Horizon Films
Hope on the Rize is a writing and short film project that builds upon classroom learning to create an immersive and transformative experience for all participants. It leverages the humanizing power of poetry and creativity to build community, empower youth visions and voices, and bridge classroom learning and real-world impact.
" Hope on the Rize aims to transform apathy and disengagement, awakening and sharing the parts of our lives, from the tiny to the huge, that make evident our interconnectedness and capacity for change. It asks people to come as they are, share what they love, discover new aspects of identity, and participate in telling a new story of what’s hopeful and what’s possible."
–Dr. Elizabeth Miller, Co-Founder of Pseads
From Creative Spark to Short Film
The first phase of Hope on the Rize projects invites students to think critically and creatively, encouraging them to explore different perspectives through conversation, poetry, and reflective writing. From there, students are guided step-by-step—from an initial creative idea to a final short film that expresses something they care about, value, enjoy, or hope to see more of in the world.
Each project culminates in a classroom or grade-level submission of films to the Hope on the Rize project, combining voices across grades and schools. Many classrooms also host “film festivals,” where families and school communities are invited to watch and celebrate the unique narratives students have created through this powerful and meaningful learning experience.
Every Vision and Voice Matters
Hope on the Rize empowers students to develop academic and real-world skills through creative storytelling. Students explore poetry, reflective writing, scriptwriting, storyboarding, video production, and more while building essential self-expression skills like active listening, organizing ideas, and speaking with purpose. Along this journey, students gain confidence, agency, and a deeper sense of purpose as they discover the power of their unique voices and perspectives. Curiosity grows into hope, and hope into a drive to create meaningful change.
Inspired by mentors Belvie Rooks and Dedan Gills, Pseads honors this ripple effect by working with partner organizations to plant a tree for every project completed, nurturing both young voices and the planet.
The Mother Tree Council
We are honored to introduce you to the Mother Tree Council, a remarkable group of educators, scientists, poets, artists, storytellers, and designers, who generously lend their time and wisdom to review and uplift the films created through Hope on the Rize. Their thoughtful selection process culminates in special awards that celebrate students’ creativity and dedication. These awards are often proudly displayed in classrooms as symbols of accomplishment and encouragement for future projects. The Council’s support shows the power of being witnessed, honoring wisdom across generations, and weaving a community of mutual respect and care.
Pseads Mother Tree Council Members:
Belvie Rooks, social justice advocate
Dr. Brian Thomas Swimme, mathematical cosmologist
Dr. Drew Dellinger, celebrated poet and scholar
Steve Uzzell, photographer and speaker
SenSaSheri Maasera, professional dancer
Lauren Conrow, urban designer
Jelani Rooks, Emmy award-winning producer
Kari Kapadia, aerospace systems engineer
Landon Gellert, industrial designer
Poetry is humanizing and transformative. Inspired by our friend and mentor, Dedan Gills, and poets and scientists across the centuries, the Pseads programs are founded on the notion that even more than something that can be written or spoken, a poem is a way of being. With his wife, educator and social justice advocate Belvie Rooks, Dedan imagined championing the poetry in every person, advancing human dignity, and supporting social and environmental healing through tree planting ceremonies, with trees as emblems of community and transformation. Hope on the Rize was also deeply informed by the life and legacy of Susan Lambert, whose photography, writing and visual art is a celebration of a commitment she lived every day to “find the extraordinary in the ordinary.” Her vision inspired Pseads to take the journey of self-expression even further, transforming poems and writing into impactful visual and multimedia narratives that reveal new possibilities and leave a bigger mark on the world.
Sample Projects
Check out more inspiring short films created by students for the Hope on the Rize project on the Pseads YouTube channel!
What Students Say
