SFFS recognizes teachers as one of our most critical constituencies. It is teachers who connect us with students, administrators and parents as well as guide the direction and content of our programs. Consequently, we aim to support teachers by providing access to relevant and timely media content; curriculum development and study guides; trainings and workshops in media literacy, film appreciation and analysis; and regular teacher appreciation events that include evening screenings and receptions where teachers can meet and greet, network and discuss film, without their students!

Upcoming Events

Environmental Ethics Teacher Training Workshop
Saturday, September 13, 10:00 am–1:00 pm
San Francisco Film Center, The Presidio
FREE, with lunch provided
In partnership with the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund and as part of the Environment film series, we are proud to offer this professional development workshop just for teachers. Each year, the Goldman Prize is awarded to grassroots environmental heroes around the world and short documentaries are produced that profile each winner and their significant environmental efforts (SFFS screened these films to school groups at the de Young Museum in April).  As a complementary educational resource, the Fund has also developed a comprehensive curriculum on environmental ethics that will be introduced, discussed and worked with during this free, three-hour teacher’s workshop. The authors of the standards-aligned curriculum, educational consultant Maureen Carroll and Dr. Al Jonsen from Yale University Department of Environmental Studies, will lead the workshop and give guidance on ways to use the curriculum in the classroom. A great, green way to kick off the school year.

To RSVP for This Event
If you would like to attend the workshop, RSVP to kzwolfer@sffs.org with “Goldman Teacher Training” in the subject line along with your name and school. Admission is free, but space is very limited, so reserve early.

Past Events

Pre-Festival Teacher Screening & Reception:  JUMP!
Saturday, March 15, 2008, Sundance Kabuki Cinemas
At this informational kickoff to the Schools at the Festival program, more than 100 teachers were treated to a breakfast reception and a screening of the film JUMP!, an inspiring documentary about competitive jump roping. This annual event gives teachers the opportunity to speak directly with SFFS education staff and get the complete lineup of Festival films offered to schools, as well as opportunities for teachers to have filmmakers visit their classrooms during the Festival.

Faculty School Visit: Going on 13
Monday, February 25, 2008, Julia Morgan School for Girls
This special presentation of Going on 13—a documentary chronicling the lives of four East Bay girls ages nine to13—was part of a professional development day for 26 faculty members at the Julia Morgan School in Oakland. After the film codirectors Kristy and Dawn led a discussion, during which the teachers all expressed a great personal connection with the film and its subjects. Many of the stories in the film gave them the chance to reflect on the hardships their own students are currently going through. The filmmakers found the experience equally beneficial, and will be utilizing the teachers’ positive feedback as a foundation for the educational outreach strategy that they are developing for their film.

Teacher Appreciation Event:  Darius Goes West
Tuesday, February 19, 2008, Landmark’s Bridge Theatre
With support from Just Think and special event sponsor Theo Gund, 150 educators from schools around the Bay Area enjoyed complimentary food and wine before a free screening of the documentary Darius Goes West, about a teenager with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy who takes a cross-country journey with a dozen friends in an effort to raise awareness of DMD and disabled access. After the screening, director Logan Smalley spoke to the audience about the making of the film and expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to screen the film to teachers. Smalley also introduced the audience of educators to theKnow About Itcampaign, a companion program to the film, which gives teachers a range of lessons and tools for incorporating the film into their curriculum and sharing it with their students.

“The spirit was joyful, the film amazing and the discussion afterwards enlightening and upbeat. I look forward to learning about the films you will be sharing with the schools in the spring.”— teacher  
 
“Tuesday night's screening was AMAZING! Based on the success of that evening, we realized we need to do more teacher screenings. . . . We sold almost $2,000 worth of DVDs, and most of those were for the Know About It program. . . . Words cannot even begin to express how grateful we are to you for making our visit to San Francisco so memorable.” —Barbara Smalley, producer, Darius Goes West

Teacher Appreciation Event: The World According to Sesame Street
Monday, November 5, 2007, Landmark’s Bridge Theatre

In recognition of the key role teachers play in supporting and participating in the SFFS Education Program, we presented a free reception and screening exclusively for Bay Area educators. Teachers of all grade levels and curricula turned out to mingle in the theater lobby over complimentary food and wine before a screening of the Sundance award-winning documentary The World According to Sesame Street, about international productions of the classic children’s television program in Bangladesh, Kosovo and South Africa. Teachers were inspired by the film and engaged in an in-depth discussion about its focus on the positive and successful use of media in education. The evening was copresented by Edutopia, the magazine/Web site of the George Lucas Educational Foundation, which emphasizes the use of technology and media in education. After the screening. Milton Chen, executive director of GLEF and former Sesame Street researcher, was joined onstage by longtime Muppeteer Dave Goelz and his alter ego Gonzo for a lively and often hilarious Q&A. Many teachers rushed the stage with their cell phones to snap photos of their favorite Muppet character, with one even videotaping the entire discussion to show to his students the next day.