Our mission

Scenarios USA uses writing and film to foster youth leadership, advocacy and self-expression in students across the country with a focus on marginalized communities.

We are built on the belief that by valuing youth and listening to their opinions, we can promote healthy relationships and empower a new generation of engaged citizens.

What we do

Scenarios USA believes that by valuing youth and their stories, we strengthen academic achievement, promote civic engagement and support young people in becoming engaged citizens and healthy individuals.

The REAL DEAL Programs
REAL DEAL EDUCATION
Each year, hundreds of educators attend our REAL DEAL professional development workshops to learn how to implement the student-centered, standards-based REAL DEAL curriculum into their classrooms and community organizations.

REAL DEAL FILMS
Thousands of students who go through the REAL DEAL curriculum submit stories to the REAL DEAL writing contest. Stories are chosen, and the young writers are partnered with acclaimed Hollywood filmmakers to transform the stories into short films for national distribution. Learn more about the REAL DEAL Films.

REAL DEAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP & ENGAGEMENT
Our work extends beyond the classroom and film set into intensive youth development and advocacy projects. Through these projects, we infuse arts and media into youth’s everyday lives and engage them in advocacy, public speaking opportunities, and after-school activities.

Scenarios USA grew from two classrooms of 50 students to engage over 100,000 students in our REAL DEAL program in our first decade. Students have responded with an outpouring of their stories – dramatic, comic, and sometimes tragic. Those stories have gone on to engage award-winning screenwriters and movie directors who have collaborated with the young writers to produce a growing library of films.

The REAL DEAL films get seen by an estimated 20 million a year in classrooms with lesson plans in all 50 states; they have aired on Showtime, BET, mun2, MTV, Oxygen, NYC Media’s Channel 25 and numerous cable access stations.