BYkids screened FAITH’S WORLD and discussed the film and models for civic engagement with the film and educational resources with student leaders from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey from the Civic Engagement in the 21st Century: Leadership and the Challenge of the Engaged Citizen program. We discussed the universal needs of being seen and heard despite our visible and invisible disabilities, as well as the worry of a parent about their kid’s future when they are gone.

Brian Mateo, Bard’s Associate Dean of Civic Engagement and BYkids Board member, said, “students were able to explore how to tell their own stories with Holly Carter, executive director of BYkids, as well as learn more about living with cerebral palsy through the film FAITH’S WORLD.”

PBS LearningMedia creates free, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans for grades 7-12 for the Films BYkids series. The digital resources help parents and teachers empower children for success in school and in life.

“The films are fascinating for me and my students. They offer a perspective that my American students rarely see–that of a child in another part of the world.,” says one educator. “The films not only inform, they engage students’ imagination and passion–which is always at the heart of true learning, true understanding and insight. These films are important in building bridges of understanding across cultures,” says another.

BYkids has been named one of the world’s top eleven innovators promoting Visual Arts Education #ArtED!! We are featured in the HundrED 2020 #VisualArtsED Spotlight. Thanks to @hundredorg and @supercell. Their new report about the value of arts education and honoring our work is at: http://ow.ly/l1pX50CGNi8 Check us out directly on the HundrED website at: http://bit.ly/37mUwsZ

The United Nations Association of New York and BYkids present a virtual screening of FAITH’S WORLD. Faith Guilbault, age 16, invites us to share in her world and experience life with cerebral palsy. Faith’s world view is centered on what we have in common. She begs us to consider those with physical disabilities as differently abled, not disabled.Our screening is followed by a conversation with H.E. Luis Gallegos Chiriboga (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador), Faith Guilbault (BYkids filmmaker), Joyce Chopra (filmmaker and BYkids film mentor) and Holly Carter (BYkids Founder and Executive Director). SEE THE CONVERSATION

WALK ON MY OWN has been selected for the London Lift-Off Film Festival to happen virtually for the month of December, 2020. In her film, 13-year-old Ndèye Fatou Fall illuminates the cultural shift in Senegal that has allowed her to remain in school and to make decisions about her own future. Congratulations to the team including mentor Elizabeth Hummer, our partners at Tostan and the Wheeler family. TICKETS HERE

WALK ON MY OWN is a finalist at the prestigious #JapanPrizeNHK, Holly Carter and film mentor, Emmy-award winning filmmaker Elizabeth Hummer, participate in a panel about diversity and inclusion. In her film, Ndèye Fatou Fall (age 13) explores cultural shifts as her small village abandons forced marriage and genital cutting.

Almost 100 guests participated in our virtual benefit on October 27 co-hosted by Helen Tsanos Sheinman (BYkids Board) and Isabel Sheinman (BYkids Junior Board) with a lively conversation about the transformative power of film in this era of virtual learning with storytellers, educators and students including Holly Carter, BYkids Founder and Executive Director; Kristina Kirtley, WNET Senior Producer, Content and Youth Engagement; Dustin Liu, global education advocate and student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education; Qetsiyah Lynch, sophomore, City College; Brian Mateo, Bard College Associate Dean of Civic Engagement and moderated by Matt Nink, President, Nink Group Educational Consulting. Using the magic of Zoom, we also had powerful messages from our filmmakers including Faiza Almontaser, now 27, directed POET AGAINST PREJUDICE at age 17; Daunnette Moniz-Reyome, now 18, directed AGAINST THE CURRENT at age 17; Mohammad Shasho, now 21, directed OUT OF ALEPPO at age 17; and Alcides Soares, now 30, directed HOME IS WHERE YOU FIND IT at age 16. SEE A RECAP

We are grateful for the Host Committee, who helped us raise $65,000 before the event even started. 

Alcides Soares, now 30, directed HOME IS WHERE YOU FIND IT at age 16

Faiza Almontaser, now 27, directed POET AGAINST PREJUDICE at age 17

Daunnette Moniz-Reyome, now 18, directed AGAINST THE CURRENT at age 17

Mohammad Shasho, now 21, directed OUT OF ALEPPO at age 17

Congratulations to director, Faith Guilbault, and her mentor, Joyce Chopra, for winning the Youth Vision Award at the United Nations Association Film festival (UNAFF) for FAITH’S WORLD! Such a powerful way to celebrate the 30th year anniversary of the Disabilities Act with this personal and Illuminating film that will broadcast on public television in 2021. UNAFF is an international documentary film festival that celebrates the power of films dealing with human rights, environmental themes, women’s issues, protection of refugees, homelessness, racism, children, disease control, universal education, war and peace.