Young American Heroes

FAIN: TR-50049-09

Connecticut Public Broadcasting (Hartford, CT 06106)
Chris Campbell (Project Director: August 2008 to January 2011)

Post-production of a 28-minute pilot television program for PBS and the development of detailed treatments for an additional four episodes, a Web 2.0 interactive website, a curriculum-based teacher's website, a retail DVD, and a graphic novel examining the early life of Frederick Douglass.

The Young American Heroes (YAH) series (for which we are producing the Frederick Douglass pilot) will take a break-the-mold approach to telling the epic story of America's past to middle school students. We will do so by using primary documents and diaries to show ordinary kids doing extraordinary things during seminal moments in American history. This peer approach to historical narrative brings the past to life in a way that is both captivating and informing for the target demographic -- young people ages 11-14 in grades 6-9 and their teachers and parents. The content platforms for the pilot include: Television program (1 x 30) for PBS; Web 2.0 interactive web site; Teacher's website which will contain curriculum and teacher's guide; Retail DVD; Graphic novel; web microsite for teacher/student creative input.