Founded 1991
Nonprofit organization
Number of employees: 16
Area of focus: K-12 public education
Primary activities: creation of media materials--films, books, newsletters, and a Web site--which promote a vision of learning where students are challenged and engaged, learn by doing, have access to interactive technologies, and are supported by inspired teachers and involved parents and communities.
Current projects: Learn & Live, a documentary hosted by Robin Williams, will be broadcast on public television stations nationwide in 1999-2000.
Planned projects: a documentary and companion materials addressing the professional development of teachers is in the early stages of development.
Background -- Telling the Stories of Education
Founded as a nonprofit organization in 1991, The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) grew out of filmmaker George Lucas's commitment to education and to a kind of learning which, as George Leonard put it, combines education and ecstasy. Lucas's personal vision is perhaps best captured in a story he tells about his own daughter, who, from an early age, loved music and singing, but who resisted--over several years--parental suggestions that she take up the piano. "Then," Lucas picks up the story, "one day she said to me, 'Dad, I think I'd like to learn to play the piano.' You could see the anticipation and purpose in her eyes. Now the idea was hers and she was ready. We found her a teacher who understood the importance of learning that starts with a student's passion. At her first lesson, he sat her down and said, 'So, what's your favorite song?' No talk of finding middle C, octaves, major and minor chords, nor the 'proper' way to hold your hands. My daughter said, "I really like that song from 'Evita'. So off they went and every lesson since, he teaches her how to play the songs she loves."
Promoting this kind of learning--where students are challenged and engaged, learn by doing, have access to interactive technologies, and are supported by inspired teachers and by members of the broader community--is what the Foundation is all about. In its early years, the Foundation focused on the development of cutting-edge prototypes of curriculum packages, using high-end hardware and software.
A few years ago, noted educators advised The George Lucas Educational Foundation on setting its course. In a nutshell, they said, "Help us tell our stories." Teachers and students around the country are enacting many inspiring stories and transforming their schools, often with a strong assist from technology. This counsel has inspired the Foundation to pursue its course "Telling the Stories of Education."
In November, 1997 the Foundation released Learn & Live, a documentary film, hosted by Robin Williams, and its 300-page companion resource book. The film showcases innovative schools across America and encourages viewers to take action to achieve what American voters say is their #1 priority: improving public education. The resource book includes visionary essays from leading educators, narratives from classroom teachers, and annotated descriptions of hundreds of print and electronic resources.
The Foundation has distributed approximately 20,000 Learn & Live kits to educators, parents, and the broader community that cares about public education. Learn & Live has been especially useful in professional development. From universities, such as Pepperdine in Los Angeles, Teachers College in New York, and Harvard in Boston, to school districts and state departments of education, instructors and workshop leaders are using the film and the book to help visualize the goals of school reform and connect to resources and projects nationwide. GLEF has distributed Learn & Live kits to over 1,000 schools of education nationwide to support college faculty in preparing the next generation of teachers.
Beginning in 1999, Learn & Live will be broadcast on public television stations across the country. It is being presented jointly by The George Lucas Educational Foundation and public television station KCTS/Seattle. The program is being distributed by the American Program Service (APS), a major source of programming for America's public television stations. GLEF will provide discussion guides and an online chat area at its Web site to support the use of Learn & Live as a catalyst for discussion and action to transform America's public schools.
The Next Project
The Foundation's next project--a documentary film and supporting materials, will shine the spotlight on innovative efforts to prepare today's and tomorrow's teachers.
