POTSDAM -- North Country Matters, produced by WCKN, kicks off its 11th season with new shows for the spring 2015 semester.

Aired on WCKN at 7:30 pm on Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 26 and 27, the first show features Gloria McAdam, the Executive Director for GardenShare.org, a locally-led nonprofit organization working to end hunger and strengthen the local food system here in the North Country.

She speaks with NCM host Donna Seymour, a member of the St. Lawrence County Branch of the American Association of University Women, about the work that GardenShare does and the way it addresses the problem of hunger in the county. The YouTube link for this show is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2ETYuC8KO0.

The second new show broadcast at 8 pm is a conversation about Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month with Caitlin Hill & Valerie Dana from the St. Lawrence Valley Renewal House for Victims of Family Violence. They talk with NCM host Donna Seymour about issues surrounding young people and their dating relationships

Studies show that at least 1 in 10 teens will be in an abusive relationship. Under federal laws like Title IX and the Violence Against Women Act, and state laws like the Dignity for All Students Act, the violence prevention work that Renewal House does in the community helps to improve the climate in families, schools and colleges for everyone.

Learn about the age of consent (it is 17 in NYS), positive consent, digital abuse, and the legal implications of texting and revenge porn. The YouTube link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNWYrep6XNs.

The NCM civic partners working to educate North Country residents about critical public policy issues facing our region include AAUW-St. Lawrence County, the League of Women Voters of St. Lawrence County, and Clarkson Media and Mass Communication students, who provide the technical expertise for the productions. The shows are filmed at the WCKN studio on the Clarkson campus.

In addition to local broadcasts, the shows are also available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/danieledullea. Check the websites for AAUW-St. Lawrence County (http://www.northnet.org/stlawrenceaauw/index.html) and the League of Women Voters of St. Lawrence County (http://slc-leaguewv.org/) for specific program links as they become available.