Scenarios USA Board Members
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Lucinda K. Treat, Chair
Rosario Dawson
Keven Duffy
Kristen
Joiner
Jason Klein
Doug Liman
Avram Ludwig
Daniel Politzer
Deborah Rogow
Adam Rosman
Alexandra Shapiro
Gilbert Zepeda
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Thanks to Our 2009 Supporters
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Abington Foundation
Access Industries
Peggy Ahn
Aids Global Action
Akil Productions
Chris Albers
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Edward J. Baines, Gary B. Eidelman and Francis X. Riley,
Saul Ewing LLP
Jeff and Melissa Berman
Fred Berner
Robert and Sandra Besch
David Blum and Terri Minsky
Robert and Jamie Blume
Barry Boss
Bowne &Co., Inc., Susan Cummiskey and Tanny Cheese
Mark and Jason Bradburn
Mae C. Bradshaw
Broadway Systems / Lenfest Media Group
Erika and Rus Brown
Eva L. and Joseph M. Bruening Foundation
Cablevision
Reuben Cannon, Reuben Cannon Productions
Suzanne and Alan Case
Stuart Cawthorn
Marica Chacona
Church & Dwight Co., Inc.
Adam and Suzanne Ciongoli
Maureen K. Clancy
Cleveland
Foundation
Colangelo Synergy Marketing
Corcoran Cares
Creative Artists Agency and Natalie Tran
Cuyahoga County District Board of Health
Adam Davidson
Margo F. Day
Jean de Segonzac
Del
Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finklestein & Lezcano
DeMatteo Monness
Lauren Shuler Donner
Craig Duff
Keven Duffy and Dr. Jeffrey W. Moses
Griffin
Dunne
EP Dine, Inc.
Eastman Kodak Company
Educational Foundation of America
David Ellen
Madeline Ettin and David Israel
Mark Evans and Barbara Sena Mensch
F Studio, Mayra Segovia
Michael Feldman
Milton and Gertrude Fiebach
First Independent Pictures
Tom Fontana
Tom and Carin Forman
Ford Foundation
Fox Searchlight Pictures
David Frankel and Jennifer Beber
Howard Ganz, Proskauer Rose LLP
General Electric Company
The Generous Children at the Kramer Seder
Jeffrey Glass
Robert and Sheri Gold
Dr. William and Marcie Gomez
Alan Grodin and Weissmann, Wolff, Bergman, Coleman, Grodin
& Evall, LLP
Catherine Gund
George Gund Foundation
Kristin Hahn, Echo Films
Hand Baldachin & Amburgey LLP
Elizabeth & Matthew Hansel
Kate & Sandy Haviland
HBO
John Hoffman
Ted Hope
Nicole Israel
Sheila Jaffe
Laurie and Brian Joiner
K&L Gates LLP
Kaplan Thaler Group
Leslie Larson Katz and Don Katz
Kauff McGuire & Margolis LLP
Sharon Kay
Jason Klein
Roy and Marla Klein
David Klipp
David Kramer and Stacy Kramer
Elaine Kramer
Layla, Alayne Patrick
Mei Lin Kwan-Gett
Francine LeFrak, LeFrak Productions
The Levy-Westhead Family
The Liman Foundation
Lisa and Lewis Liman
Lisel Loy and Martin Moe
Susan Lyne
Roman Mackiewicz
Stuart Macphee
mad.house
Magnolia Mae Films
Major League Baseball
Susan Margolin
Marie-Lise Lachapelle Jewelry
Clara Markowicz
Ali A. Marsh
Randy Mastro and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Sherman and Christopher Meloni
Miami-Dade Office of Film & Entertainment
Rebecca Michelman and James Kosakow
Deborah & Jeffrey Moelis
Edward S. Moore Foundation
Moriah Fund
Stacy Morrison
Mount Sinai Health Care Foundation
Sharon Nelles and Scott Sager
Jonathan Nesbit and Andrea V. Nesbit
New England Sports Network
New Video Group, Susan Margolin and Gem Benedict
Scott Newman
Nick Wechsler Productions
Nixon Peabody LLP
Joey O'Loughlin
Pace Sports LLC
Kimberly Nash Patchen
Joe Pichirallo
Dan Politzer and
Katie Lemire
Polo Ralph Lauren
Population Council, Deborah Rogow, Nicole Haberland and Eva
Roca
Jord Poster
Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications, Inc.
Reavis Parent Lehrer LLP
Reed Foundation
Doug and Jean Renfield-Miller
Amy Richards
Deborah Rogow
Lisa Rothblum, Major, Lindsey + Africa
Adam L. Rosman
Syrille Rosman and N. Paul Rosman M.D.
Frank Ryan, Nixon Peabody LLP
William Sage
Julie Salamon and Bill Abrams
Sarafa Law LLC
Stephanie Savage
Edward Saxon
Michael and Laurie Schur
Elizabeth Scott
Seaport Flowers, Amy Gardella
Alexandra Shapiro
and Adam Aron
Brenda Shapiro
Matthew Shapiro
Robin Shanus and Stephen Merkel
Alli Shearmur
Michael N. Sheetz, Nixon Peabody LLP
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter, and Hampton, LLP
Showtime Networks Inc.
