When Dr. Michael Olenick, President of the Child Care Resource Center, shared the short film Maya and Lily with Camille Maben, Executive Director of First 5 California, she knew it would be a valuable tool to start discussions among the First 5 team members about how to continue to provide resources and support for working families.

The USC Media Institute for Social Change hosted a Student Film Share screening 8 films by current SCA students. Organized by SCA MFA student Anne Brashier, the film share curated films on topics ranging from gun violence to domestic abuse, and allowed SCA students to share the insights and experiences they had while making films about social issues.

USC alumnus Dr. Robert Mark Carpenter (Ph.D. Rossier School of Education), has wrapped production on his feature length documentary, American Dropout. This film takes a raw and gritty look at the invisible high school dropout crisis. The project began while Carpenter was getting his doctorate at USC, and it continues his research on the complex factors that contribute to the dropout epidemic.

On Monday, November 11th at 3pm in TCC450 on the USC Campus, the USC Initiative to Eliminate Homelessness will screen Venice Neverland: Street Kids of Venice Beach, a film by USC alum Victoria Peralto Cruz, documenting her own experience as a homeless young adult in California.