Project Description
The purpose of the Chrysler Hoop Dreams Challenge (1995-96) was to use the public television premiere of Hoop Dreams as a catalyst for local discussions of important social issues illustrated by the film. Hoop Dreams, made by Steve James, Frederick Marx, and Peter Gilbert, is the story of two African American youth whose hopes for the future hinge on basketball scholarships. At once a sports documentary and a penetrating look at American class structure, the film was released theatrically and received both popular and critical acclaim. An extensive twenty-city educational outreach campaign sponsored by Chrysler used the film's subject to engage children, parents, and the public about issues of: familial conflict and support; the role of sports in inner-city communities; teen and single parenting; drugs and violence; class; and the educational system's role and responsibility in recruiting young athletes.

Civic Engagement/Dialogue Activities
Kartemquin Films, a filmmaking and distribution company in Chicago committed to activist cinema (and coproducer of the film), coordinated the educational outreach program in conjunction with the public television broadcast of Hoop Dreams. Local outreach efforts were coordinated by a team in each of the twenty cities that included the public television station, college or university, and schools and local organizations. The outreach campaign included both high-profile and grassroots events and distribution of the Hoop Dreams Student Playbook and Teachers' Guide to facilitate discussion of the film's many themes in neighborhood and school settings. After the Chrysler initiative, Kartemquin mounted additional efforts in Chicago schools, and Northeastern University in Boston continued efforts through a program called "Hoop Dreams and More."

Information Sources
Interview, Francine Pope, educational outreach director, Hoop Dreams; project materials, Kartemquin Films, Inc.