“Lights, Camera...Leadership!” is a middle and high school credit-bearing curriculum that develops leadership and academic skills through the process of making a community video about a topic of importance to both students and the greater community. The topic is studied through past, present, and future perspectives. Participants are then charged with organizing a community premiere, including leading discussion groups following the video. It is a powerful example of real-world, experiential learning and civic engagement. The curriculum can be integrated into existing technology, social studies or humanities courses, or be the subject of an individualized study for a smaller group of students.

During the 2006-2007 school year, over 100 students from eight Vermont public middle and high schools participated in some version of the “Lights, Camera...Leadership!” curriculum. Under the guidance of 16 teachers, these students facilitated the development of eight different documentaries on subjects ranging from the costs of war to the realities of organic farming, to perceptions of cafeteria workers.

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