Dear Screen-L subscribers, I am running the Educational Outreach Program for Cinema/Chicago, the parent organization of the Chicago International Film Festival. Until now, our Outreach has largely consisted of bringing high school kids in to Festival Theaters for screenings of films and discussions with film directors. This works well, but it only occurs during the ten days of the Festival. My job is to make Outreach a year-round mandate and to open it up to alternate audiences. I am planning to do more with high schools, providing access to international films, teaching kids how to read and interpret films (media literacy), and offering films that relate to their experience. I am also planning to offer a series of workshops for high school teachers on "How to Teach Film" and "Using Film in the Classroom". In addition, I am starting a program for seniors and one for hearing-impaired adults, showing subtitled films and providing sign-language interpreters for discussions and all other speaking. I am interested in hearing from any of you about ideas you have or things you've tried in community-based outreach programs using films. I'd like to know, for instance, if you think it is best for an organization to recah more people or to have a more focussed relationship with a smaller crowd (in other words, should we offer special events for lots of high schools or adopt a few or focus on a single community center or juvenile program?) What do you think works best with seniors? Films combined with lectures and discussion? afternoon films? films from the country of origin of ethnic/immigrant seniors? films about seniors? I'd love to hear your ideas. Please contact me directly and I'll sum up the best ideas for the list. Thanks, Pam Robertson [log in to unmask] ---- To sign off SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]