Works in Progress: Local USA On-Demand

Follow 5 high school students on their journey to graduate and succeed, while facing challenges including poverty, violence and drug abuse

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About the Episode: Michael, Savannah, Leon, Breon and Claudia are five St. Louis metro area high school students and graduates up against a number of challenges, including poverty, domestic violence, incarceration and drug abuse, on their path to graduation and success. Michael, a senior at Riverview Gardens High School, works to channel his anger and emotions through his step-dance team and looks forward to joining the Navy after graduation; Savannah, a Cleveland NJROTC Academy junior, seeks a path that will keep her from becoming a “statistic,” despite living in a tough neighborhood; Leon graduated high school but is working to be ready for college as he juggles school and work during his 15-hour days; Breon, a freshman at Parkway Central High School, wants to leave his difficult past behind and focus on the future; and Claudia, a Notre Dame High School senior, takes on family and financial responsibilities as the oldest of her siblings.

Works in Progress weaves together their individual stories within the broader issues of economic and educational disparity often tied to race and class. Presenting a slice of life on each student, the film seeks to put a face and a story on the barriers so many young people face.