Schools That Change Communities 2012
Distributed by The Video Project, PO Box 411376, San Francisco, CA 94141-1376; 800-475-2638
Produced by Bob Gliner
Directed by Bob Gliner
DVD, color, 58 min.
Sr. High - General Adult
Education, Environmentalism, Service Learning, Social Problems, Social Sciences, Sociology, Teacher Education, Teacher Training
Date Entered: 10/16/2013
Reviewed by Margaret M. Reed, Riley-Hickingbotham Library, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, ARWhen schools and communities converge, amazing things can happen. The inspiring stories in Schools That Change Communities are living proof.
Award-winning filmmaker Bob Gliner captures experiential learning at its finest, profiling five innovative U.S. schools that make their communities the focus of the curriculum. They empower students to address real challenges – environmental concerns, economic development, and poverty – and use these opportunities to teach the essentials. As a result, student performance has improved significantly as evidenced in higher test scores and lower drop-out rates.
Beyond academic achievement, Schools That Change Communities underscores the transformational power of civic engagement. Even though they vary by grade level, location, and culture, the schools in the film share a passion for service and learning. Students, teachers, and administrators alike speak enthusiastically about their efforts, which have led to safer, more sustainable surroundings and reinvigorated local economies.
The film also gives practical advice on how to effectively implement community-based curricula. Bonus interviews with teachers and administrators offer helpful insight and useful examples.
Highly recommended for all libraries, Schools That Change Communities is an outstanding resource for teacher education and social science courses. It is also an excellent professional and community development tool for board members, administrators, teachers, and parents.
Schools That Change Communities aired nationwide on PBS in 2013.