To mark the 50th anniversary of the New Jersey Historical Commission (NJHC) and emphasize the significant work of history organizations and programs across the state, we asked our FY2017 and FY2018 grant recipients to submit a short narrative and photos describing the impact of NJHC funding. Each week until the end of our fiscal year in June, we will post a spotlight featuring the responses of our grant recipients. Whether NJHC support contributed to general operating, a brand new exhibit, an engaging education program or the restoration of a historic object, it’s truly amazing to see what New Jersey’s history organizations, libraries, and individuals have to offer.
This week we spotlight filmmakers Marylou and Jerome Bongiorno and Teaching THE RULE: A Curriculum Guide for High Schools, a companion to their groundbreaking documentary, THE RULE:
Students at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark, NJ pose for a photo with filmmakers, Marylou and Jerome Bongiorno
In the city of Newark, where the poverty rate is 29% and the murder rate is the fifteenth highest in the nation, there’s a high school that celebrates a near 100% college acceptance for its young men. What lessons about sociology, psychology and public policy can be learned from St. Benedict’s Prep and the Benedictine monks about fostering success among urban youth using the 6th century guide, “The Rule of Saint Benedict”? In the critically acclaimed, national PBS documentary, “The Rule,” filmmakers Marylou and Jerome Bongiorno explore the philosophy, history and current practices of St. Benedict’s Prep and what it teaches about solving problem in our inner cities. The film’s curriculum guide, written by NJ teachers, explores the film’s use to illustrate central themes in U.S. History, sociology, government and psychology. NJHC’s support helped us bring our Teaching THE RULE: A Curriculum Guide (CG) for High Schools – a companion to our THE RULE documentary – to fruition. Filmmakers, Teachers, and Outreach Team piloted the CG in over a dozen Newark high schools.
CG is free for educators, upon request: http://www.bongiornoproductions.com/THE_RULE/Curriculum.html.
For questions about NJHC Grantee Spotlights, please contact Greer Luce, Communications Officer, at 609-633-0776 or greer.luce@sos.nj.gov.
About the New Jersey Historical Commission
The New Jersey Historical Commission (NJHC) is a state agency dedicated to the advancement of public knowledge and preservation of New Jersey history. Established by law in 1967, its work is founded on the fundamental belief that an understanding of our shared heritage is essential to sustaining a cohesive and robust democracy.
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