A DOCUMENTARY SERIES
& PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
CAMPAIGN
LINKING EARLY CHILD
HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT TO
A HEALTHIER, MORE PROSPEROUS
AND MORE EQUITABLE AMERICA
Major Funding
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The California Endowment
U.S. Centers for Disease Control
Additional Funding
Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN Foundation
The Raising of America
2014 Video Release and National PBS Broadcast TBD
 A 6-part Documentary Series
How a strong start for all our kids leads not only to
better individual outcomes, but also a healthier,
more prosperous and equitable America.
 A National Public Engagement
Campaign
To reframe the debate about what we as a society
can—and should—do to ensure every infant a
strong start.
 A Companion Website
With interactives, discussion guides, action toolkits
and other resources
Strong Children  Strong Communities
Strong starts yield strong communities BUT equitable
communities and nations are vital to strong starts
THE DOCUMENTARY SERIES
 Opening 60’ episode:
THE RAISING OF AMERICA: Early Childhood and the
Future of Our Nation
 + Five 30 min. episodes:
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ARE WE CRAZY ABOUT OUR KIDS? The Cost/Benefit Equation *
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DNA IS NOT DESTINY: How the Outside Gets Under the Skin
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ONCE UPON A TIME: When Childcare for All Wasn’t Just a Fairytale *
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STRESSING OUT THE POOR? Building Community Resilience
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WOUNDED PLACES: Confronting Childhood PTSD in America’s
Shell-Shocked Cities *
* Work-in-progress cut available for preview
The Public Engagement Campaign:
Using the series as a tool
to change the conversation
The Campaign will help educators, providers,
advocates, organizers, public officials and
community members use the documentary series
and online tools to build the vision and
groundwork for bold and transformative
childhood policy and systems changes needed to
provide all infants a strong start.
Widening the Lens (1)
Old Habits of Thinking
The Emerging Story
 Infants don’t remember
 The period of our most complex
and formative learning
 Success / failure shaped by
parental “choices
 Poverty reflects a moral deficit
or ‘lack
 Failure due to dysfunc-tional
racial cultures
 Growing inequalities constrain
or enhance what parents can do
 Poverty a consequence of
exploitation
 Racialized opportunity
structures & social exclusion
Widening the Lens (2)
Old Habits of Thinking
The Emerging Story
 Development takes place within
 Families are situated within
a ‘family bubble’
nested social ecologies
 Impairment (‘bad’ kids)
 Adaptation (injured kids)
 Prenatal care
 Life-course approach
 ‘Their’ kids
 ‘Our’ kids
 This is just how things are
 All policies are child
development policies
Using vs. Watching
 Advance dialogue within child health and development
circles
 Build cross-sectoral alliances with stakeholders from other
sectors (e.g. racial justice, business, the religious
community, affordable housing and community
development, corrections, regional equity, etc.)
 Spotlight promising practices, innovative projects and
progressive initiatives
 Engage community voices—across the board
 Hold elected officials and the policy community
accountable to families with young children
200+ Campaign Partners
 American Academy of Pediatrics
 Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
 Boston Public Health Commission & CityMatCH
 California State Libraries & For Our Babies
Campaign
 Center for the Study of Social Policy
Official Companion Website
Coming Fall 2014
Get Involved
 Stay informed: eNewsletter & Facebook
 Join the ConnectUp Database
 Sign up as a Campaign Partner
 Create your own outreach strategy
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Work-in-progress screenings (Now– Aug)
Sneak Preview Launch Events (Sept – Nov)
Screening events (November onward)
PBS Broadcast & Twitter Launch Party (TBD)
Work-in-progress Screenings
Now - August
Available clips and episodes to preview:
 The Raising of America 11-minute Preview
 Are We Crazy About Our Kids?
 Once Upon a Time
 Wounded Places
Contact: info@raisingofamerica.org
Sneak Preview Launch Events
September - November
 Show the Opening hour-long episode followed by a panel of
local leaders and experts to promote meaningful
conversation and local action to improve conditions of
families with young children
 Large events (250–750+ people) that bring together a
diverse audience (community members, advocates,
policymakers, educators, practitioners, researchers and
more) across a range of sectors—early childhood, health,
education, business, government, etc.
 Contact: Rachel Poulain, RP@newsreel.org
Campaign Screenings
 November onward!
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Internally; Workshops; Conferences
Dialogue and mobilize partners and allies
Build new alliances
Town hall meetings & Public events
Media engagement
Local PBS Station
 Before you begin: Using vs. Watching
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Internal consensus
Clear goals and objectives that fit your audience(s)
Opportunities for action
The success of The Raising of America
will ultimately be measured by how effectively
it can be used to intervene in public debate
and advance the efforts of organizations that
h a v e l o n g w o r k e d t o t a c k l e i n e q u i ti e s a n d
benefit all children in the U.S.
How can your foundation use the series?
Produced by: California Newsreel with Vital Pictures
Video Release Fall 2014 and PBS Broadcast TBD
www.RaisingofAmerica.org
www.facebook.com/raisingofamerica
Larry Adelman
Project Director & Executive Producer
LA@newsreel.org
Rachel Poulain, MPH
Director of Public Engagement &
Associate Producer
RP@newsreel.org