If you attended public school, you may have forgotten that there are many different kinds of schools out there educating students in a variety of different ways. Take a look at some of these unusual schools, and see how they touch the lives of their students.
“Boys of Baraka” (2005)
Twenty “at risk” 12-year-old boys from the tough streets of inner-city Baltimore leave home to attend Baraka, an experimental boarding school located in Kenya, East Africa. Here, these brave kids begin the daunting journey towards putting their lives on a fresh path. This documentary was directed by award-winning filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady.
“Paper Tigers” (2015)
Following six students over the course of a school year, we see Lincoln Alternative High School staff try a new approach to discipline: one based on understanding and treatment, rather than judgment and suspension. Paper Tigers shows how caring adults can help break the cycle of adversity in a young person’s life.
“Eyes of Me” (2009)
This documentary captures the stories of four teenagers at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, a residential high school in Austin, Texas. The film follows their high school experiences of dating, academic responsibilities, fitting in, family problems and preparing for college over the course of one dynamic year.
