This is the school presentation for the Civic Life Project

1. September 2013
Civic Life Project
60 Furnace Brook Road
Cornwall Bridge, CT 06754 - 860 672 3395
www.civiclifeproject.org
Civic Life Project is a 501 (c) 3 Not for Profit Corporation – Federal ID# 45-3455554

2. CIVIC LIFE PROJECT
VISION-MISSION
Vision
Civics and the teaching of government is less of a science than it is a story of what happens
when ordinary people struggle to find solutions to everyday problems and realize dearly
held dreams.
Mission
The Civic Life Project was created to engage and motivate today’s high school and college
students to connect with the fundamentals of our democracy and Constitution such that
they not only understand theimportance of civic issues, but also recognize their own ability
to analyze, evaluate and establish a position on those issues, participate in a dialog
concerning them and affect change.
Strategy
• Capture the imagination of young people by distilling the ―dry‖ science of civics down
to stories of real people with real issues.
• Make use of the technology that is already exciting and familiar in order to empower
them to express a viewpoint and bring these stories to life.
• Turn the classroom into a laboratory for Civics
Tactics
• Hold workshops for teachers outlining course details of Civic Life Project.
• Provide lesson plans and activities designed to augment Civics courses and
incorporate documentary filmmaking techniques.
• Initiate a dialog with students relating the Constitution to “real people, real
stories” within their own communities.
• Assemble teams of students to investigate and study an issue of particular interest
and develop a viewpoint on the issue.
• Provide instruction on how to research, frame the subject, interview individuals.
• Provide instruction on how to produce and script a documentary film.
• Include on-site work sessions with Civic Life Project staff including directors,
cinematographers, journalists, reporters.
• Produce an 8 to 12 minute video on the issue for public presentation to peers,
teachers, community members and public officials.
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3. CIVIC LIFE PROJECT
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
The Civic Life Project was created to engage and motivate today’s high school students to
connect with the fundamentals of our democracy and Constitution. We want the students
to not only understand the importance of civic issues, but also recognize their own ability
to analyze, evaluate and establish a position on those issues, participate in a dialog
concerning them and affect change.
CLP can be part of a regular civics course, used as a stand-alone capstone project, or in
connection with other social studies courses. We require that students receive a grade and
credit for their participation in the course. Teachers are not required to have any prior
knowledge of any aspect of the filmmaking process. We augment the traditional classroom
experience with sessions led by a CLP staff member in both the fall and spring term as
outlined below. The CLP staff is comprised of professionals with backgrounds in film,
television, journalism and academia.
Following a benchmarked curriculum, students initiate research, conduct interviews, and
investigate topics of their own choice to examine all sides of a story. Their next step is to
script, produce and edit an 8-12 minute film and then present the film in public forums.
The course is broken into two semesters:
The Fall Semester is the Civics Laboratory portion
The Spring Semester is the Film Production portion
A sample of the first-year complete Civic Life Project course is outlined on pages 5 and 6.
In-School, GoToMeeting and All State Meeting Sessionswill be taught by Civic Life
Project staff. For the Traditional Classroom Teacher Sessions, the classroom teacher of
each participating school follows suggested activities on CLP-prepared lesson plans to
accomplish the set lesson objectives.
As the needs of each school differ, Civic Life Project will work with each administration to
design the best model for each of the first three years of the program. Cost structures
depend on the number of sessions taught by Civic Life Project staff that are requested and
the number of students enrolled in the course. After three years of participation in the
program, session costs will be presented on an a la carte basis - to best support school staff
who have participated and been trained during the prior three years.
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4. THE SAMPLE OF A COMPLETE CIVIC LIFE PROJECT FIRST YEAR COURSE
INCLUDES:
3All Schools Workshops (9:15AM-1:00 PM)
October
Introductory Meeting – Constitution, Civic Engagement, Finding a Story
December
Pre Production and Production Workshops. Peer–to-Peer Treatment
Presentations, Interview Skills, Camera/Lighting/Sound Workshops,
February
Screening the Rough Cuts
10 In-School Classroom Sessions with CLP Staff
6 Sessions in Fall Term
4 Sessions in Spring Term
Filming Sessions
Assistance with Shoots in January
Website and Social Media Tools
Dedicated social website at www.civiclifeproject.com
Screenings
1 All-Schools Film Screening in May
1 Local Community Screening in May
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5. CIVIC LIFE PROJECT
SAMPLE LESSON PLAN
Fall Semester - Week 1 and Week 2
INTRODUCTION TO THE CIVIC LIFE PROJECT AND DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
Grades:
9-12
Lesson Time Allotment& Location:
One 120 minute Individual In-School Session
withCLP Staff (In-School Field Trip)
Materials:
Forms:
CLP Student Agreement
CLP Student Information Form
CLP Student Appearance Release
Handouts:
CLP First Semester Calendar
CLP First Semester Syllabus
CLP First Semester Glossary
CLP Contact Information Sheet
Documentary: Principle Elements Checklist
Civic Laboratory & Production Notebook Outline
CLP Final Film Treatment Rubric
CLP Final Research Paper Rubric
CLP Final Film Checklist
CLP Final Documentary Film Rubric
Civic Engagement & Understanding Survey
Other:
DVD Player & Television or Projection Screen
Sample CLP Student Film: Kiss & Chaos/The D Word
Computer – Internet Access & Projection Screen
PowerPoint Presentation – Mechanics of a Documentary
Flip Video Cameras
Civic Laboratory & Production Notebook Sample
Overview
This two hour In-School Session will be an introduction to the Civic Life Project and its
mission. Students will be introduced to the curriculum, course objectives, time
commitments and work expectations. Additionally, students will be given the
opportunity to view a completed student film project, review rubrics for the written
work and the technical deliverables of the project, as well as be introduced to the social
media tools that supplement the classes.
Lesson Objectives

