The ScriptED competition aims to expand
diverse, compelling perspectives in education; Winner to be
announced at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival
Strayer University, in partnership with The Blackhouse
Foundation—a leading voice working to elevate and increase the
number of diverse voices in filmmaking—today announced the launch
of ScriptED, a nationwide competition to discover a talented
up-and-coming screenwriter who can help bring real perspectives to
Strayer’s Ethics in Criminal Justice course.
“Research tells us that the human-brain is wired to learn
through storytelling. With that in mind we created Strayer
Studios—a production team dedicated to infusing course curriculum
with documentary-style films to better engage students and help
them grasp subject matter in more meaningful ways,” said Karl
McDonnell, CEO of Strategic Education, Inc. (SEI), the parent
company of Strayer University.
“Three years later, after seeing Studios content help increase
student engagement and improve outcomes, we are partnering with The
Blackhouse Foundation to advance this effort by discovering new
voices and stories that embody the diverse perspectives and life
experiences of our students.”
The ScriptED competition calls for an original concept and
script that includes a compelling and authentic storyline that
addresses the key principles and reality of community experiences
in criminal justice; therefore, sparking debate and understanding
of this topic among Strayer students.
Further details, rules, and submission guidelines are listed
here. The top five finalists will win a trip to attend and pitch
their scripts to a panel of esteemed judges from Strayer
University, The Blackhouse Foundation, the criminal justice field,
and the film and television industries at the 2020 Sundance Film
Festival, where the winner will be announced.
The winner will receive $10,000 in prize money and the
opportunity to join Strayer University’s team of Emmy Award-winning
filmmakers as a virtual artist in residence to develop a series of
narrative episodic educational content over a six-month period.
“Storytelling is at the core of who we are as human beings, so
it makes perfect sense for us tap into the power of stories through
film to inspire learning,” said Brickson Diamond, Chairman of
The Blackhouse Foundation. “My hope is that this collaboration
will help to elevate and champion up-and-coming talent in an
emerging content platform while engaging students with perspectives
that resonate with them and help to elevate their education to the
next level.”
Judge Victoria Pratt, former Chief Judge in Newark
Municipal Court, current Professor of Professional Practice at
Rutgers University’s School of Criminal Justice, and nationally
acclaimed advocate for criminal justice reform, will evaluate
submissions and serve as a judge during the live pitch session.
“Criminal justice elicits passionate viewpoints, often rooted in
personal experience. Visual storytelling can create a deeper and
more compassionate understanding among criminal justice students of
the diverse experiences and perspectives that exist in our
society,” said Pratt. “I’m honored to be one of the judges
selecting a scriptwriter who will shape students’ engagement with
the complex questions of ethics and criminal justice.”
Aaliyah Williams, executive producer of the soon to be
released Netflix series, Gente-fied, and producer of the upcoming
feature film Really Love starring Kofi Siriboe, will also
participate in the pitch session. Williams' production company,
Just A Rebel, focuses on television and film that "shifts the
culture forward". Its slate, that primarily centers and celebrates
Black women, includes the television adaptation of Marita Golden's
critically acclaimed novel, The Wide Circumference of Love.
Additionally, Williams leads the "Death of the Code Switch" panel
series that spotlights Black filmmakers and writers who have broken
down barriers within the film and television industry through
authentic storytelling.
"I am thrilled to help discover and amplify storytellers of
color who can impact the complicated and important issue of
criminal justice in a nuanced and fresh way," said Williams. "I
have long admired the work of The Blackhouse Foundation and look
forward to joining forces with Brickson and Strayer University to
harness the power of Black and Brown excellence."
After the winner is announced, they will be recognized at a
Strayer sponsored discussion at the Sundance Film Festival titled,
“The Power of Storytelling in Education” that will explore the
impact of film in education. Other panelists include former WNBA
basketball player Chamique Holdsclaw, whose personal story of
bipolar disorder and depression is featured in Strayer’s Intro to
Psychology course, and University faculty member Ryan Poirier.
Brickson Diamond will serve as the moderator.
Strayer University—a leader in educating working adults for more
than 127 years—launched Strayer Studios in 2016 to bring online
education courses to life and improve the satisfaction, engagement
and continuation of students who are often juggling school with
other responsibilities, including work and childcare. Since then,
Strayer faculty has found that Studios content increased students’
online class attendance, completion of assignments and
participation in class discussions. Initial data found that 10%
fewer Strayer students dropped courses that incorporated Studios
content.
Strayer Studios and the ScriptED competition are part of a
series of initiatives by the University and SEI to support working
adult students, including the implementation of cutting-edge AI
technology and other programs to deliver student services and
support persistence towards degree completion.
Interested applicants should visit www.strayer.edu/scripted.
About Strayer University: Founded in 1892, Strayer
University is an institution of higher learning for working adult
students. It offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in
business administration, accounting, information technology,
education, health services administration, public administration,
and criminal justice. Strayer University is accredited by the
Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street,
Philadelphia, PA, 19104 (267-284-5000, www.msche.org). The
Commission is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the
U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation. For more information, visit www.strayer.edu.
About The Blackhouse Foundation: The Blackhouse
Foundation works to expand opportunities for black content creators
by providing pathways to opportunities within film, television,
digital and emerging platforms. Blackhouse provides opportunities
for minority creative to learn about the financial, production,
marketing and distribution resources that will raise the profile of
their content, while also providing participants with a nucleus for
continuing support, community and education.
www.theblackhouse.org
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191125005251/en/
Strayer University Elaine Kincel 202-557-4920
Elaine.Kincel@strayer.edu
The Blackhouse Foundation Andre Watson 312-823-7024
Andre@thepurpleagency.com
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