USC-MISC Newsletter: Spring 2020

A Message From MISC In This Time Of Crisis

 In this time of global health crisis the Media Institute for Social Change continues to create work that explores social issues.  We are working remotely on the projects we started earlier in the year to use media to bring about positive social change, and tackle issues of social justice.  We hope that during this challenging time you are staying healthy and safe, and  following the suggested protocols to preserve your well being and also protect the common good.

Filmmaker Dr. Robert Mark Carpenter and Bill Milliken, Founder of Communities in Schools, with students in a still from American Dropout.

Documentary "American Dropout" Wraps Production

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. 

There are more than 50 million dropouts in the United States, and those affected cross all categories of location, culture, gender, and socio-economic status. These dropouts are ineligible for 90% of jobs, they commit 75% of all violent crimes, and they cost taxpayers nearly $2 trillion in welfare services. American Dropout follows Carpenter as he criss-crosses the country to investigate not only why this is happening, but what can be done about it before it is too late.   Read More.

Still from maya and lily short film

First 5 California Team Screens Maya and Lily

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. 

First 5 California provides resources for educators, policy-makers, researchers, county representatives, and philanthropists to engage with each other about early childhood health and educational policy. Maben and Jamie Hastings, the Director of Administrative Services, screened Maya and Lily for their team, who all agreed that the film accurately and engagingly depicts the tough reality many working parents face. Read More.

Student Film Share Featuring School Of Cinematic Arts Films

The USC Media Institute for Social Change hosted a Student Film Share at the end of 2019, screening films by current SCA students and recent alums. 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. Read More.

MISC Projects In The Pipeline

1. “The Shift” is a developing docuseries and social impact campaign designed to support young people on mental health issues.

2. A series of films focusing on environmental factors relating to clean air and clean water.  The films will be developed in partnership with the Keck School of Medicine’s Department of Preventive Medicine.

3. A film to raise awareness of the issue of bladder cancer in the Hispanic community.  The film will be developed in partnership with the Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Department of Urology.

4. A film about the current state of our Immigration Courts and why we need to move the jurisdiction of Immigration courts from the White House to the Department of Justice.  This project will be in partnership with the Gould School of Law’s Immigrants and Global Migration Initiative.

5. A film about housing instability in Los Angeles to be developed with the Sol Price School of Public Policy’s Center for Social Innovation.