Students will understand what a documentary is and will identify the principal
elements of a documentary.

Students will understand the goals of the Civic Life Project.

Students will commit to the project and understand the work expectations.

Students will understand the Civic Life Process and Timeline.

Students will be able to identify their prospective audience(s).

Students will learn how to use the Civic Life Project website and social media
tools.

Students will perform a self-assessment of current civic engagement and civic
understanding.
Activities

Introduction to the Civic Life Project and Its Mission.

Introduction to Flip Video - Student Volunteers Record Meeting.

Define Civics, Democracy, and Republic.

Civic Engagement & Understanding Survey.

PowerPoint Presentation – Mechanics of a Documentary.
Screening of CLP Student Film – Kiss & Chaos/The D Word

Students Discuss, Critique and Analyze – Kiss & Chaos/The D Word.

Present Student Agreements, Calendar, Syllabus, Glossary, Legal Paperwork.

Introduce CLP Website – Sign Up Fake Student, Upload Video and Picture.

Post a Blog, Introduce School Pages.

Discuss GoToMeeting Conferencing Software.

Explain Civics Laboratory & Production Notebook – Show Sample.

Discuss Final Screenings and Prospective Audiences.

Handout Rubrics for Writing Deliverables & Final Film.
Lesson Vocabulary:
Civics
Civics Laboratory & Production Notebook
Democracy
Documentary
Dramatic Documentary
Expository Documentary
Observational Documentary
Participatory Documentary
Republic
Standards:
Assessment
Blog:
Each student should please answer the following on your school group blog
on the CLP website: What does civics mean to you and why is it important?
What aspects of the Civic Life Project are you most interested in/excited about
and why? What questions do you still have about the course?
Notebook:
Each student must identify and list 5 possible topics of interest for a Civic Life
Project Film
Worksheets to Complete and Hand-In to Classroom Teacher:
CLP Student Agreement
CLP Student Information Form
CLP Student Appearance Release
Other: All students must sign-up for Civic Life Project Website, personalize
his/her page and join their school group already set-up on the site.
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6. COST STRUCTURE
The cost to bring the Civic Life Project to your school is tailored to each school.
The average cost is $1,062 per student for the full year program. CLP may provide
grants to cover a portion of the program cost for your school depending on grant
availability and your particular needs and circumstances.
CLP provides:
• Instruction for a minimum of five and a maximum of 24 students.
• CLP Course materialsonline.
• Two DVD’s of Final Film(s).
• On-line/Phone support for students and teachers.
The school provides:
• Transportation to/from the 3All schools meetings + final presentation +
interviews/shoots
• Services of a teacher who will work with CLP students on a regular basis
during both semesters and provide grades to CLP for project deliverables.
• Course Credit Issued to students enrolled in the Civic Life Project
• Reports to CLP of student demographics for project funders.
• Completion of CLP end-of-year grant report.
• IT access for participating students and teachers to CLP website and
Learning Management System.
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7. CIVIC LIFE PROJECT
STAFF - BIOGRAPHIES
DOMINIQUE LASSEUR – Executive Director/Co-Founder
Dominique Lasseur is a producer of film and television, and a partner with his wife Catherine
Tatge in Global Village Media. With numerous productions in the U.S. and abroad, his work has
embraced performance, performance documentaries, biographical profiles, news and public
affairs, and informational programming. From Holo Mai Pele—a dance/performance special on
PBS’ Great Performances —and a series entitled Dances of Life, he also produced Breaking the
Silence: Journeys of Hope, a PBS special on domestic violence, as well as special programming
for the Pew Charitable Trust, Harvard Business School, and Fred Friendly Seminars. Other
projects include Breaking the Silence: Children’s Stories and The Question of God: C.S. Lewis
& Sigmund Freud.
CATHERINE TATGE – Creative Director/Co-Founder
Catherine Tatge is a producer and director of film and television. For over 25 years, her work has
encompassed many genres, from public affairs, performance and dance, to biographies and the
world of ideas. She influenced American television as producer and director of Joseph Campbell
and The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers, for which she received an Emmy Award. Ms. Tatge’s
close working relationship with Bill Moyers led to many projects: the ten-hour Genesis: A
