Outcomes

We use a combination of qualitative case studies and survey research to track outcomes and learn from teacher and student feedback. 

DAWNLAND

  • 2,128,000 viewers watched national PBS broadcast on Independent Lens (2018)

  • Multiple awards for best documentary and 25+ official selections at film festivals

  • Won a “Maine Oscar” for the “Most Necessary Documentary”

  • 102 documented face-to-face screenings in first nine months of release including trainings for 502 teachers

  • Teacher’s Guide downloaded 1,100+ times in first four months of release

  • Film being used as catalyst or component for truth and restoration processes in Minnesota, Michigan, and Washington State

““It’s all anguishing and infuriating to take in. It also makes Dawnland a powerfully illuminating film — a history lesson that you’re ashamed to have never learned but whose truths you’ll likely never forget.” ”
— Crosscut

Coexist

  • Ten official film festival selections, Africa Movie Academy Award nominee (2011)

  • Broadcast in 25 countries, including PBS WORLD Channel in US

  • Reached an estimated 500,000 viewers

  • Trained more than 1,000 teachers in face-to-face workshops and reach 5,000+ more and their students in more than a dozen countries

“Coexist… ultimately proves itself much smarter... exploring whether forgiveness that is mandated by the government can be genuine.”
— New York Times Review

FIRST LIGHT

  • 1 Million views of excerpt on facebook

  • Indian Country Today Media list of 10 Great Native Films, One Nation Film Festival Best Documentary Short Audience Award, Broadcast on Maine Public Television

  • Reached 1,000+ educators and tens of thousands of students

  • Used in quarterly trainings by Maine Department of Health and Human Services and core curriculum of Social Welfare Policy and Services course for graduate students in the Simmons School of Social Work

“First Light is a painful but hopeful film…. The close-up look at Maine gives this film its personal and poignant feel, but the film emphasizes this was a national phenomenon.
”
— Rethinking Schools Review

Results in the classroom

 
“Coexist gives students a non-threatening way to get into so many concepts. The Teacher’s Guide and lessons make it so accessible, not an overwhelming proposition to teach. ”
— Janice, Del Dios Middle School (Escondido, California)
 
“Last week the kids were universally unable to imagine forgiving ... now they see the value in considering forgiveness and reconciliation. ”
— Humanities teacher Samantha Morris, Watertown Middle School (Massachusetts)
 
“The teacher’s guide provides ample background and support for social studies teachers who may be engaging with curriculum about tribal sovereignty and how it impacts the lived experiences of Indigenous people for the first time. The teacher’s guide uses the NCSS C3 Framework and is centered in deep curricular inquiry, making it an excellent companion to the documentary.”
— - Rachel Talbert, Vice Chair, Indigenous Education Community, National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
 
“First Light expertly communicates the process of the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission and their role in helping acknowledge painful truths.  Both the film and accompanying learning resources are outstanding educational tools for Maine’s teachers to consider using in their classrooms.”
— Kristie Littlefield, Maine Department of Education Social Studies Specialist