Classroom Programs

We bring True West’s innovative media arts programs into classrooms of partner schools and organizations throughout Sonoma County. Designed according to California standards, our curriculum aligns with the learning objectives and standards for each grade, and we collaborate with teachers and partners to integrate media arts most effectively into their students’ overall academic journey.

Teaching Philosophy

True West curriculum adopts an intersectional feminist approach, recognizing that everyone holds multiple, intersecting identities which lead to varying degrees of privilege and oppression. Through film analysis and group discussions, students explore these dimensions of power and how they play out in everyday life. We encourage students and teachers to embrace any discomfort that may result from this approach as a sign of learning and growth.

We select films and images that allow as many students as possible to see complex representations of themselves, and simultaneously encourage comparison between their own experiences and those depicted in a particular film. As students develop their voices and gain confidence in the value of their own stories, we also explore the specific tools that directors use to craft story, character, and imagery. These building blocks equip students with technical knowledge and critical thinking skills, providing them with the ability to make informed decisions about the media they choose to consume.

True West Film Center Educational Programs are supported in part by these funders:

 
National Endowment for the Arts
Creative Sonoma
California Arts Council
Sonoma County Vintners
Community Foundation Sonoma County
CARE Foundation
BeastGrip
FiLMiC Pro
 

Preston Addison & Wendy Conner
Dale & Ann Amtower
Jerry Anderson
Carol Beattie
Kimberly Bender
Tyra Benoit
Steve Bernard
Rachel Brass & Richard D. Foster
Naomi Brilliant
Carrie Brown
Susan Campbell & John McKinney
Susan & William Cary
Church of the Good Shepherd
Tony Crabb & Barbara Grasseschi
Patricia Dahl
Joseph & Sandra Dobbins
Lance & Sarah Dublin
Tanya Dublin
Kerry & Andrew Elkind
Ann Elston & Larry Lossing
Barbara Epstein
Judy Fujita
Rick & Jenny Gomez
Tom Halliday
Neena & Val Hanchett
Alex & Leah Harris
Adrienne Heinz & Barrett Elmer
Patrick Houston
Natalia & Kristina Jaramillo González
Ozzy Jiminez
Hillary & Michael Kambour
Jeanne & Stephen Kearns
Janen & Buzz Korth
Laura Kramer
Tim & Terry Leach
Elizabeth Loebel
Ann Mackenzie & Jack Cortwright
Kristen Madsen & Robb Senn
Susannah Malek
Ingrid Maltrud
Maureen McCalla
Chris McKenna
Winky & David Merrill
Carl Milfeit & Mary Fitzgerald
The Miner Anderson Family Foundation
John and Em Minor
Heather Murray
Turner Newton & Annie Himmelstein
Sharon & Jim Olson
Gary Passarino
Debbie & Mike Potmesil
Phyllis Rosenfield
Peter Rosson & David Barrett
Randall Schai & Sarah Miller
Yvonne Schell & Steve Kent
Jeffrey Schlesinger & Isis Moussa
Wendy & Bob Singley
Conrad Smart
Alex Threlfall
Mike Traina
Dianne & Mark Vernon
Marshall Vincent
Angie Wachholz
Jade Weymouth
Jenny Wilson
Faith Wilson-Grove
Jee & Alex Wipperfurth

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