Freedom Center Launches National Educational Video Program

Posted on September 12th, 2008 by Paul Bernish

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is rolling out a new “Underground Railroad Digital Media” brand to provide electronic access to its rich catalog of educational videos. The Freedom Center is partnering with SAFARI Montage, a K-12 Video-On-Demand and Digital Media Management solution provider, to distribute digital video content carrying this trademark.

The venture is the centerpiece of the Freedom Center’s strategy to move educational content about Underground Railroad subjects beyond the Cincinnati museum to students and teachers nationally — a potential audience of more than 80 million students from pre-school through graduate level study.”

Underground Railroad Digital Media enables the Freedom Center to engage learners around the globe in a critical dialogue about freedom. Technology, today, removes the boundaries that have characterized communities throughout history; we are truly citizens of a global community. This new brand is a linchpin of our efforts to be a leader in this community’s discussions and activity on freedom issues,” said Donald W. Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of the Freedom Center.

The Underground Railroad Digital Media project is being made available, in part, through the generous support of Ariel Capital Management, LLC, the Ford Foundation, and the General Mills Foundation.

SAFARI Montage will offer the Freedom Center’s video-based content (which correlate to state content standards) in four subject areas: American History, Global Issues, Civics, and Social Studies — all under the Underground Railroad Digital Media brand. Through SAFARI Montage, users can integrate the Freedom Center’s video content into playlists and multimedia lesson plans. Teacher’s guides supporting the use of this content in the classroom are included. Some of the programs available include:

- Freedom Heroes – profiles of everyday people who have done extraordinary things to create change and promote freedom at home and abroad

- Freedom Stations – programs that feature historic Underground Railroad sites in places like Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and New York and provide viewers with compelling information about the places and people and beliefs that were the Underground Railroad.

“This is a truly special gift to American school districts. We are pleased that the Freedom Center has chosen the SAFARI Montage system as the platform to deliver its stirring and thought-provoking content,” said Andrew Schlessinger, Founder and CEO, SAFARI Montage.

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