ABOUT AMERICAN CREED: CITIZEN POWER
PBS launched the American Creed documentary franchise with a feature documentary in 2018 that wrestled with the question: what does it mean to be American? Stanford University professors David M. Kennedy (Pulitzer Prize winning historian) and Condoleezza Rice (political scientist, 66th US Sec. of State) came together to explore America’s founding ideals and national identity from their different perspectives as scholars of democracy. A growing collection of films of different lengths has been in continuous use in high schools across the country ever since.
Now, in a new PBS documentary series, American Creed: Citizen Power, Drs. Kennedy and Rice gather together “extraordinary, ordinary” young leaders across differences in background and belief, to facilitate dialogue between young leaders whose stories exemplify what it looks like to take on what many Americans see as increasingly urgent challenges facing our communities and the nation. Each half-hour episode for PBS, and a series of shorter films for classrooms (part of an ongoing PBS LearningMedia roll-out) and for the new PBS Documentaries YouTube Channel, will explore how young people discover their power to take action.
CALLING ALL HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATORS
American Creed invites students to join a growing national conversation amongst young people about foundational American ideals and how idealism can be turned into action in their own communities — and now your students can add their voices.
Students watch and discuss short American Creed documentaries, then compose essays and media of their own. Short films, photo essays, audio essays and other “mentor texts” are accompanied by new standards-aligned curriculum designed to catalyze classroom conversations and student media-making. Student-produced work is already being shared online as part of KQED’s American Creed Youth Media Challenge, coordinated with partnering PBS Stations across the country.
Please email hello@americancreed.org to receive notifications of upcoming professional development opportunities, teacher-training sessions, curricular guides and youth publishing opportunities for your students.
