Washington, DC, Feb. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- What would a world without “school” look like? Education Reimagined, a national non-profit that partners with visionary leaders of all ages who are forwarding a new future for education in communities across the country, is posing this question to anyone aged 18 and under through the Young Filmmakers Challenge. As part of a now-global challenge, young learners are invited to produce and submit a short film that offers a new vision for education and learning, one that uniquely aligns itself to the distinct interests and passions of every individual learner.
“We are asking young people to consider what their lives would look like if they woke up one morning, and, instead of attending school to engage with the prescribed lessons and tests of today, they could shape a relevant, hands-on, and engaging learning journey with the support of adults across the community,” said Kelly Young, president of Education Reimagined.
“The films we will receive over the next six weeks will add to a powerful, national narrative about the possibilities of an education approach designed directly by our learners and supported by adult mentors across their communities.”
Young filmmakers, guided by thought-provoking questions, will aim to integrate the interests and passions they want to explore on a daily basis, the settings in which they want to explore them, the community members needed to guide these learning experiences, and the impact their exploration will make in their community, the nation, and around the globe.
Education Reimagined will showcase the winning submissions at a dedicated screening on May 3 at the Miracle Theatre in Washington D.C., the culminating event of a three-day, city-wide celebration of the power and potential of our young people. The jury for the Challenge will award prizes for Best Overall Film, Best Local Film, Best International Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and then three Best Film categories for varying age groups, including Best Film Under 11. The producer of the Best Overall Film will receive $250 and an all-expenses-paid trip to the event, along with one guest, while other winners will receive $100 and an invitation to the event.
The screening represents a powerful coda to a full weekend of thought-provoking sessions that start on Friday, May 1. Each session is designed to inspire and galvanize dialogues on how we can elevate our young people in education and empower them to direct their own learning experiences.
Across these sessions, Education Reimagined is partnering with a wide cross-section of more than a dozen organizations, comprised of local students, parents, community members, educators, nonprofits, activists, and other community leaders, to showcase local examples of re-imagined learning across the DMV area.
"Students deserve the opportunity to shape their learning experiences, and to re-imagine education, it requires that we center students and families by giving them a key role in school design,” said Maia Blankenship, partner at the Wildflower Foundation, which is represented in the local coalition sponsoring and organizing the featured weekend of events.
“We must listen to the voices and perspectives of students and this forum provides a great opportunity for practitioners to do that."
Sessions will be held across the District, including the Anacostia Arts Center on Friday, May 1, the REACH at the Kennedy Center on Saturday, May 2, and Miracle Theater on Sunday, May 3.
The three-day event serves as a featured component of the inaugural DMV Remake Learning Days festival, which will celebrate, and expand access to, innovative learning experiences and opportunities for all young people from April 23-May 16. Led by Remake Learning Days Across America and locally organized by the Washington International School and KID Museum, the festival will feature additional events hosted by a cross-section of schools, museums, libraries, businesses, community centers and related nonprofits from across the region.
“If we truly want to unleash the power of youth, we must come together as a community to offer the support, guidance, and most importantly, autonomy our young people need to shape a new kind of learning journey that leads them to their dreams and values their potential,” said Monica Snellings, Vice President of Communications at Education Reimagined and director of the Film Festival.
“Through the Young Filmmakers Challenge, and all of the events leading up to it, we can begin to translate that vision to reality here in the DMV.”
To submit your film to the Challenge, or learn more, visit https://filmfreeway.com/EducationReimaginedYFC.
About Education Reimagined
A national nonprofit based in Washington, DC, Education Reimagined partners with a growing movement of visionary leaders (of all ages) who are forwarding a new future for education in their communities and across the United States. The organization aims to deepen and spread the presence of learner-centered education such that it is available to each and every child in the country, regardless of background or circumstance. For more information about learner-centered education, and to explore promising examples of its impact in communities across the country, visit www.educationreimagined.org.