Leslie N. FountainValley View High School and Midland Elementary students were paid a visit by Edward James Olmos, the Emmy-winning, Tony-winning, and Oscar-nominated actor of “Stand and Deliver,” “American Me,” “Selena” and other films.
Reading time: Less than a minute
Olmos’ scripted outreach to students on-screen is now a reality through Latino Film Institute (LFI) Cinema Youth project. LFI seeks to “support, augment and magnify the work educators are doing in the classroom through the art of filmmaking” according to the organization’s Facebook page. Filmmaking applies students skills in literacy, leadership, collaboration, and creativity.
The actor’s visit to the Inland Empire started with students at Midland Elementary where he offered encouraging words to stick with the filmmaking program to Mr. Wallace’s fourth-grade class. He then visited Valley View High School as they were working on a play adapted from “Stand and Deliver.” “Stand and Deliver” was released in 1988, telling a story about a math teacher played by Olmos in East LA teaching Hispanic students who are struggling with balancing their education and the challenges of a working-class family, only to become AP calculus students in the end. The role earned Olmos a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination.
The LFI program has reached cities across Southern California including Pasadena, Santa Ana, Bell, and Montebello.