Stories and lessons for growing minds

We are a free multimedia platform for educators and students. Through our immersive storytelling and curricula, we explore the deeper issues facing humanity. Use our award-winning films, photo essays, and essays to learn about social, cultural, and environmental issues from people and communities worldwide. For grades 3-12, our stories and lessons encourage students to broaden their perspectives and worldviews while fostering inquiry, empathy, resilience, and a sacred relationship to our planet. We aim to bring universal values into the lives of educators and students.

Experience Our Storytelling

Watch this short video to learn more about the stories we tell.

Epping Forest
Student Contest
The Spirit of Reciprocity: A Student Photography and Original Illustration Contest

In this contest, students will take a photograph or create an original illustration that reflects the spirit of reciprocity and kinship with the living world. 

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Essay
The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance

As Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy.

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Original illustration from the Yiddish folktale “Sara Chana at the Tip of the Church Tower.
Lesson Plan
Grade Level: 6-8
The Importance of Embracing Questions

Students read quotes from an essay by Rabbi Dr. Ariel Burger, “Learning and Teaching from the Heart in Troubled Times.”

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Film
Cocoon

Students share their perspectives during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

by Andrew Hinton
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Essay Five Habits to Heal the Heart of Democracy

Parker Palmer presents qualities of citizenship that are essential for sustaining democracy in troubled times.

by Parker Palmer
Lesson Plans
Elementary School Middle School High School
Lesson Plans
Elementary School Middle School High School

Resources to Celebrate National Poetry Month

Essay
Rivers and Stories

Learn more about the cultural history and health of rivers around the world.

by Robert Hass
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Essay
Speaking of Nature

This essay explores and affirms our kinship with the natural world.

by Robin Wall Kimmerer
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Film
Laugh Clown Laugh

A portrait of Berlin based clown Reinhard "Filou" Horstkotte explores poetics of performance, laughter and spontaneity. 

by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee
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Sign up or log in to save your favorite stories and lessons, create custom collections, and share with others.

Student Voice

Through photography, students document their unique and powerful perspectives during the global shelter in place orders amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Student photo contest winner. Paseo de la Reform.
Paseo de la Reforma

The film Earthrise made me realize that from another point of view, humanity is insignificant compared to the planet Earth. I wanted to take a picture showing humanity’s connection to nature.

Iñaki Ramos (age 15) - Mexico City, Mexico

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Upcoming Events

Earthrise – A Special Screening in Honor of Earth Week

In honor of Earth Week, join Emergence Magazine on Sunday, April 18th from 6-7pm PST for a special screening of the Emmy-nominated film Earthrise, followed by a conversation with director Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee. Earthrise tells the story of the first image of the Earth from space, captured in 1968. Told solely by the Apollo 8 astronauts, the film recounts their experiences and memories and explores the beauty, awe, and grandeur of the Earth against the blackness of space. Registration is required and donations to our local co-sponsors at the Dance Palace (Point Reyes Station, CA) are encouraged. 


 

Composer Curriculum Design Webinar: Environmental Citizenship

Join us on Thursday, April 29th at 3pm PST for a webinar with our partner Composer. Along with organizations High Resolves, Voiceless, and World Savvy, we will share ways to empower students to foster environmental citizenship with curriculum design ideas and inspiring resources.

Who Is Using Our Materials

Our materials provide opportunities for an interdisciplinary approach to learning across disciplines from social sciences and humanities to environmental sciences. Education stakeholders, including K-12 educators, university professors, librarians, tech/media specialists, parents, and students are using our materials in multiple learning environments.

Watch Anytime, Anywhere

Watch our films on your phone, tablet, or connected TV.
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