Living Conversation; the two-hour special Fooling with Words and the series Sounds of Poetry,
both documenting the largest poetry event in the United States; the special What Can We Do
About Violence; three programs on the nature of hate—Beyond Hate, Facing Hate with Elie
Wiesel, and Hate on Trial; and numerous interviews on Moyers: A World of Ideas. Her most
recent work for PBS' American Masters series, John Muir in the New World, aired on April 18,
2011. In her career, she has tackled important and controversial public affairs issues, as she does
in Breaking the Silence: Children’s Stories. Her talent for translating intellectual material to the
screen includes numerous works about spirit and the human condition – including her series, The
Question of God: Sigmund Freud & C.S. Lewis, and The Creative Spirit for PBS.
GRETCHEN BABAROVIC – Project Coordinator
Gretchen Babarovic was Executive Assistant to ABC News anchor Peter Jennings from 1983 to
his death in 2005. As his right hand, she was involved in every aspect of his professional life
from the gathering of the nightly news to his documentary productions. She did the
administration for his second book In Search of America and researched material for his
speaking engagements. Traveling the world with the broadcast allowed her to experience a front
row seat to history which fueled her curiosity and allowed her to develop a unique perspective of
the world and deep appreciation for the democratic process. In 2007, she was asked by the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point to produce an inaugural dinner for their Center of Excellence's
new Oral History Department. The following year, she became Project Director for The
Connecticut Project For the Constitution - a center for education and dialogue seeking to educate
Americans about the importance of the Constitution's intersection with every day lives. .
Ms. Babarovic is a graduate of Cornell University. Both her daughter and son in law are
journalists
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8. BEN WILLIS – PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Ben Willis serves as the Production Coordinator at the Civic Life Project, assisting students and
teachers throughout the production process. Prior to joining the Civic Life Project, Ben worked
as an Associate-Producer on the award-winning documentary Best Worst Movie, and more
recently for NBC on the documentary The American Scream. Ben has also worked as an
Assistant Director on various independent feature films, web series, and short films.Ben began
working on documentaries in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he worked with National
Endowment of the Arts Fellow Michael Pettit on his documentary Living Traditions: Folk Art of
New Mexico
Ben is a graduate of Connecticut’s Film Industry Training Program, and holds a BA in Moving
Image Arts from The College of Santa Fe.
DAVID BAYERSDORFER - Academic Consultant
David Bayersdorfer was a public school Social Studies teacher for over forty years. During his
33 years of teaching at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, he also served as Athletic
Director, Assistant Principal, and Interim Principal at various times. David received his
undergraduate degree from Syracuse University and Master Degrees from Central Connecticut
State University and Southern Connecticut University. He has served on the Planning and
Zoning Board in the town of Salisbury and ran the town's Summer Job program. Currently. He
serves on the Assessment Board of Appeals. He is also a board member of the Salisbury
Association, as well as the 21st Century Fund. He teaches various courses for the Taconic
Learning Center (including courses on Theodore Roosevelt, the Vietnam War and Charles
Lindbergh). In his spare time, he has acted in over 15 plays at the TriArts Sharon Playhouse.
DOUGLAS BRANSON – Video Production and Technical Instructor
Douglas Branson is a graphic designer, photographer, filmmaker, editor, and performer and has
worked in Philadelphia, NYC, and Connecticut producing multimedia since 1984. A graduate of
The Art Institute of Philadelphia Branson started his career in advertising and publishing. He
then worked in Audio and Video Production and built his own professional home recording
studio. Douglas has designed and built sets, operated cameras, done on location sound, produced
short promotional films and commercials. His Photoshop image preparation and formatting
skills are used by other production companies in Commercials, Documentaries, and Films.
WILLIAM LITTAUER - Production Instructor
Bill Littauer had a 50-year career in broadcast news. He was a reporter, anchor, producer and
Executive Producer of television news programs in Washington and New York. He won the
