made possible with generous support from
The William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust
Dogwood Health Trust
Camber Foundation
Dianna and Jeffrey Goodman
The Unifour Foundation
And with our partners
The North Carolina Partnership for Children, Inc.
State Library of North Carolina
Triple P Parenting - Positive Parenting Program
The Friday Institute for Educational Innovation
Meet Our Rootle Ambassadors
Rootle Ambassadors are community members who support families of young learners in counties across the state of North Carolina. Ambassadors serve as leaders, connecting PBS KIDS and early learning resources to the unique needs of their communities. They are equipped with tools to share that enrich learning for all children, provide valuable training and experiences, and create a community network for early childhood educators and families to connect.
PBS North Carolina and our statewide partners nominate individuals who have been identified as strong community advocates to serve as Rootle Ambassadors in their county. Recruitment for the program occurs on an annual basis. Over the course of five years, North Carolina will have a Rootle Ambassador in all 100 counties. Meet our first group of Rootle Ambassadors below!
Taler Miranda shares how becoming a Rootle Ambassador will uplift her community outreach.
Find Your County's Rootle Ambassador
Rootle Ambassadors are listed below in alphabetical order, by county. Learn more about your county's Rootle Ambassador and find their contact information below. If your county is not listed here, we are still recruiting for that position. Please reach out to rootle_ambassador@pbsnc.org with any questions.
Alexander County: Donny Elder
Anson County: Caroline Goins
Ashe County: Sara Kesterson
Beaufort County: Jennifer Walker
Bertie County: April Swain
Cabarrus County: Friday Okure
Caldwell County: Julie Overby
Catawba County: La'Gentry Ross
Chatham County: Sheen Klaus
Cherokee County: Brenda Millett
Clay County: Bridget Wilson
Cleveland County: April McClain
Craven County: Sandra Ixa Plata-Potter, Ph.D.
Cumberland County: Yolanda Barnes
Davie County: Allison Lambert Gupton
In Memory of Rootle Ambassadors
Remembering Brandon Autar
Brandon worked in the Asheville Public Library system for four years and was the Youth Services Specialist for the East Asheville Public Library at the time of his death in September 2022.
Upon becoming a Rootle Ambassador in 2021, Brandon said, "The children and their caregivers in our library community look up to me as a resource for their entertainment and educational needs. Serving as Rootle Ambassador will help me fulfill this critical responsibility by expanding my knowledge of high-quality early education resources."
Brandon was creative, passionate, and had superpowers he brought to work daily. We will miss having Brandon in our Rootle Ambassador community.
Remembering Mary Griffin
Mary Griffin taught K-3 and college education classes for 22 years before leaving teaching to spend time with and care for her mother. She then turned her passion for serving the community to working at Graham County Public Library for seven years. She enjoyed bringing enrichment to the community she served, honoring local culture and community through programming. Her humble servant heart will be missed in our Ambassador community.