Opportunity Knocks on PBS Wins Prestigious Global and National Social Impact Awards

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA, June 25, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Can a reality television program change lives? With season two currently airing, Opportunity Knocks, the behaviorally designed, groundbreaking reality television series streaming on PBS and broadcast nationally has been honored with four prestigious awards proving it is:

• Platinum Viddy Award for Education
• Gold Viddy Award for Nonprofit
• Gold Viddy Award for Social Responsibility
• Silver Anthem Award for Global Impact in Film, Video, Television, or Show

The Anthem Awards honors the purpose & mission-driven work of people and organizations worldwide. The Viddy Awards is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. It is one of the oldest, largest, and most respected awards programs in the video industry.

“Opportunity Knocks is more than a reality television series,” according to financial expert Jean Chatzky, who stars in the program. “The show is changing the lives of viewers and measuring the results.”

Opportunity Knocks offers a fresh and innovative approach to reality television, showcasing families changing their lives using technology and resources in their community. Viewers can replicate the remarkable journeys from financial crisis to prosperity. The program’s companion tool, The Opportunity Finder, connects viewers with local nonprofits, Community Development Certified Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and not-for-profit credit unions to solve life challenges and to make and keep more of their own money. A 2024 grant launched The Opportunity Coach, a free tool that creates a personalized plan for anyone struggling financially to get ahead. It is gamified to increase engagement and provides financial health assessments to measure results.

“Everyone deserves an Opportunity Coach, not just the families featured in the series,” said Jamie Strayer, Opportunity Knocks creator and executive producer. “We created Opportunity Knocks to help the millions of Americans struggling in silence.”

Directed by veteran reality television producer Brian Spoor, who executive produced the series with Strayer and Jenn George Hunter, Opportunity Knocks features renowned financial experts Jean Chatzky, Louis Barajas and Patrice Washington, along with 27 community organizations across two seasons:

• Amistad
• BALANCE
• BECU
• Baton Rouge Career Center
• Be the Change Careers
• The Center for Nonprofit Advancement
• Coastal Credit Union
• Columbus Works
• Diocesan Migrant and Refugee Services
• El Paso SBDC
• Financial Empowerment Center
• Financial Partners Credit Union
• Greater Washington Urban League
• Great Learning
• LiftFund
• Money Management International
• Neighborhood House - Birch Creek Career Center
• New Orleans Firemen’s Federal Credit Union
• Pelican State Credit Union
• Raiz Federal Credit Union
• Seattle Culinary Academy
• SCORE
• SkyPoint Federal Credit Union
• Southeast Louisiana Legal Services
• Suncoast Credit Union
• Telhio Credit Union
• United Way of Southeast Louisiana
• Urban League of Louisiana

“This is different than any other series I’ve worked on,” said Spoor, whose credits include a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Wahlburgers. “It’s entertainment with a mission to help people. Viewers are getting the assistance they need from nonprofits because they’ve watched Opportunity Knocks.”

Consulting producer Dr. Donna Beegle, President of Communication Across Barriers, contributed to the program’s behavioral design. Opportunity Knocks is the public outreach and education component of The Opportunity Initiative.

“The Opportunity Initiative is the largest coordinated economic mobility campaign in US history,” Executive Director Michael Cyr shared. “Grant funders are supporting more than a TV series on PBS. The technology, network of nearly 20,000 nonprofits and financial health outcomes measurement is groundbreaking.”

The Silver Anthem Award, Gold Viddy Award and Platinum Viddy Award add to Opportunity Knocks' growing list of accolades, including The Silver Telly Award and Gold dotCOMM Award. The program is distributed by American Public Television and called the “Ted Lasso of Reality Television” on Rotten Tomatoes, where it holds a 100% audience score. It is underwritten by Balance, Callahan & Associates, the National Council for Financial Opportunities and the Wells Fargo Foundation.

Media Kit: For more information about Opportunity Knocks and to watch the award-winning series, visit the official website at www.opportunityknocks.net or PBS. Assets available: Media Kit

Jenn George Hunter
Opportunity Knocks
j.hunter@opportunityknocks.net
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