“Yellow Brick” Carpet Premiere New Wizard of Oz Film Written, Scored and Produced Entirely by Middle School Students

WHO:

Dozens of middle-school students from 17 different school districts will assemble on the “yellow brick carpet” for theatrical premiere on May 23

WHY:

Students explore themes of conservation, practical things people can do to impact climate change

WHAT:

Students introduced scenes around topics such as rebuilding communities for fire resistance, regenerative farming, dealing with elected officials, and effective tools for water reclamation. (see full chart of each district’s thematic scenes below).

IN TRIBUTE TO 143 DAY:

Audience will begin program with a sing-along to “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” to honor Mister Rogers on 143 Day

VIDEO: Students discussing the film

BACKGROUND:

On May 23rd at 10:30 AM, dozens of students from across Pittsburgh will walk the red carpet — or more specifically, the Yellow Brick Road — at the premiere of Finding Stories of Wonder in the Land of Oz, a new animated feature film created entirely by Pittsburgh students. The film was written, acted, animated, and scored by students from 17 Pittsburgh-area districts, many of whom will be in attendance with their families to celebrate their creative achievement.

Finding Stories of Wonder in the Land of Oz is a modern retelling of Dorothy’s journey, this time as she navigates the emotional difficulties of graduating from an elementary school to a STEM middle school. Along the way, Dorothy and her friends develop innovative solutions to serious environmental problems in Oz that are based on real-life science and cutting-edge technology. The film’s premiere will be introduced by Wonder Media founder Terry Thoren, one of the world’s leading champions of animation as both an art form and a tool for helping children overcome trauma. Thoren is also the founder of Animation Magazine and the Denver Film Festival, and previously served as the CEO of Klasky Csupo, the production company that incubated the Simpsons and created the Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, Rocket Power and more. After its premiere, Finding Stories of Wonder in the Land of Oz will be made available to stream in schools across the U.S. on Wonder Media’s WonderGrove Kids channel on YouTube.

Finding Stories of Wonder in the Land of Oz is supported by a grant from The Grable Foundation and will debut on the final day of Remake Learning Days, an international festival of teaching and learning that began in Pittsburgh 10 years ago. “We’re celebrating the tenth anniversary of Remake Learning Days this year — a whole decade of events that spark wonder, creativity, collaboration, and more,” said Gregg Behr, executive director of The Grable Foundation and co-chair of Remake Learning. The festival, he adds, was inspired in part by the work of Fred Rogers, a Western Pennsylvania native and a pioneer in children’s media. “What better way to close this milestone festival than with media created for kids, by kids — all of whom live in Mister Rogers’ real-life neighborhood?”

PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS AND SCENE CONTRIBUTIONS:

Beaver Area	Munchkinland	Climate Change Adaptation (Drought)	Water conservation through responsible water play, responsible bathroom habits (using a water cup when brushing teeth, turning off faucet), discussing what other measures can be taken with members of your community.
Fox Chapel	Munchkinland	Climate Change Adaptation (Fire)	Rebuilding with fire resistance in mind using fire resistant home materials, fire breaks, defensible space, water conservation to keep homes safe, looking out for your neighborhood and community to stay safe
Deer Lakes	Forest	Conservation & Restoration	Creating awareness through social media and community outreach in order to teach people about respecting the forest and its animal inhabitants
New Castle	Forest	Engagement In Research & Innovation	Replanting on an individual level, planting faster growing trees, and garnering community awareness to both educate, encourage more planting, and to keep loggers out of replanting areas
Shaler Area	Jungle	Conservation & Restoration	Sharing education about what we stand to lose in the destruction of jungle environments, using less paper, and donating to organizations devoted to restoring the jungle
Elizabeth Forward	Jungle	Engage In Research & Innovation	Using drones to plant thousands of trees in a shorter period of time than doing it by hand or with other machines. Planting shade grown crops under the trees once the trees have grown.
Keystone Oaks	Farmland & Plains	Climate Change Adaptation (Drought)	Responsible water use with quick showers, turning off faucets, not wasting drinking water, water reclamation with rain barrels, repurposing graywater to water plants. Garnering awareness and participation in water conservation efforts by incentivizing it
Ridley	Farmland & Plains	Sustainable Farming For Conservation	Regenerative farming by prioritizing soil health to create a thriving ecosystem. Using compost to minimize waste and create rich organic fertilizer to help plants thrive and beekeeping. Encouraging backyward composting and planting pollinator friendly spaces.
Avonworth	Farmland & Plains	Buy Local and Seasonal Products	Encouraging farmer’s market patronage instead of big box stores to support local ecosystems, agriculture, and farmers using sustainable processes to help the environment. Creating a club at school to encourage and educate young people about buying local.
Blackhawk	Farmland & Plains	Engage in Research and Innovation	Learning from local farmers to learn processes like crop rotation and composting that you can mimic in your own backyard to help your environment
Allentown	Hills and Waterways	Water Contamination: Industrial Pollution	Partipating in trash retrieval and sorting in and around your local waterways in order to make water sources safer. Creating new tools to help make the process more accessible an efficient.
South Allegheny	Hills and Waterways	Water Contamination: Controlling Runoff	Using tools like rain barrels, rain gardens, and green roofs for water reclamation and controlling harmful runoff from entering local waterways. Cleaning storm drains so that they can carry runoff away properly.
Carlynton	Hills and Waterways	Water Conservation: Water Use	Investigating repairs needed local for better water use, alerting the necessary local authorities to encourage repair, and educating your community about water conservation skills to use both during repairs and after
Cornell	Hills and Waterways	Restore Riparian Zones	Participating in local efforts to clean up trash and other contaminants from areas of land that directly impact the health of local waterways, respecting those habitats to make them safer for humans and animals.
Big Spring	Emerald City	Waste Management	Addressing city trash build up by working together to clean up areas where trash is negatively affecting the quality of life for humans, animals, and city waterways
Pottsville	Emerald City	Community Engagement & Education	Recognizing when local officials are speaking about your city in a way that doesn’t reflect reality in order to stay aware of necessary changes that impact the health of city life. Learning about ways to improve the air and minimize pollution by using public transportation, electric vehicles, and controlling trash/recycling processes.
Ephrata	Emerald City	Community Engagement & Education	Collaborating with your fellow community members and neighbors to recognize and create beauty in your city in order improve quality of life for everyone who lives there. Painting a mural that honors the community and contains a QR code that leads viewers to important community resources.