Communities for Public Education Reform.

Communities for Public Education Reform (CPER) is a collaborative fund established by Public Interest Projects. The collaborative includes national and local foundations committed to achieving equitable educational opportunities and outcomes for low-income students in communities of color. CPER provides support to 49 community-based partners in six regions across the country (California, Chicago, Colorado, Mississippi, New Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania).

CPER wanted to both evidence the impact of its funding and highlight best practices among local partner organizations. As a consultant with See Change Evaluation, I created the research design and managed all aspects of the assessment and the production of the resulting film. Over a period of four months, Mission Pictures (a production company in the Bay Area) and I visited each CPER region, documenting the work of the collaborative’s partners and conducting nearly 100 interviews with organizational staff, youth and community leaders (organizers), funders and elected officials. Final deliverables included a short film constructed around the principle findings of the interviews and site visits, and an executive summary and study guide to accompany the film.

Made in collaboration with Mission Pictures.