Sigerson Morrison, Miranda Morrison
Signiant Inc.
Richard and Ludmila Sobel
Thomas M. Sobol
Josh & Geula Solomon
Scott Spector
Denise Stabenau
Starting Point
Norman Steinberg
David W. Sussman
Ayaka Suzuki
Taproot Foundation
Mike Tollin, Tollin Productions
Timothy Tramble
Lucinda K. Treat
Jonathan Venison
Michael Wadman
Helen Wadman
Donna & Andy Wasserman
Kathy Weller
Wellspring Foundation
Teddy Werner
William
Morris Agency
Kate Winn
Philip and Ludmila Winters
Mary Wohlford Foundation
Gregory Bork Wong
Jane and Paul Wolansky
Michael Young
Rachel Zabar
Marc Zwillinger
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Contact
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Please contact Victoria Westhead with any questions or comments.
victoria@scenariosusa.org
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Letter from the Executive Director
Ten years ago, Kristen Joiner and I founded Scenarios USA
based on the premise that by valuing youth and listening to their
opinions, we could have an impact on promoting healthy relationships and
lowering the rate of HIV, STDs and pregnancy among teens.
The more we listened, the more we found that young
people's sense of who they are and how
they think they are supposed to behave
directly affects their decisions and resulting health outcomes.
Today, the Scenarios USA "What's the REAL
DEAL?" program
gets to the root dynamics of young people's decision making by having them
discuss and reflect on who they are as an individual, as part of a group, and
as a member of society. It empowers
youth to shake free from negative stereotypes and diminished expectations and
make independent, informed decisions regarding their relationships and
health. At the same time, we are making
school fun and relevant by connecting students' learning with their real
worlds.
In this newsletter, you will find out more about our newly launched 2009-2011
REAL DEAL program cycle, read the story of one young woman's powerful Scenarios
USA experience, and meet some of our key funders and partners who are helping
to advance our mission.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or ideas
you have, as we continually look to strengthen our program and our
communications.
My deepest thanks for your continued support of Scenarios
USA.
Maura Minsky
Executive Director
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The Ford Foundation: A Visionary Partner
It's no secret that the Ford Foundation is a major force in
the philanthropic world. Yet as
established as its legacy is, Ford is also remarkably cutting edge. They made a visionary investment in Scenarios
USA early on when we were a fledgling organization working in just a handful of
classrooms. Since then, we have
benefited not only from their financial support, but also from a wellspring of
knowledge, ideas, and insight offered by their program staff and many other
thought leaders to whom they have introduced us.
During the last few years, our partners at Ford, including Alison
Bernstein, Margaret Hempel, Cyrus Driver, and Dorinda Welle have asked
us "the hard questions," pushing us to think about how our work and findings
can inform and leverage the work of other organizations in the health and
education fields. They have created
opportunities for our staff and evaluators to connect our ideas and strategies
with those of educators, researchers, healthcare professionals, and
advocates. In this way, the Ford
Foundation has enabled Scenarios USA to play a magnified role in a national
movement towards making comprehensive sexuality education integral to a
high-quality education.
"Scenarios USA is one of the first organizations to
evaluate the educational outcomes of sexuality and gender-focused curriculum in
public schools. Especially where
students have been denied access to a high-quality education, Scenarios USA
makes a new story possible: one about
the possibility to think critically about gender and sexuality stereotypes, and
the deep capacity of students and teachers to transform learning and the
learning environment into a meaningful and supportive experience."
- Dorinda
Welle, Program Officer, Sexuality and Reproductive Health and Rights Unit, the
Ford Foundation.
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Telling Our Own Story:The Taproot Foundation
 As
we celebrate our 10th anniversary, the staff
and board of Scenarios USA have been thinking about how to retain the
pioneering spirit of a feisty start-up organization, incorporate what
we have learned into
our programming going forward, and expand our reputation as a
sustainable,
impactful organization over the long term.
To help position ourselves for the future, Scenarios USA applied for a
grant from the Taproot Foundation to work with us to develop and
effectively
communicate the story of who we are, what we do, and why it is
distinctly
important.
Unlike traditional foundations that make cash grants, the Taproot
Foundation makes grants of high-quality consulting services. Each service grant is executed by a team of
professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to help non-profit
organizations.
Scenarios USA had the pleasure of working with talented and dedicated
experts, led by Allison Gubala and John Rollo, on a project to
strengthen our Key Messaging and Brand Strategy. The team worked with Scenarios staff and
board members and interviewed a dozen of our supporters and colleagues to help
us discern our most important organizational attributes. They then crafted messages that convey the
current direction of our work to our various target audiences. Some of the central themes they identified are
that Scenarios USA:
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Provides educators with a proven way to guide students through
complicated issues
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Empowers students to explore issues of sexuality, gender, society and identity
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Strengthens students' critical thinking skills
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Engages students in underserved communities who might
otherwise
have little interest in academic performance
Many thanks to our wonderful Taproot volunteers for helping
us to explore the best way to tell our story.
