Nonprofit Spotlight: Fascinating Learning Factory
Daily Camera, Saturday, December 31, 2005
OUR MISSION:
The Fascinating Learning Factory directly addresses the shortage of quality educational programming for school-age children in grades 6 and up. Between "Sesame Street" and National Geographic, there is a wide gap that needs to be filled.
The Learning Factory finds, develops, funds and oversees production of educational programs for television and the Web, with an emphasis on the need for a higher standard of children's programming. Special attention must be paid to connecting with young people in the digital age.
Television is only one aspect of where they spend their free time. We must take our traditional forms of content delivery and make them accessible on the Internet and find new and engaging forms of recreation to deliver content.
WE SERVE:
The Learning Factory's programs are directed at students of all ages, with a special emphasis on middle school. Young people, especially middle-schoolers, are intellectually vulnerable in the best sense of the word. They are open to new ideas, newly free of their parent's immediate influence and eager to learn their way around the world. If we can capture their imaginations now, they will be open to these ideas forever.
BRIEF HISTORY:
Founded in 2000, the Learning Factory first produced the pilot episode for "Our Fascinating Earth," a fun and eye-opening show about natural science with a "Ripley's Believe it or Not" style. It aired on PBS in 42 major markets.
We produced "Guerrilla Guide to Politics," an irreverent look at politics and young people in an episode called "Voting." The critically acclaimed program aired around the country just before the election of 2004. As a result of that program we were asked by the National Conference on State Legislatures (NCSL) to produce a program for fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders on Representative Democracy. We created an animated character named Citizen Brain for that project. We were also tapped to produce a series of animated short on "Facts of Congress" for the Center on Congress at Indiana University.
We are currently preparing a proposal for the new programming initiative from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting on American History and Civics. The project will include a broadcast series, interactive Web site, video game, cell phone content delivery and curriculum development (with textbooks and teacher support). When fully awarded, this program will continue for many years.
PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT:
We have been fortunate to work with Jim Rettew, the creator of "Guerrilla Guide to Politics." His commitment to civic learning and our commitment to educational media are a fine match and have helped us to create the wide array of civics programming that is helping re-engage our young people with their power and responsibilities as citizens.
Civics curricula have been in decline for years, and the result is an apathetic and ambivalent population of young people when it comes to politics and government. We are working toward reversing that trend and showing that you can't run a democracy without informed, engaged citizens
GREATEST NEED:
The preparation of the proposal to the Corporation of Public Broadcasting is an expensive and complicated process. We are in need of funds to pay our legal and administrative bills and to keep the lights on while we wait for the first round of funding.
As the project progresses, we will need to supplement the grant with additional funds due to the enormous scope of this venture. We are working with many individuals and institutions who are generously donating their time and expertise, but some hard costs must be met.
This project has the potential of providing jobs, opportunities and high quality content delivery for many years to come and, as we are required to become self-sufficient within three years, there is significant potential for return on some investments.
FUTURE PLANS:
The Learning Factory has always believed that educational programming doesn't need to be dry and boring. We all sat through those health and training films in school and probably slept through most of them. We are determined to continue finding exciting, unusual, educational program ideas and bring them to a national audience. If we can wake up students to interesting ideas, better role models and choices to make, we will accomplish our goals.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Bunnie Strassner, Fascinating Learning Factory, 4700 Sterling Drive, Suite J, Boulder, CO 80301
(303) 545-9955