Artist Detail

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John Schaefer

Filmmaker - Photographer - UAC Teaching Artist - Visual Artist

About the artist:

John Schaefer, director/founder of the Children’s Media Workshop (www.mediadivide.org), is an artist, educator, community builder who uses innovative media experiences to created macro educational systems. His expertise in designing large-scale initiatives is informed by his grass roots authenticity. One day he is working on major systems (500,000 teachers +), the next he is in an inner city classroom giving cameras to kids while looking for a damn marker that has ink. He is a translator of concepts and experiences. > His photographs are being curated into the Library of Congress Master Photographers Collection > Designer of the Polaroid Education Program, the largest in-service teacher initiative in US History > over 550,000 teachers in hands-on workshops (1988 – 92), resulting in two White House invitations > Keynote speeches for among others the National PTA, National Art Educators Association, and International Schools In Africa and Europe. > Conducted the first real-time interactive video workshop with President George Bush Sr. and actress Jody Foster for 35,000 educators > Designed one of the first online courses, The Media Savvy Classroom, in conjunction with Columbia Teachers College > Nissan Hometown Hero Award winner on primetime network television, for community activism > Original member of the Sundance Institute and Film Festival > co-curator of the Temporary Museum of Permanent Change (www.museumofchange.org), an innovative downtown invigoration project > Director of Education for Choice Humanitarian, developing substantive 1st – 3rd World partnership experiences > Global Classroom ConnectED Project – interactive connectivity between US and Mexican schools