We would like to extend thanks and gratitude to Oakland-based  Saybrook University, which featured the TEACHED films at its recent conference in Monterey, CA.

Director  Kelly Amis, a Presidential Fellow at Saybrook, presented “Changing the Lens on African American Boys: Using Digital & Social Media to Educate, Enlighten and Inspire,” which included screenings of  Code Oakland,  Think of Calvin, The Path to Prison and several  On the Loudspeaker interviews as part of a Social Justice Film Series organized by fellow Fellow (ahem) and frequent TEACHED cinematographer and editor ShakaJamal Redmond. 

FYI Saybrook has launched a cool new Master's degree in  Social Impact Media. Check it out. 

A Student's Story

Many students face challenges in their outside-school world that may be unknown to their teachers, compounding isolation and depression they might experience. And sometimes the challenges they face are within the school. 

One young man, our intern and now-college student Zachary Dorcinville, has shares both experiences in these two brave  Education Post articles. Meeting Zachary today, you may not guess the struggles he has survived, which is a good reminder to us all of the deep potential that lies within every young person. 

Our most recent short film Think of Calvin seems to be hitting a nerve; it hasn't gotten into a ton of festivals, but the ones that "get" it, really get it (it won Best Short Documentary at the Napa Valley Film Festival, 2nd place overall at the Uptown Short Film Festival and, recently a Humanitarian Award from Best Short Docs). 

The issue is racial profiling, specifically an instance of "Stop-and-Frisk," which turns an entire family upside down. We are proud that this eye-opening, hard-hitting film will next be shown at the acclaimed  Dingle Film Festival in County Kerry, Ireland and at the upcoming Vail Film Festival.

It's amazing to think that in the few short years since we started producing TEACHED, the need to make the requisite DVD for each film is being replaced by many new online platforms and formats. 

To make sure you know the different ways to watch or screen the TEACHED films (in addition to purchasing DVDs), we posted this "cheat sheet." Have ideas where you'd like to see TEACHED? Send them to info@teached.org.