Timed to the release of the highly-acclaimed documentary WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN,” Participant Media’s online hub of the official Social Action campaign – waitingforsuperman.com/action – offers the resources and tools moviegoers need to become involved in the issue of improving public education in the U.S. The film, a Paramount Vantage and Participant Media presentation in association with Walden Media, opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles today, expanding throughout the nation during October. The site provides actions that allow people who are inspired by the film to engage at whatever level they’re comfortable, from simply getting information about the graduation rates for their child’s high school to opportunities to become deeply involved in their community through volunteering, donating and mentoring to advocating for policy changes.
Jim Berk, CEO of Participant Media, said, “While there are already many successful sites for policy makers and education experts, we designed the WAITING FOR ‘SUPERMAN’ Social Action site for non-experts – parents, students and teachers and anyone else inspired by the film– looking for pathways to action and knowledge about the issue. And thanks to the new interactive, education map developed by Bing, for the first time, people have the ability to find in one place in their community where they can donate, mentor and volunteer and browse school ratings and drop-out rates by location.”
Developed in partnership with TakePart.com, Participant Media’s Social Action network, the WAITING FOR “SUPERMAN” Social Action site is a collective engagement platform where everyone will have a place to participate and exchange ideas and opinions. The site, mirroring Participant’s Social Action Campaign, focuses on four themes essential to the discussion of education reform: the need to celebrate great teachers, prepare our students and set high standards for them, explore innovative school models, and raise literacy rates. In addition, the site will continually be updated throughout the campaign with additional information and resources on organizations, schools, and teachers who are involved with this issue, so we encourage visitors to check back regularly.
Among the actions people can take on the site:
Send call-to-action letters to their elected officials, including a state-customized form letter to their Governors and gubernatorial candidates urging for the proper implementation of Common Core Standards.
Access individual city pages in the top U.S. markets and Canada that contain city-specific education actions, tips, news and statistics as well as contact information for local social action community organizers. (Currently rolling out)
Interact with a brand-new, all-in-one map app created by Bing for Participant that serves as a one-stop-shop to identify classrooms in need along with information on how to take action. With Bing’s Education Map, users can find opportunities to fund specific local teachers’ classroom projects on DonorsChoose.org, local mentoring opportunities via Mentoring.org, and local volunteer opportunities via AllforGood.org as well as ratings for local public and private schools via GreatSchools.org.
Use a debate tool to read differing views on various public education topics, such as longer school days, merit pay for teachers, charter schools, etc. and add their own views and participate in the debate. Find out myths and facts about the public education system.
Enter your school in Bing’s Our School Needs competition which invites schools to ask Bing to fulfill their dreams by sharing the tools and resources that their schools are lacking.
View Q& As and interviews with nationally-recognized educators and experts like Steve Barr, Jonathan Alter, Harriet Ball and Gregg Breinberg.
Read blogs by the film’s director, Davis Guggenheim, and producer, Lesley Chilcott.
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