Emmy Award as Executive Producer of the Outstanding News Broadcast in New York three
times. He has produced both hour-long news specials and hundreds of daily reports on politics,
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9. civil rights, business and finance. He was the Executive Producer of Independent Network News
which ran on as many as 150 stations from 1980 to 1990. He was the first Executive Producer of
The Wall Street Journal Report when it was a joint venture of Tribune Company and The Wall
Street Journal. As a reporter, he covered the civil rights movement of the 60s, the anti-war
protests of the 60s and 70s and the recessions and inflation of the 80s. For 20 years, he was
President of American Television News, Inc. a video production company in New York City
providing video services to television networks and independent producers from around the
world.
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10. CIVIC LIFE PROJECT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ROY B. ASSAD (Chair)
Founder – Executive Director
The Human Capital Group, LLC
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
PATRICIA REDD JOHNSON
Senior Associate Director of
Admission and Coordinator of
Multicultural Outreach
The Hotchkiss School
JILL BECK
Former President
Lawrence University
Appleton, WI
CHARLENE LAVOIE (Secretary)
Attorney
Office of the Community Lawyer
Winsted, CT 06098
DAVID BURSTEIN
Founder and Executive Director
18 in 2008
New York, NY 10009
JAMIE LEHRER
Director of Development
The New Group
New York, NY
LISA CARTER
Principal Salisbury School
J. SAMUEL RAY (Treasurer)
Business Executive (Ret.)
New Jersey
DAN DWYER (Vice Chair)
President, Johnnycake Books Inc.
Salisbury, CT
SCOTT ROBSON
Attorney
San Francisco, CA
REMINGTON TONAR
Siegel Vision, Inc.
EMILY SOELL
Advertising Executive (Ret.)
Salisbury, CT
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11. CIVIC LIFE PROJECT
ADVISORY COUNCIL
SUSAN ENGEL, Ph.D.
Director, Program in Teaching
Williams College, MA
JACK HEALY
President and Chief Executive Officer
United Way of Greater New Haven, CT
RUTH KAPLAN
Executive Director,
Public Affairs and Marketing,
Syracuse University
New York, NY
FRANNI LUNDY
Project Manager, Employment Stability
Initiative
Cornell University School of Industrial and
Labor Relations, NY
JAY MILES
Teacher
New Haven, CT
BILL MOYERS
Broadcast Journalist
New York, NY
PARKER PALMER, Ph.D.
Founder/Senior Partner
Center for Courage and Renewal
Madison, WI
TERRY PEARCE
Founder & President
Leadership Communication
Larkspur, CA
FRANK SESNO
Director,
School of Media and Public Affairs
The George Washington University
Washington, DC
PAMELA TATGE
Director
Center for the Arts
Wesleyan University
Middleton, CT
SARAH WILLIAMS
CEO
Speak International LLC
New York, NY
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12. CIVIC LIFE PROJECT
PRESS
Friday, April 30, 2010
Reg. 1 Films Examine Rights
By Scott Robson
It’s a story of incredible significance, an object of study and reverence for over two centuries.
It’s the supreme law of our nation, the handwritten essence of America distilled onto weathered
parchment. The United States Constitution and its 27 amendments lay the grounds for our
freedoms, our responsibilities and our guaranteed protections as citizens of the United States.
The Constitution’s importance is impressed upon American children from a very early age;
elementary schoolers memorize its bold, declarative first words ―We the people …‖ as a matter
of patriotism. Middle schoolers, to their parents’ dismay, learn of the right to free speech. Yet by
high school, awareness of current events and media exposure often lead to jaded disillusionment
or apathy.
In May, student filmmakers at the Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village will
strike a blow against teenage political ennui. ―The Constitution in our Midst,‖ a studentproduced documentary film project in collaboration with Global Village Media and the
Connecticut Project for the Constitution, will screen two student films at the Salisbury Forum
and the Westport Film Festival. These documentaries will delve into constitutional issues
through the lens of student rights. The films focus on contemporary local controversies that
speak to greater issues of rights to free speech, freedom of the press, and other freedoms
guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.
One film focuses on the speech rights implicated in the recent case raised by Avery Doninger, a
Connecticut high school senior, who was prevented from participating in student government
after she made public remarks criticizing her school’s administrators on her blog.The other film
investigates the controversial decision made by some school districts, including the Housatonic
