Collection: Educational Video Center 12 films

High school graduation rates are at a dismally low 50 percent in most major urban school districts across the country. Our educational and political institutions are failing a generation of students, particularly low-income youth of color.

While the problem is deeply disturbing, it is by no means insoluble. At EVC, year after year students who are labeled “troubled”, “at risk”, and “special education” are engaged in academically rigorous and socially relevant documentary projects that transforms them and their communities. Our students not only rise to meet high standards; they exceed them.

EVC students consistently have such powerful learning experiences at EVC because we have established a strong culture of community-based and learner-centered inquiry and reflection. Our educational philosophy developed out of our own experiences and observations teaching thousands of students and teachers over the past 23 years. It is also supported by research from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, Open Society Institute, the Partnership for 21 Century Skills, and the Coalition of Essential Schools. Our guiding practices are summed up under the following headings: Exploration, Voice, Community, and Assessment.

Our students tell us they work so passionately on their documentaries because video gives them a way for their voices to be heard. They say they put in so much extra effort at EVC because they are learning about subjects that they can relate to, that directly affect them and their communities. They are not only learners; they are the creators of information and knowledge. They feel empowered because through their documentaries they will educate and motivate their peers to make a difference in the world.

Instead of watching the clock like in school, they lose track of time -- arriving early, working into the evenings, on weekends and even school holidays – they are in the “flow.” They learn to ask their own questions, uncover problems, propose solutions, and follow their explorations where ever they may lead. They present their final documentary, to public audiences of friends, family, teachers, and community members. Their work is validated in all its richness and creativity not with a single number or letter grade, but as it should be: through community appreciation, questioning, conversation and reflection.

For more information, visit the EVC website

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ALL FILMS (12)