EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN

The Chicago Video Project will bring American Idealist: The Story of Sargent Shriver into the nation’s classrooms and to its public service organizations. There it will teach young viewers about an unheralded American hero, the little known history of the nation’s War on Poverty, and possibilities for change in an imposing and challenging world. The emotional power of the film’s storyline and its moral message offers educators a resource to discuss with their students the meaning of citizenship. If you are an educator or work with a public service organization, you can obtain a DVD copy of American Idealist from the following organizations:

  • Campus Compact, an association of 1,100 colleges and universities with offices in 31 states, provides teaching resources about civic engagement to college level public service programs. www.compact.org
  • Facing History and Ourselves is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to helping educators and students engage in a study of the Holocaust and other examples of genocide to consider the connections between history and the moral choices we confront in our own lives. Facing History engages more than 1.8 million students annually through its network of 25,000 educators around the world and reaches the public and the broader educational market through community events and extensive online resources. Anyone who is interested can download the American Idealist lesson plans from www.facinghistory.org/americanidealist, and in addition members of Facing History's educator network can borrow a copy of the American Idealist DVD from Facing History's Lending Library at www.facinghistory.org.

Visit the following websites for more information about the following public service programs and educational opportunities: