First Generation Documentary

As a part of First Generation College Student Appreciation week, I would like to invite you to watch First Generation, an award-winning documentary that chronicles the experiences of four first generation college students.

Click here to view the film. Read below for more information about the documentary.

An award-winning documentary narrated by Golden Globe nominee Blair Underwood, First Generation tells the story of four high school students – an inner city athlete, a small town waitress, a Samoan warrior dancer, and the daughter of migrant field workers – who set out to break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to their families and communities by pursuing a college education. Watch the 1-hour version here: https://youtu.be/72AWeUd_06k For more information please visit http://www.firstgenerationfilm.com Shot over the course of three years and featuring some of our nation’s top educational experts (Richard Kahlenberg, The Century Foundation; J.B. Schramm, College Summit; Dr. Bill Tierney, University of Southern California), the film explores the problem of college access faced by first generation and low-income students and how their success has major implications for the future of our nation. First Generation was directed and produced by Adam and Jaye Fenderson and made possible in part by Lumina Foundation for Education and GOAL 2025 whose mission is to increase the percentage of Americans with high quality degrees and credentials to 60% by 2025. The film was an official selection at film festivals across North America and had its world premiere at the Heartland Film Festival where it was nominated for a Crystal Heart Award. It won “Best Documentary” and “Best Soundtrack” at the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema, and a “Special Jury Award for Social Impact” at the Napa Valley Film Festival. First Generation has been embraced far and wide as a tool to spark the conversation about what it takes to increase the college-going and success rate for low-income and first generation students.