Valley Regional High School’s Region 1, to not air an address made by President Obama last
September to the nation’s school children.
The films will be screened publicly at the Salisbury Forum May 14 and at the Westport Youth
Film Festival May 7. At both screenings, the filmmakers will be present to field questions and
engage the audience in a lively, town-hall style discussion of the issues presented.
By delving into applicable local issues, both documentaries aim to re-engage students in the
important arenas of political awareness and citizenship. By visually demonstrating how the
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13. Constitution interacts with the students’ local communities, these films are intended to spark
public discourse between the student filmmakers and their audiences. Communication and
exchange of ideas in a public context are crucial to the success of a participatory democracy.
And by directly engaging in the work of public discussion, these filmmakers are practicing what
they preach.
For professional film producers Catherine Tatge and Dominique Lasseur of Global Village
Media, actual engagement with the constitutional issues presented by the films is crucial.
―The project, ―The Constitution in Our Midst,‖ is part of The Civic Life Project that we’ve
started at Global Village Media,‖ said Mr. Lasseur. ―We’ve joined forces with [The Connecticut
Project for the Constitution] to promote a greater understanding of the Constitution and our
democracy.‖
―We tested the project in a private school model first, at the Hotchkiss School [in Lakeville],‖ he
said. ―We’ve mainly been investigating the Bill of Rights, as works very well suited for
classroom instruction. Film-wise, the bill also lends itself to short film production and narrative.
It’s not so easy to do the separation of powers in that format,‖ he laughed.
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14. TCEXTRA.COM
CORNWALL
Students use the Housatonic River to learn about media and new technology By KAREN
BARTOMIOLI 04/30
CORNWALL — Over the course of many cold winter weeks, students from The Hotchkiss
School in Lakeville traipsed up and down the shores of the Housatonic River, a film crew in tow.
They conducted interviews. They traveled to Pittsfield, Mass., to film children on a school
playground near mounds of dirt scooped from the river, still contaminated with PCBs from
unclean disposal practices years ago at the General Electric plant there.
Scenes aimed at displaying the beauty of the river were filmed near the Covered Bridge in
Cornwall. There are many scenic spots along the river, but the choice of Cornwall as the location
for the ―beauty scenes‖ isn’t all that surprising — especially since the driving force behind the
project is Global Village Media, a nonprofit organization founded by Cornwall residents
Catherine Tatge and Dominique Lasseur.
Global Village was founded in 1986 by the award-winning filmmakers (and husband and wife)
under the name International Cultural Programming. The name was changed in 2007 and the
company was reinvented to incorporate new technologies that engage young people, such as
digital media. Its mission has remained the same: to ―tell powerful and distinctive stories that
engage, inform and unite a global audience.‖
Global Village Media has earned more than 40 awards, including an Emmy and the DupontColumbia Award.
Environmental issues were, certainly, an important part of this recent look at the ongoing issue of
PCBs in the Housatonic; but really it was a secondary goal of the documentary. The focus here
was primarily on learning to use media to explore an issue from all perspectives.
―It’s part of a larger project called Civic Life, in which we are trying to teach students about
democracy and civil engagement,‖ Lasseur told The Journal. ―Ultimately, we want to put
together a series for broadcast on the Bill of Rights. Surveys show that about 80 percent of
college students don’t even know what the Bill of Rights is.‖
The goal of the project with Hotchkiss was to produce an eight- to 12-minute film that takes a
local issue and looks at the roles of agencies and local government as well as individuals.
The documentary premiered at Hotchkiss Friday, April 24, during the 2009 Americas Region
Round Square Conference, attended by students and educators from as far away as Peru.
They watched as the film juxtaposed cameos of students talking about democracy over exterior
scenes, including the GE plant in Pittsfield that was the source of the contamination.
Among those interviewed were state Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-30), Lynn Werner, director of
the environmentally minded Housatonic Valley Association, and lifelong Cornwall resident
