To Honor Educators and to Highlight the August Movie Release of “The Giver,” Walden Media Announces its “Teachers are Givers” Contest
Educators Will Receive Cash Prizes for Themselves, Their Schools, and Libraries as well as a Special Hometown Screening of “The Giver”
Los Angeles, CA – June 11, 2014 – Walden Media, known for its film adaptations of literary classics like “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” “Holes,” “Bridge to Terabithia” and “Charlotte’s Web,” as well as for the education materials and contests it provides to educators, today formally announced its Teachers are Givers contest. The contest highlights the upcoming release of “The Giver,” a film based on Lois Lowry’s Newbery Medal winning book and international best seller that has become a staple in schools throughout the United States. Hitting theaters nationwide on August 15th, “The Giver” stars Jeff Bridges, Brenton Thwaites, Meryl Streep, Taylor Swift, Katie Holmes, Odeya Rush and Alexander Skarsgård.
To enter the Teachers are Givers contest, educators can visit www.walden.com and submit their ideas on how they use technology and/or social media to teach “The Giver.” Winners and their ideas will be highlighted on the Walden Media website in the Walden Media Teacher Hall of Fame. Each winner also will receive a personal cash prize of $1,000, a $1,000 donation to their school, and a $1,000 donation to their local library.
“We are so pleased to bring the literary classic “The Giver” to movie theaters this August,” noted Walden Media executive Chip Flaherty. “At its heart, “The Giver” celebrates the mentor relationship and the incredible impact an educator can have on a child’s life. This contest recognizes the significance of educators in our lives and attempts to reward the invaluable work they do.”
The inspiration for the Teachers are Givers contest came from an idea by Lori Johnson, a middle school teacher at Lexington Christian Academy in Lexington, Massachusetts. Ms. Johnson uses a “Six Word Challenge” to teach her students about the power of words. This lesson is based on the legend that Ernest Hemingway was challenged to write a story in six words and builds upon the theme of “precision of language” found in “The Giver.”
The Teachers are Givers contest is just one component of the education materials and initiatives being developed in conjunction with the film release of “The Giver.” To learn more about these materials as well as other education program initiatives supporting “The Giver,” visit www.walden.com.
About the Movie
The haunting story of “The Giver” centers on Jonas (Brenton Thwaites), a young man who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Yet as he begins to spend time with The Giver (Jeff Bridges), who is the sole keeper of all the community’s memories, Jonas quickly begins to discover the dark and deadly truths of his community’s secret past. With this newfound power of knowledge, he realizes that the stakes are higher than imagined – a matter of life and death for himself and those he loves most. At extreme odds, Jonas knows that he must escape their world to protect them all – a challenge that no one has ever succeeded at before. “The Giver” is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.
For more information on the movie please visit https://thegiverfilm.com/
About Walden Media
Walden Media creates entertainment for the whole family through successful movies, award-winning books, and acclaimed television programs. A Walden Media production celebrates a great book well told, a great life well lived, or an exploration that expands present possibilities – all while inspiring and entertaining its audience. Past award-winning films include: “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, the “Journey to the Center of the Earth” series, “Nim’s Island,” “Charlotte’s Web,” “Bridge to Terabithia,” “Holes,” “Amazing Grace,” and the Sundance Audience Prize Winning documentary “Waiting for ‘Superman.’”
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