What do filmmaker Oliver Stone, rapper 50 Cent and financial guru Suze Orman have in common?
You wouldn’t think the answer would be high school, but it is.
No, they didn’t go to the same high school, but for Sundance Channel’s newest unscripted drama, “Dream School,” they’re all headed back to the classroom.
It’s a startling fact that every 26 seconds a child drops out or is expelled from high school.
“Dream School” brings together an impressive list of innovators and leaders from a cross section of professions including music, politics, film, science, journalism and more who will work with 15 troubled high school students attempting to spur the students creativity in their quest for knowledge all while working toward the ultimate goal of getting them on track to graduate.
Joining Stone, 50 Cent and Orman in the classroom, are actor David Arquette, musician Swizz Beatz, activist Reverend Jesse Jackson, journalist Soledad O’Brien, astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison as well as several other notable public figures.
Even with the famous faculty on hand, there is resistance among the students when it comes to everything from following the rules to actually showing up for class.
And, just because someone is well-known clearly doesn’t mean they have the chops to relate to students reluctant to actively participant in their own education.
Sarah Barnett, Sundance Channel President, reveals, “It's not easy, and the tension that ensues is both dramatic and, at times, heart wrenching.”
Based on the first episode, the show is both inspiring and difficult to watch. When even Academy –Award winner Stone has trouble getting through to the students, it’s obvious that this journey is certainly not for the faint of heart. But this is precisely draws the viewer in; the drama of the struggle faced by these educators to reach their unenthusiastic charges and what will happen in the end with these kids.
You can’t help but feel for both sides in this complicated, multi-layered, battle.
Barnett sums it up best when she says, “In the end, what we hope for with this show is a true second chance for the students, something our viewers will definitely be rooting for."
“Dream School” premieres Monday, October 7 at 10:00pm et/pt on Sundance Channel.
