Planet Classroom Fuels Its YouTube Network Slate With Stories That Focus On Global Oneness

Earthrise, Marie's Dictionary, Counter Mapping and 5000 Miles Apart, featured on the Planet Classroom Network this month, illustrate that beyond the beauty of our individual heritage, history and language, there are universal values that tie us together as a human race. The films for youth audiences prompt all to embody these values so that life as we know it may not only be preserved, but renewed and even transformed.

Earthrise tells the story of the Apollo 8 mission, the pioneering voyage to leave Earth's atmosphere and bring back images that captured the Earth as a whole for the first time in human history. The astronauts' Earthrise photo is the main "character" in the film Earthrise. "This photograph kickstarted the environmental movement for a reason," observes Director Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, as "It offered a visual representation of why it mattered to care about the Earth and be environmentally conscious and ecologically aware, and to see that we are all in this together."

"The togetherness of humanity all being on this rock in space transcends any differences and can provide a lot of clarity to existence," relays student Mia Karle. 5000 Miles Apart is about students in Morocco reaching out to students on the other side of the globe to learn from each other. "The one main takeaway from the movie is all forms of art are being created by youth all over the world. The technology of the internet and social media is expanding the artists' network and recognition. This encourages more people to share what they can create to help make Earth a nurturing world for all," notes musician Michael Ullegue.

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