About American Graduate

American Graduate: Let's Make it Happen is a public media initiative supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to improve high school graduation rates. Public TV and radio stations in 36 states are working with community partners to create professional development opportunities for educators, offer outreach to young people, produce diverse television and radio content, and convene community dialogue with various stakeholders and community partners to generate understanding and action regarding the dropout crisis.

As part of WHYY's approach to the issues in the region, we are offering a scholarship opportunity for educators to participate in a course entitled Visual Storytelling Basics for the Classroom at the WHYY Dorrance H. Hamilton Public Media Commons. The course runs for six hours (including lunch) and WHYY will train educators to help their students tell compelling visual stories using equipment readily available in most classrooms using dynamic, trouble-free digital storytelling techniques. Shooting is done with simple video cameras, smart phones and still cameras. Editing is taught using iMovie and other free or readily available software. This is a hands-on course, in which educators will be recording and editing media. Educators will receive lesson ideas for audio slideshows, 30-second stories, video scavenger hunts and other low-tech, but effective techniques. Educators in PA can receive 5 hours of Act 48 credit, and WHYY will provide educators from NJ and DE with needed documentation.

Scholarship Applications

The teacher scholarship application is open to teachers of at-risk students in grades 9-12 in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. The scholarship represents a value of close to $150 per person. There are two available dates for the teacher scholarship courses in spring 2012 - Saturday April 28 from 9 AM to 3 PM and/or May 5, 2012 from 9 AM to 3 PM at the WHYY Dorrance H. Hamilton Public Media Commons. Each date has space for 32 educators to work with WHYY instructors across two classrooms. Teachers should come with a project in mind of how they will integrate a digital storytelling assignment into their plans to keep students engaged in their content areas. Please see attached proposed project form to be filled out along with the teacher scholarship application.

Applications and proposed project forms can be submitted online during a time limited period, after which all the educators who are selected, will be notified of their course date and their acceptance as a teacher scholar as part of the American Graduate: Let's Make it Happen initiative.

We hope that you will consider sharing this information with colleagues and educators and into the right hands of people who can benefit from this opportunity.

APPLY FOR THIS SCHOLARSHIP »

The Problem

1.3 million kids drop out of high school per year costing our nation more than $100 billion in lost wages and taxes, plus the increased social costs due to crime and healthcare. Our kids need a strong education for our nation to compete in a global world.

Making it happen

Increasing high school graduation rates requires a collective effort in a variety of areas. Explore the strategy of addressing these issues and the goals of the American Graduate initiative.

Working with Public Media

Learn more about the American Graduate: Let's Make it Happen and the role public media plays in implementing the strategic efforts of this initiative.