Education Program
One of the most important aspects of our work is presenting
this story to high school, college and university students, highlighting the connections between our history and our lives today.
Ian Ruskin has performed a special version of “From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks” in high schools throughout California. It is designed to be performed within a single period and raises specific issues relevant to students’ lives, which can be explored in the dicussion following the play. The perfomance is supplemented by a student questionnaire, lesson plan and list of (California) Academic Standards addressed by the play.
These performances were made possible with generous grants from the Diane Middleton and Silicon Valley Community Foundations.
He has also performed at universities and for teacher’ organizations –
– the California Teachers Association
– the California Federation of Teachers
– United Teachers of Los Angeles
– the Los Angles College Faculty Guild
Please see the letters of recommendation.
You Can Help Get this Program off the Ground.
We are now seeking funding to develop a series of workshops for Community Colleges based on material in the play, the completed radio documentaries and the new programs “This Machine Kills Fascists” and “A Wild Woman Sings the Blues”
(see Project News).
These workshops can be run by Ian Ruskin or college staff, in conjunction with our play and documentaries or as stand-alone lessons.
They will focus on:
- History, Government and Mass Communication (threats to democracy, government responsibility vs citizens’ rights, and media as the Fourth Estate).
- Workers’ rights – for union and non union workers
- Writing a play/recording an oral history
- Music used to illuminate society and inspire social change
- The role of women in American music and social and political change
These workshops, lesson plans, etc. will be free and available to schools on our web site. We will actively encourage teachers to visit our site, learn about the Project, download the materials and arrange performances and workshops.