Harlem RBI and DREAM Charter School provide school day, after school and summer programs that work together to teach and inspire over 2,000 inner-city youth to recognize their potential and realize their dreams. Our goal was to communicate the powerful and uplifting work of Harlem RBI and DREAM through the lens of failure.
Failure can be a dangerous word to use when trying to communicate the success and impact of a program, but we believe it is integral to progress. At Harlem RBI and DREAM, failure is accepted as a part of growth, an important lesson for youth who grow up in an environment where failure can have lasting consequences. We wanted to communicate this invaluable and unique aspect of our program to illustrate that this work is hard and trying, but the reward is fulfilling and satisfying.
By tracing the lives of young people in our programs, viewers get a glimpse of the proximity to failure that our kids experience every day, whether it's crime on the streets, a mistake in class or a strike out on the ball field. But they also get to see a resilient community that surrounds them and helps them to embrace mistakes, get back up, try again and succeed.
While a story arc was created, there were no lines scripted. The film remained true to the everyday activities of the community while also depicting the realities that families face living in East Harlem. Through the pro bono partnership with creative agency Anomaly, Harlem RBI gained access to incredible story tellers, directors and visionaries who were able to create a film that beautifully and authentically illustrates the transformative work that happens here every day.
The film debuted to enormous success at Harlem RBI and DREAM Charter School's 25th anniversary gala in June. Since then, it has received incredible feedback both in person and digitally, with mentions by huge influencers on Twitter like MLB, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Colbie Caillat and others who all partnered with us to share our story to the masses. It is a powerful story about failure, inspiration, growth, resilience and opportunity. It is a film that Harlem RBI, DREAM and Anomaly are incredibly proud of.
