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EAGLEVISION PRODUCTIONS, INC. - MEDIA RELEASE
DATE: May 29, 2008
CONTACT: Jill A. Hargrave
Tel: (609) 777-5197 or (609) 372-4913
e-mail: jah@eaglevisionproductions.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW JERSEY PRODUCTION COMPANY
TO PRODUCE DOCUMENTARY ON
THE
ANDRE AGASSI CHARTER SCHOOL IN LAS VEGAS
Bordentown, NJ – EagleVision Productions, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit production company based in Bordentown, N.J., has announced that it is in the development and fundraising stage of producing a documentary special featuring the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy (AACPA) that was recently featured in President Bill Clinton's new book, Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World . Entitled Agassi's Vision , this one-hour documentary shot in high definition (HD) format will chronicle the day-to-day operations of this charter school whose mission is a “Commitment to Excellence” as it prepares its students for a college education.
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Andre Agassi with Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy students from l. to r. – Lashae Talley, Cerila Ramirez, Donovan Ross, Agassi, Tracy Mays, and Tyelia Loche.
Photo Credit: Denise Truscello for Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation |
Jill A. Hargrave, award-winning producer and founder of EagleVision Productions, Inc., first met Andre Agassi in November of 2003 at the Tennis Masters Championship held in Houston , TX . Hargrave had just completed a 90-minute special called Teaching Over Time for NJN Public Television that looked at the history of New Jersey 's Public School System from the one-room schoolhouse of yesteryear to the computer-driven classroom of today. Based on her research into charter schools for Teaching Over Time , Hargrave understood that opening a charter school and making a success of it was an enormous undertaking that required a team of dedicated individuals willing to make a strong commitment to the students.
She had the opportunity at the 2003 Tennis Masters Championship to ask Agassi why he decided to take on this enormous commitment and build his charter school from the ground up in one of the most economically-depressed, crime-ridden neighborhoods in Las Vegas . Agassi said that he felt blessed in his life and believed providing a quality education was the best way to help improve and change the lives of children, especially those who live in underserved communities. He then invited Hargrave to visit the school and talk to the students, their teachers, and the administrative team.
Agassi Prep, as the locals call it, opened in 2001 with 3rd to 5th grade students selected at random by lottery. During its formative years, the school has experienced some administrative challenges – challenges other charter schools have faced that sometimes lead to school closures. But as the documentary will reveal, failure is not an option at Agassi Prep. When challenges surface, the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation (AACF) and the school's Board of Governors have taken steps to find solutions to these challenges to ensure a successful outcome for Agassi Prep's students and the surrounding community. EagleVision will be there to document Agassi Prep's inaugural high school graduation in 2009 and find out if Agassi's Vision of creating a charter school to serve as a “blueprint for how the educational system can work all over the country” is achieved.
Over the last four-and-a-half years, Hargrave has visited Agassi Prep several times to get acquainted with the students, teachers, and administrators. She has seen the changes that have taken place at the school – both the challenges and the successes. Hargrave hopes to secure funding for this worthwhile project by August 2008 so that EagleVision Productions, Inc. can start production when the original 5th graders move into the 12th grade and become the first students to graduate from Agassi Prep.
Ninety-eight percent of the students at Agassi Prep are African American. Statistics show that approximately 50 percent of children who live in underserved communities drop out of high school. Will students attending Agassi Prep overcome these odds and succeed in their academic quest to get a high school diploma and go on to college? Will Agassi's Vision of preparing these students for a college education be fulfilled so that Agassi Prep can serve as a blueprint for other charter schools? These are just a couple of questions the producer hopes to answer by the end of the documentary.
This documentary special will not only profile Agassi Prep and its students' experiences on their journey to fulfill Agassi's Vision , but also will serve as a report card for charter schools in general by pointing out what works and what doesn't and sharing best practices with other educators nationwide. Most importantly, it is a human interest story that will capture the dedication and commitment of an administrative team, educators, students and their families working together to overcome difficulties and negative statistics by providing a quality education that levels the playing field and creates a successful educational environment that prepares the students for a promising future.
Hargrave is actively seeking sponsors to support Agassi's Vision and make this documentary a reality. If you are interested in funding this documentary, please visit EagleVision Productions' website at www.eaglevisionproductions.org for sponsorship opportunities and contact information.
EagleVision Productions, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit television production company.
Its mission is to produce high-quality documentary programs for public television and other television outlets with a focus on social issues, cultural diversity, and historical events and perspectives designed to inform and educate a general audience.
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For
More Information about Sponsorship Opportunities:
Please contact Jill A. Hargrave by phone at (609) 372-4913
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EagleVision
Productions, Inc.
309 Farnsworth Avenue
Suite 1, Second Floor
Bordentown, NJ 08505
Phone (609) 372-4913
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