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Scenarios USA Welcomes a New Board Member
Alexandra Shapiro
is channeling her energy and entertainment industry experience to make a
difference in the lives of underserved youth.
After attending the 2008 Scenarios USA REAL DEAL Film Premiere,
Alexandra, who is Senior Vice
President, Brand Marketing and Digital, for USA Network, became an
active supporter of the organization. She remembers, "I was so inspired by the caliber of the films at the
screening - and even more so by the palpable impact the organization had on the
self esteem and aspirations of the young people who had participated in the
Scenarios USA program."
This year, Scenarios USA was delighted to welcome Alexandra
as a new member of our Board of Directors.
With her corporate media background and marketing expertise, as well as
tremendous passion for the Scenarios USA mission, Alexandra feels that
Scenarios USA is a great fit for her.
"To be able to translate my professional experience to a nonprofit
organization that has such a powerful social benefit is exciting and
rewarding."
Alexandra sees tremendous potential for growth, and she wants
to help Scenarios USA reach even more underserved youth with its programming in
the future. "I want to help Maura and her team to continue and expand on the efforts
they've worked tirelessly on for the last 10 years. They lead by example - they are as inspiring
as the students are." Self promotion is
good, she says, and necessary to attract potential donors, partners, and
participants, and Scenarios has a great story to tell.
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A Courageous Voice
Hello,
I'm Mariella Zavala.
I'm from Pharr, Texas, which is in the Rio Grande Valley, just a few
miles from the Mexico border. I participated in the Scenarios USA
2007-08 "What's the REAL DEAL About
Masculinity?" program in my high school Drama class. I wrote a winning
story for that year's REAL DEAL national scriptwriting contest, and my
story became the Scenarios USA film
Bitter Memories.
I wrote about domestic violence because there is a certain
definition of masculinity that is used to justify disrespect and control over women.
I wanted to write a story about how difficult it is to break this cycle.
I've seen cycles of men dominating women repeat through
generations-by my friends' parents, by people in my community, and even some of
my own family. I've even heard women take
the side of their abuser. I wanted to
expose something people would rather deny than admit.
Through the process of turning my writing into a film, I
learned to have confidence in my opinions because they are valid - and they are
valued by others. And I learned that
film has the power to put a mirror in front of people. It might be their story, and seeing it
portrayed in a film, they may feel more power over the choices
they make in
life.
Scenarios USA gave me so many opportunities I never dreamed
I would have, including working with a Hollywood filmmaker, premiering my film in
New York City and here in Texas, and becoming an outspoken advocate on a hidden
issue that threatens so many in my community.
And I'm just getting started.
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REAL DEAL Contest is Underway
We have just launched our
2009-10 What's the REAL DEAL about Masculinity? story, play and
scriptwriting contest. We would like to invite you to join our Selection
Committee to help choose the three stories which will be made into the
next Scenarios USA films. If you agree to participate, you will be
emailed 10 short submissions written by students towards the beginning of
January. You can read them in the comfort of your own home and
send us your rankings.
Please consider joining the
Selection Committee and find out what teens are thinking about in New York,
Cleveland and Texas!
The deadline for joining is November
30th, so
if you are interested, sign up by following the link below. And please
pass this on to friends, family and colleagues. Anyone can participate
who is at least twelve years old.
Join us at: http://scenariosusa.org/getinvolved/selection.html
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Teachers Train for REAL DEAL Program in New York, Ohio and Texas
Scenarios USA kicked off its 2009-2011 REAL DEAL program
cycle with a series of teacher training workshops attended by almost 300 educators
from 115 schools and 25 community-based organizations in New York City,
Cleveland, Ohio, and Southwest Texas.
Scenarios
USA encourages the teachers who implement our program to make the
standards-based curriculum their own by adapting the activities to best
meet the needs of their students. At our workshops,
we discuss how to make their classroom a safe space for students to
express
their ideas and opinions, why the topic of gender gets to the heart of
important matters such as identity and self-perception, and ways to
incorporate the lessons into Language
Arts, Social Studies, Health, and Drama classes. We give the
educators the chance to model
activities from the Scenarios USA curriculum and strategize
implementation of the curriculum with their colleagues.
Scenarios USA staff will provide ongoing support and
guidance to teachers as the school year progresses, and we will encourage them
to submit their students' stories to our national REAL DEAL scriptwriting
contest. In December, the Selection Committee will begin
reviewing contest submissions, and in early 2010, we will announce the winners
from each region, whose stories will be made into films.
With
a newly revised curriculum and more teachers than ever
committed to working with us, Scenarios USA is anticipating an
incredible quality of submissions and a great new crop of youth-written
films to follow.
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Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!
- The Scenarious USA Team
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