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15. Ralph Gold. Each of the interview subjects ended up on screen for mere seconds — as is often
the case with filmmaking (especially when the film can’t exceed 12 minutes).
Gold recalled learning about pollution in the river back when he was a child and used to sneak
down to the river to fish. ―We weren’t supposed to eat the fish, but we did anyway,‖ he said.
Part of the plan to show the film during the conference was to spark competition for more
filmmaking for next year’s Round Square conference, which will be held in India.
Robert Haiko, head of the film and photography department at Hotchkiss, had high praise for the
film and the process behind it. He said it would surely open the door to more projects such as this
at the school.
―The classroom has lagged behind using media as a tool for exploring issues,‖ Lasseur said.
―There is a disconnect, because as soon as the students leave the classroom, they are on the
Internet. We want to use it to give them the tools and the knowledge to go after issues of
substance.‖
While Tatge and Lasseur have been working with high school and college students on the
democracy project for years, it was the 2008 presidential election that provided a powerful new
motivator for the students.
―It was the quality of debate that really engaged them. But it also showed that there was little
working knowledge [among students] of the political process.‖
A blog-style Web site has been created to provide an audience for young filmmakers. At
civiclifeproject.com, they can post film clips, describe their experiences in making the films and
interact with others who want to have a voice.
Tatge and Lasseur said their hope is to engage more area schools in the project. © Copyright
2009 by TCExtra.com
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16. Lakeville Journal
Students learn civics lesson
Thu, 05/31/2012
By Colby Pastre
FALLS VILLAGE — Students from Housatonic Valley Regional High School (HVRHS)
traveled to the state Legislative Office Building in Hartford on Thursday, May 24, to present a
documentary film about Occupy Wall Street.
The students created the film as part of the Civic Life Project, an educational initiative that was
started by Dominique Lasseur and Catherine Tatge, who are Cornwall residents, parents of
recent HVRHS alumnus Julien Lasseur and award-winning documentary filmmakers.
The program began in the classroom, where students studied the structure of United States law
and democracy, and ended in the production and screening of a short documentary film about an
important civic issue in the community.
―Students don’t always feel that they have a voice,‖ Lasseur explained. ―The Civic Life Project
is about giving students the opportunity to get the vocabulary that they need to make a difference
and find their voice.‖
Students worked on their film in and outside of the classroom, guided by HVRHS teachers
including social studies teachers Lisa Carter and Peter Vermilyea and film studies teacher
Damon Osora.
They received school credit for their work in civics, film studies and independent studies classes.
Next year, Lasseur said, the project will be even more heavily integrated with the high school
curriculum.
Although Housatonic was one of the original schools to support the Civic Life Project, the
initiative has expanded statewide to include Common Ground High School in New Haven, East
Haven High School, The Gilbert School in Winsted, Hartford Public High School, Norwalk High
School and Torrington High School. All the schools took part in the screening in Hartford.
Topics covered by other high schools included immigration, ―hate speech‖ and First Amendment
rights. The Civic Life Project also establishes networks of students willing to make a change.
―One of the best things about the project is that students that don’t usually have things in
common come together. It gives me a great sense of optimism,‖ said Lasseur.
Over the course of the project students from the high schools met four times at locations
throughout the state to discuss their films and the issues that inspired them.
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17. Students responding to a survey about the program said it was a lot of work but a positive
experience.
―It was challenging, stepping outside of your comfort zone to do what needs to be done,‖ one
student said.
―I have trouble voicing my opinions and standing up for myself,‖ said another. ―The Civic Life
Project has greatly affected that.‖
Civic Life Project films will be presented again at the Westport Youth Film Festival June 2 at the
Bijou Theater in Bridgeport, CT
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18. Page 18 of 20

