Honoring Stories and Integrating Curriculum® Comes From
Our Youth Ethnodrama Programs

Services

On-Site Program Design and Implementation

Based on the unique needs of students in schools, organizations, programs, and non-profits, we design in-school and after school programs oriented to desired learning outcomes. These programs draw upon a wide range of instructional designs that reflect the interests, passions, literacies, and learning needs of the youth present. We emphasize building close, respectful relationships and interactive learning environments. These programs can be integrated into any discipline or grade level, offered as elective classes, or developed in after school or summer programs. See below for the types of interactive resources we bring.

Ethnodramatic Framing

Drama Enactments
Ethnodrama includes positioning students as sophisticated interpreters of cultural processes.

Community Research

Students learn how to pursue their questions via traditional and non-traditional research resources.
Drama deepens student relationships and literacies.

Film Production

Film editing supports student analysis of a variety of texts.
Where necessary, we partner with non-profits to raise funding and/or to provide digital resources for schools. These real-world literacies are useful for any grade K-16 and for any subject. These real-world literacies prepare youth for college and expose youth to a wider variety of market needs and entrepreneurial job opportunities.

What if?

What if school deepened student connections with their administrators, teachers, peers, families and communities?

Do you have students
What if in school students developed complex analyses regarding poverty, racism, homophobia, discrimination, bullying, and more?
What if in schools, students expanded their understandings of ethical decision-making and civic discourse?
  • who are amazing artists, musicians, film makers, and poets outside of school and who are prone to boredom in school?
  • who struggle to stay in school and are fighting hard not to give up?
  • who overcome life-threatening obstacles each and every day?
  • who don’t come to school?
  • who verbally and/or physically bully others and/or are bullied by others?



Our Solution: Ethnodrama
What if schools provided opportunities for students to become local, national, and international leaders?
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What is Ethnodrama?
Ethnodrama integrates drama with ethnography, the study of people and cultures. Through ethnodrama, students sustain in-depth and sophisticated research processes through which they become community leaders in ethical problem-solving. Through ethnodrama, youth design and pursue their own learning goals and assessments. Through ethnodrama, teachers learn how to integrate instructional designs that maximize both student passion and their language learning. 

Ethnodrama Student Testimonials

Teacher Testimonial
Students in a January 2016 ethnodrama after-school program explain their experiences with their individual research projects and their reactions to the community research and drama and film work. 
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"I’ve had student-led discussions before. Their [film producer and film participant] discussion offered a level of comfort for students to ask questions they would not have felt comfortable offering normally. And they were backing up their discussions with current events and an amazing amount of knowledge about race . . . There was a level of nurturing but also a level of correcting naïve conceptions regarding race, which are extremely prevalent… it was amazing to see so many white middle schoolers embracing a very vulnerable conversation. So it was awesome."

Ethnodrama: Youth Create Compelling Community Conversations

Student Leadership in Communities
  • Students engage in community-centered research
  • Students learn how to decode a variety of texts
  • Students write and publish in various formats
  • Students develop communication skills for engaging audiences with their research
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Student Film Producer Testimonial:
"I know there’s kids that have something to say but they really don’t get a chance to say it. Like hearing the stories that we heard today. I know there’s kids out there that really have a lot on their minds. Just to get it out to where we could listen to it, even though it’s a small number of people. But just expressing themselves. I’m really happy about that. I appreciate that, that they felt comfortable enough to listen to our story and then put out their own story to us."

Ethnodrama: Drama, Media, and Literacy Instructional Support

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Ethnodrama involves interdisciplinary teaching and learning that strengthens student reading comprehension and writing abilities. With ethnodrama, students encounter instruction centered in their questions, identities, cultures, and artistic and intellectual goals. Ethnodrama can serve as a school-wide inquiry for all subject areas, and it can be integrated into any content area.

Through ethnodrama, students become sophisticated interpreters of their worlds. They acquire powerful frameworks for civic discourse and socially just action. They become community leaders and competent language users in a wide variety of contexts. Ethnodrama is useful for any grade, k-16.

Fair Housing Conference
GCAA Ethnodrama Youth Performance
April 25, 2018, 8:30am-4pm
An overview of the latest 2017-2018 Ethnodrama After-School Program at Grand Center Arts Academy, including the first youth performance of their ethnodrama.

Literacy Integration

  • Do you teach a wide variety of language learners?

  • Would you like support with instructional designs that maximize student language learning in and through their reading, writing, and research?
 
  • Would you like support in developing instructional designs that maximize student abilities to write?
 
  • Would you like support in developing instructional designs that maximize student understandings of the complex features of many textual genres?

We draw upon a wide range of interactive instructional designs that maximize language, spelling, and grammar learning from start to finish.

We support you in designing real world learning opportunities that engage youth in becoming sophisticated and efficient researchers of an influx of information.

We help you innovate instructional designs that capitalize on the multicultural expertise of students.

Media Production Integration

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  • Does your school or organization have enough computers?

  • Do your computers have film editing software and graphic design software?

  • Do you need assistance with digital platforms that support students as researchers?

  • Do you need help with fundraising for these resources?











We help you work with or locate useful digital platforms, pursue grant and foundation funding, and integrate these platforms into your instruction.

We help you expand youth access to audiences within and outside of their immediate communities. We help you position youth as community leaders. 

Drama Integration

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  • Is bullying or fighting a problem in your school or classroom?

  • Do you need help with student attendance?

  • Do you have students who struggle with standardized tests?

  • Are you looking for more ways to inspire your students as readers, writers, and researchers?

  • Are you looking for more ways to improve school or classroom learning environments?









We custom design professional development in the form of workshops, in-school and after-school programs, and webinars that help you integrate inspirational and motivational interactive techniques into your instructional designs. We provide customized in-person or virtual webinars. Examples include:
  • explaining how ethnodramatic film-making works,
  • demonstrating and engaging educators in conversation about how to use digital platforms in conjunction with meaningful culturally responsive instruction,
  • helping you work towards organizational change.
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