Lowell, MA. Lowell National Historical Park and Lowell Telecommunications Corporation (LTC) announce a new partnership project through a grant from the National Park Foundation. The project, “Lowell’s Young Producers", will provide the high school members of the River Ambassador Program with an opportunity to capture their experiences of living in Lowell and of attending high school in the midst of a national park. The grant funding is connected with the upcoming Ken Burns/Dayton Duncan film, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea", which is a co-production of PBS/WETA and Florentine Films. Projects were selected based on their ability to reach out to the community to use the national parks as living classrooms. "We appreciate this opportunity for Lowell students to discover Lowell National Historical Park and the whole National Park Service through the River Ambassador Program and LTC with inspiration from Ken Burns film making and 'The National Parks: America's Best Idea'," stated Michael Creasey, Park Superintendent.
Having grown up in the historic city of Lowell, students will have the opportunity to chronicle this national park area, Lowell National Historical Park from their own perspectives, while honing their storytelling skills and learning aspects of film and movie production. Beginning March 24th, Sambath Bo of LTC will be working with River Ambassadors Program students in “Lowell’s Young Producers."
Eleanor Pye, Executive Director at LTC is thrilled by the new program. “For over fifteen years, LTC's mission has been to empower the residents of Lowell with the technological skills to share their individual stories. Through its Youth Media Program, LTC is proud to partner with the Lowell National Historical Park on this exciting new project; an incredible experience for the participating youth to take a fresh look at their surroundings and to reflect upon how it affects their expanding worlds."
This September, the students will have the opportunity to showcase their work with a producers’ forum. Friends, family, and the public will be invited to attend a premiere of the completed programs. There will be opportunities to speak with the producers on their work in a forum after the screening. The forum timing will coincide with the release of The National Parks: America’s Best Idea to air on local PBS stations.
The film The National Parks: America’s Best Idea promises to be a cultural and educational vehicle for people to experience their national parks, to feel how very special they are, to see the majestic places, and to learn about the many people whose individual stories tell the stories of individual parks. As Ken Burns turns his talent as a storyteller and documentary filmmaker to the story of our national parks, it is sure to generate public awareness about these national treasures.
This project was made possible in part by a grant from the National Park Foundation through the generous support of the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund.
For more information, please contact Phil Lupsiewicz at Lowell National Historical Park at (978) 275-1705.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
