Dear TMS Community,

The Modern Story (TMS) is excited to announce its strategic plan for 2015. The plan will focus on expanding the impact of our signature programs, deepening and broadening partnerships, and building organizational capacity. In order to pursue these opportunities, we will not offer the 2015 TMS Teaching Fellowship. Instead, we will use the time normally devoted to the Fellowship to further plan, and execute the next chapter of The Modern Story.

Being involved, asking questions and responding

Over the past 8 years, TMS has developed original curriculum for youth media production and student-centered programming that is delivered through our signature Teaching Fellowship. Every year, TMS Teaching Fellows and partner educators become experts in the TMS curriculum and its culturally responsive pedagogy through TMS instructional workshops and online professional development modules. Since 2007, we have reached over 1,000 students, 45 teachers, 30 schools, and 22 Fellows with our programs. In doing so, we have amplified youth voices in the production of over 200 original films and multimedia projects.

The core of TMS is our curriculum and our Fellows who have brought youth media to life with their students. Moving forward, we will be reimagining and refining the TMS curriculum, instructional workshops, and Teaching Fellowship in order to reach a wider and more diverse audience of educators in India, the United States, and beyond.

Building upon our existing partnerships with American India Foundation, Adobe Youth Voices, Communities Rising, the Cordes Foundation, and Teach for India, TMS will work to deepen and expand the scope of our strategic partnerships in order to deliver the TMS educational experience to more students, schools, and communities.

As the founders and directors of TMS, we are humbled by the powerful contributions made by the TMS community to our collective work and impact. As we envision the future of TMS, we recognize the need to strengthen our leadership team. We will recruit dynamic and passionate leaders to drive the mission and vision of TMS in the years to come.

Imagine…
A student initiating a conversation about gender inequity in her community.
A teacher leading a workshop about building creative confidence in his students.
A Fellow deciding to pursue a career dedicated to social justice and global education.
A child asking, “how can I be a TMS Fellow?”

These are but a few examples of the moments that inspire us to continue this work. These moments serve as a reminder that The Modern Story is more than an organization. It is a movement. It is an unwavering belief in the power of self-expression to transform educational experiences, in the potential of every child to succeed, and in the difference that every educator can make in the lives of her students.

We are excited for this next chapter of The Modern Story to begin. We look forward to sharing it with you. Thank you to the TMS community for your ongoing support.

With gratitude,
Piya and Remy

tms@themodernstory.com