Producers Adam McKay, Jason Pollock, Sharon Chang and Scooter Braun have announced the first six American high schools selected to be part of their new social media education documentary, Undroppable.
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Undroppable isn't just a documentary -- it's also a social media campaign focused on raising awareness about the high dropout rate in American high schools. The goal is to highlight the students and communities that are grappling with high dropout rates but are still pushing on and persevering, despite the obstacles.
Producer Adam McKay, co-creator of FunnyOrDie and director of Anchorman 2, said of the project, "these schools are remarkable in their willingness to stand up and tell their stories to the world. Through their courage, they will be able to inspire Americans to step up and support them and millions of students and teachers like them."
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Pollock started shooting footage at the schools in April. He's uploaded clips and interviews from his eight week trip across the country to Undroppable.com, which serves as the central hub for the film and the broader social media project.
Viewers can go to the website to watch inspiring videos and interviews with teachers and students. For example, take Cynthia Gallardo, a student at East High School in Des Moines, Iowa, who describes the impact that frequent moves and issues with domestic violence have had on her education. In spite of everything, Cynthia is "Undroppable."
Pollock gained access to the schools and students thanks to an educational partnership with the group Get Schooled.
The schools involved in the project include:
- La Causa / Youthbuild Charter School, Los Angeles La Causa / Youthbuild Serves students ages 17-24 and helps students graduate who have dropped out of public schools in LA
- Collins Academy, Chicago, IL Collins currently serves 428 students and has an 80% graduation rate. The school provides 100% Free and Reduced Lunch
- Palumbo Academy, Philadelphia, PA Palumbo has 494 students and provides 65% Free and Reduced Lunch
- Joplin High School, Joplin, MO Joplin High School has 2,118 students and provides 37% Free and Reduced Lunch
- New Bedford High, New Bedford, MA New Bedford is the largest school in the group with 3, 106 students. The school provides 54% free and reduced lunch
- East High School, Des Moines, IA East high School has 2,115 student sand provides 84% Free and Reduced Lunch
The goal is to release the feature-length film in the fall -- just in time for the election.
This story originally published on Mashable here.
