Austin’s South by Southwest starts in just a couple of days on the 11th, but the SXSW Edu has already begun. A film that is part of it is Thomas Morgan’s documentary Tomorrow’s Hope. It is a short film at 44 minutes long but it says a lot. A film which follows the journeys of three graduates from the Educare School to their graduation and afterward.
Told from their perspective, we see how important good early education is. How big of a difference it can make in a person’s life. The film has a subtitle which is The Promise of Early Childhood Education so that is definitely the slant here.
The education story does not happen in just any environment. This is about the Chicago projects and how a strong educational beginning is probably even more important to the kids growing up there. How they need that little extra help to hope for an equal footing in life. The Educare School has helped young people thrive despite the challenges. That they can offer these young people a way out of the poverty they are mired in and that way out is through education. Not only the typical type of education but how to navigate in this world.
We follow Crystal, Jamal and Jalen and their stories in regards to Educare and where they are going after leaving the school. They come from a place where violence and crime are a daily reality. They have all lost friends and family members to violence. Educare has put them on the right path for success in the future. Through their eyes, we see that it is a group effort to educate a child. It is their families – whether a unit or a single parent – and the passionate educators at Educare. These teachers bring plenty to their students. Things beyond stereotypical education. Beyond books to things that help shape and guide the people they will become. Still, hope is there in the form of the three young people. They are incredible young people who have come through a lot and all have bright futures – in education and in life.