Demonstrating a distinct approach to literacy.

Memphis Teacher Residency (MTR) approached DCA with a need to demonstrate a new component and category of their growing organization: the Memphis Literacy Institute. Prompted by a Literacy Conference and luncheon that would gather stakeholders, donors, and a national speaker and literacy expert, MTR was challenged to share their incredibly advanced commitment to literacy work in a simple way to a broader audience. MTR spokespeople quickly jumped to academic language and research-based justification, which, while relevant, needed to be distilled into a message that could be received and understood by a greater audience.

DCA told the story of Memphis Literacy Institute’s impact through video, offering a human lens of diverse perspectives. DCA’s objective perspective enabled a new approach to defining the work of Memphis Literacy Institute. DCA led a series of interviews, followed by field trips to schools to witness the work of MTR. Captivating shots of student and teacher interaction in various, diverse classroom settings added empathy, compassion, and humanity to a very data-driven, academic organization.

The video opened MTR’s Literacy Conference and served as a strong introduction and immediate proof point of their process. We recognized that, if this video could be produced and edited in a way that lived beyond a singular event and could grow to represent the organization at large, MTR would be well equipped into the future. As such, the video was quickly embraced by donors, teachers, students, and families and is considered the official opener of any Memphis Literacy Institute conversation due to its success in defining and uplifting the organization’s work.