Tuesday, January 23, 2007

The UNCW Reel Girls Project



This project is currently an independent study at UNCW co-taught by faculty from Women's Studies, Sociology and Film Studies. Students working on the project are Film Studies and Sociology majors, some with Women's Studies minors.

The course involves the development and implementation of a joint UNCW/Middle School documentary filmmaking workshop. During the semester four female college students will work with faculty advisors in an interdisciplinary (Film Studies, Sociology and Women’s Studies) course to produce a community project in which the college students mentor middle-school girls in the production of their own short independent documentary films. The final projects from the middle school workshop will be shown in Lumina Theatre at the end of the semester.

Working with faculty co-advisors, the independent study students will learn how to teach media literacy and documentary film production basics. Once they have learned how to teach these basics the independent study students will hold a three day workshop at D.C. Virgo Middle School. Principal Megan Silvey of D.C. Virgo Middle School has been asked ot identify twenty girls to participate in the Reel Girls Project. D.C. Virgo is an urban middle school with a large minority and low-income student population. The school places a strong emphasis on technology and the arts in education (http://www.nhcs.k12.nc.us/virgo/).

In small group mentor workshops the college students will teach the younger girls about the art of documentary filmmaking and Women’s Studies media literacy content. From the films created in the workshop the college students will coordinate and promote an on-campus (UNCW) screening that will allow the middle school students to share their vision and voices with the community.

For the younger girls the goal will be not only to introduce them to the college campus, but to engage them in a creative scholarly project that will provide them with a positive, empowering experience. As a result, they will learn to assess current media with a critical eye and will be encouraged to pursue technical and creative jobs in any field that they desire.

This project is a partnership between: Film Studies, Sociology and Women's Studies Resource Center at UNCW

Faculty Advisors Include:
Susan Bullers, Director of Women's Studies Resource Center
Mariana Johnson, Asst. Professor Film Studies
Donna King, Assoc. Professor Sociology
Shannon Silva, Asst. Professor Film Studies

Participating Students Include:
Ashli Bogart, Film Studies Major
Hillary Hood, Sociology Major, Women's Studies Minor
Lexi Lefkowitz, Film Studies Major, Women's Studies Minor
Meghann Sumner, Film Studies Major