19. TESTIMONIALS
School Administrators/Teachers
Thank you for all your valuable time and extensive effort. I am most impressed with your
interactions with students – Students were excited, interested, thinking and talking, sharing ideas,
working as a team
Patricia Chamberlain, Superintendent Region 1
Connecticut
Thank you for your amazing dedication and passion. Your mentorship is a gift to everyone!
Dr. Gretchen Foster, Principal HVRHS
Your general mission is of the highest importance and urgency. My respect to you both…
Manjula Salomon, The Hotchkiss School
Asst. Head of School Director of Global Initiatives
Many thanks for this. Your creativity is impressive
Malcolm McKenzie, Head of School
The Hotchkiss School
The benefits are extraordinary. That responsibility for creating something good and that is
representative of what they want to say is an opportunity that we don’t get to offer in a regular
classroom
Lisa Carter
Principal, The Salisbury School
Civic Life allows us to turn the classroom into a laboratory for civics.
Peter Vermylea
Teacher
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20. TESTIMONIALS
Students
I am obligated to speak up after this. I wasn’t outspoken in my school or community. Now I
know that I can do that, that I have the right to do that.
I know a lot more about our democratic system and how it actually works.
I plan to get involved in local issues more
I liked the opportunity to work on a meaningful project outside of my schoolwork and work with
professionals.
Not only did I learn a lot about filmmaking, but I also learned about my community and ways to
get involved.
I thought that it was way more complicated to get your voice heard, and I thought I was too
young to do anything. Now […] I see that you don't need a vote to make a difference, you just
need to be passionate and care about your issue.
I learned that there are more ways to affect change than simply voting or writing a letter to my
elected official.
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