The Documentary: Thriving in Public Schools
Thriving in Public Schools: A Story of Organizing, Action, and the Power of Education
Thriving in Public Schools is a feature documentary that tells the extraordinary true story of how students and educators in Racine, Wisconsin transformed their classrooms into engines of community power.
Inspired by the acclaimed book Thriving in a Public School by longtime educator Al Levie, the film follows the birth and rise of Youth Empowered in the Struggle (Y.E.S.) - a student-led movement that began in a public high school and grew into a statewide force for immigrant rights, racial justice, and educational reform.
Directed and filmed by Emmy Award–winning cinematographer Rommel Genciana, the documentary captures the human side of grassroots organizing with depth and honesty. Through firsthand stories, archival materials, and new interviews, the film shows how collective action sparked in a single classroom can ripple outward to transform lives, schools, and entire communities.
From student walkouts and community marches to teacher solidarity and the building of enduring alliances, Thriving in Public Schools documents the evolution of youth activism - and the educators who believed organizing could be a form of learning. The film underscores a powerful truth: education is not only preparation for life; it is a means of shaping it.
The documentary is produced in partnership with Thriving in Public Schools, Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to supporting educators and empowering young people nationwide. Once completed, the film will be used across the country to spark conversations, workshops, training sessions, and community screenings that inspire action and strengthen democracy.
Your donation directly supports production costs — including filming, editing, archival licensing, and post-production — allowing us to bring this vital story to audiences everywhere.
Together, we can help share a model of student power, educator courage, and the transformative potential of public education.