Credit: Edutopia
Edutopia is where The George Lucas Educational Foundation's vision to highlight what works in education comes to life. Through our website and videos, we document and present the fresh ideas that lead to inspiring educational success stories.
For nearly 20 years, Edutopia has researched, written, and produced videos documenting successful and innovative programs that show what 21st-century classrooms should look like.
Short versions of these stories will be broadcast on your local television news station. For the full story on the segments you've seen, choose from the titles below.
Music and Dance Drive Academic Achievement
Opera and dance help first and second graders learn to read, write, and understand geometry. (Tucson, AZ)
Transformed by Technology
High Tech High, a network of K-12 public charter schools, uses rigorous projects and portfolio assessments to revolutionize learning. (San Diego, CA)
The Magic of Math
Math is integrated into every subject in every classroom -- and students love it. (Roseburg, OR)
An After School Network
That Works
Too old for child care, too young to be left alone -- keeping middle school students safe and engaged. (Providence, RI)
The Edible Schoolyard
The garden and the kitchen are learning labs for social studies, math, and science. (Berkeley, CA)
Peace Helpers
K-5 students learn conflict resolution, leading to a happier and more successful school. (Brooklyn, NY)
The New Phys Ed
Adventure sports transform gym class into a lab for teaching leadership and cooperation. (San Rafael, CA)
Tracking the Horny Toad
Junior scientists team up with local farmers to research an elusive species. (Waterville, WA)
4-H Tech Wizards
Technology connects high school students to their communities and helps improve graduation rates. (Forest Grove, OR)
Five-Year-Olds Pilot
Their Own Projects
Hands-on learning begins in kindergarten, and the kids can't get enough of it. (Auburn, AL)
Students of the World
At Walter Payton High School, students immerse themselves in global culture. (Chicago, IL)
Change of Heart in Alaska
A school system's investment in social and emotional learning is paying off both socially and academically. (Anchorage, AK)
How Are You Smart?
Teaching to students' strengths and improving their weaknesses. (Gainesville, GA)
"Nobody Feels Stupid Here Anymore."
For these students, creating a CD-ROM to teach others is the best way to learn. (Portland, ME)
Learning By Design
Architectural internships deliver real-world experience for high school students. (San Francisco, CA)
Integrating Knowledge
A school achieves great success by teaching subjects together. (Malden, MA)
YES Prep: College Bound
A low-income school with high expectations -- every student goes to college. (Houston, TX)
A Gateway to the
Outside World
Technology lab connects middle school students with nature, history and their community. (Little Rock, AR)
School-to-Career Learning
Students explore career possibilities and get a head start on "what to be when I grow up." (Grand Prairie, TX)
A Night in Heifer's
Global Village
Middle school students experience firsthand how to live and survive in developing countries. (Perryville, AR)
Wetland Watchers
A nationally recognized service-learning project where middle school students are stewards of their area's fragile wetlands. (Destrehan, LA)
Animating Dreams:
The ACME Animation Program
High school students draw on the expertise of professional cartoonists. (Birmingham, AL)
Taking Class Outdoors with Environmental Education
At the School for Environmental Studies, learning is about becoming an expert and solving real problems. (Apple Valley, MN)
Houston's YES Prep:
Discipline on the R.I.S.E.
Students consider the "Scarlet Letter" to be tough but fair. And certainly effective. (Houston, TX)
Kids Invest in Funds --
and Their Own Future
K-8 students hone math skills and learn practical lifelong lessons by managing a class stock portfolio with $20,000 in real cash. (Chicago, IL)
School Uses Games for Learning and Assessment
Computer simulations are natural learning tools for a generation of video game players. (Washington, D.C.)
Character Development
An entire school district lays the foundation for 21st-century learning by building relationships, skills, and confidence. (Louisville, KY)
On the Road with The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus
A recording studio on wheels brings music education to schools and lets teens produce their own tunes. (Across the country)
Success Spoken Here
An elementary school that immerses students in languages, global awareness and academic achievement. (Seattle, WA)
High Expections
A focus on teamwork, individualized instruction, and ongoing assessment is improving achievement of minority and low-income K-6 students. (Portland, OR)