Embracing Intensity 238: Happy 5th Anniversary and The G Word Film
The podcast is marking a huge milestone this week as we celebrate our 5th anniversary! In today's show, we go outside the box as we discuss the importance of storytelling when it comes to giftedness, equity, identity, and inclusion. Join us to learn more!
Marc Smolowitz is a previous guest on the show, and I'm thrilled to have him back to talk about one of his projects, The G Word film. Marc is a multi-award-winning director, producer, and executive producer who has been involved in more than 50 independent films. His works have touched viewers on five continents and screened at the world's top-tier film festivals. Marc is currently in post-production on The G Word, a feature-length documentary that aims to be the most comprehensive film ever made on the topics of gifted, talented, and neurodiverse education across the US. The film tells seven stories with different perspectives and asks the urgent equity question, "In the 21st century, who gets to be gifted in America, and why?" The film is poised to premiere in 2022.
Show Highlights:
- How the pandemic has affected Marc's work on The G Word and other projects
- A broad overview of The G Word and the important stories highlighted by the film
- How changemakers are working to make a difference in the gifted and talented community
- How we can use our voices to be allies for the disenfranchised
- How a zip code can be ultra-defining in the resources and opportunities available to people
- How Marc is working to "take the temperature" of people around the country in assessing how giftedness has been affected by the pandemic
- A look at the spirit of G/T/N Awareness Week (gifted, talented, neurodiverse), which is scheduled for October 25-29; this is a FREE five-day slate of virtual programming with a different focus each day. (See Resources to register.)
- Why free and appropriate public education is a social contract--a promise made to all parents for their children
- Why we as advocates and allies cannot quit fighting to make a better civil society for "more of us rather than less of us"
- Why we need a much more communal and collective narrative around giftedness and neurodiversity in our country
- Why The G Word is a mainstream educational film
Resources:
The G Word Film Find out more about the film, find resources, and sign up for G/T/N Awareness Week.