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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Classroom Resources

WXXI Education staff collected resources from PBS to support educators and families while learning about the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

This is a list of curated educational resources for educators and families to use with their students and children. These resources are not to be used alone, but instead to integrate with other educational materials (conversations, lessons, speeches, video clips, books, etc.) to provide students with the most context and meaningful knowledge. 

Please note: 

  • These resources are free and open for all to use. 
  • This is not an exhaustive list of resources. 
  • These educational materials are to be used in conjunction with other resources, conversations, and instruction to provide the most complete context for students.
  • These resources are appropriate for middle and high school students, unless otherwise noted.
  • As with all educational materials, please preview these resources prior to utilizing with students to check for appropriateness.

Lessons, Video Clips, & Activities from PBS LearningMedia (for grades 6-12):

  • The Life & Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Historians reflect on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his role in the Civil Rights Movement.
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil Rights Leader: In the second half of the 20th century, racial tensions rose in the US as African Americans began to challenge unjust laws that supported discrimination and segregation. This movement found its leader in the patient and inspiring minister, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Students will watch a short video and engage in two primary source activities in order to explore how King’s deep-seated commitment to nonviolence contributed to the expansion of social justice in the United States, particularly for African Americans.
  • Excerpts from the March on Washington – Part 1 & Part 2: 
    • Part 1: The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech dominates popular history of the August 1963 March on Washington, but the day was full of speakers and performers. This audio compilation captures the voices of A. Philip Randolph, Ralph Abernathy, Roy Wilkins, Walter Reuther, Ralph Bunche, and Daisy Bates.
    • Part 2: At the 1963 March on Washington, civil rights leaders offered a “Tribute to Women,” which recognized the leadership roles of women in the Civil Rights Movement, as well as the widows of civil rights leaders who were murdered for their activism. This recording pays tribute to Rosa Parks, Daisy Bates, Diane Nash, Mrs. Herbert Lee, Mrs. Medgar Evers, and Gloria Richardson. 
  • Road to Memphis – Dr. King Launches the Poor People’s Campaign: In 1968, Martin Luther King launched the Poor People’s Campaign to bring people together across racial lines to fight systemic poverty. Video from, American Experience: “Roads to Memphis.”
  • Freedom Summer: Civil Rights Workers Disappear: The disappearance of civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner occurred on June 21, at the very beginning of what became known as “Freedom Summer,” as seen in this video from American Experience: “1964.” Although their bodies were not found until August, the resulting media attention increased national awareness of the violence and injustices facing blacks every day in Mississippi and the white volunteers who had come to join in the fight. This resource is part of the American Experience Collection.
  • Malcolm X Challenges Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Goals: Watch Malcolm X challenge Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision for racial equality in this 1963 interview with Kenneth Clarke from WGBH’s “The Negro and the American Promise.” Excerpted from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: “Malcolm X.”
  • Students Reflect on “I Have a Dream” Speech: Hear students’ thoughts on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and examine the state of equality in the U.S. with videos from Student Reporting Labs and a discussion guide.
  • Reaction to the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr, 1968: Citizens gather at a public rally in Boston, Massachusetts, following the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., in this archival news footage from April 1968. One speaker featured in the footage states that King had been “prepared to give his life for justice in America” in Boston and in the various cities King had visited throughout the South. Another speaker talks about America’s unwillingness—not its inability—to end racism, questions the meaning of “law and order,” and calls violence the “inevitable outcome of oppression.”

Lesson Plans From PBS NewsHour (for grades 9-12):

  • The March on Washington & It’s Impact: Students will read Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech and explore themes such as the social conditions in the U.S. that led to the Civil Rights Movement, King’s philosophy and practice of peaceful resistance, the immediate impact of the March on society at the time and the long-term significance of the March.
  • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s “I Have a Dream” Speech as Visual Text: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Students will examine why the speech was a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement and explain their analysis through a visual drawing or illustration.
  • Martin Luther King Jr.s “I Have a Dream” Speech as a Work of Literature: Students will study Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech and discuss the rhetorical influences on King’s speech, the oratorical devices that King used in delivering his speech and how a speech is similar to/different from other literary forms.
  • Music & Speeches at the March on Washington: In this lesson, explore the full range of events and speeches given at the historic March on Washington led by Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders of the civil rights movement.
  • MLK Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and the Capitol Hill Attack: In this lesson, students will be asked to examine some overt examples of racism at the Capitol Hill Riot on Jan. 6. They will also be asked to consider some other signs of white supremacy and racism surrounding events leading up to, during and after the riot. Students will analyze Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “The Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” including the section in which he wrote “the Negroes’ great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom…[is] the white moderate.” Finally, students will consider how the Letter might offer some prescriptions for racism in 2021 and beyond.

Additional connected resources:

Education Resources for Teaching About Save Haven

Safe Haven

Classroom Discussion Guide. Download PDF here.

In 1944, 982 refugees from 18 European countries were brought to the United States as guests of President Franklin Roosevelt.

FDR agreed to admit this small token group in lieu of a much larger plan to create many safe havens all over the country and bring in possibly hundreds of thousands of refugees. The camp was Fort Ontario Army Camp in Oswego, NY. Through interviews with former refugees and archival footage, Safe Haven, tells the story of America’s only refugee shelter for Holocaust victims. Robert Clary, a former refugee, hosts.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of this WXXI production in 2017, Safe Haven was written and produced by Paul Lewis. In 1987 the documentary received a Peabody Award, with jurors congratulating the production team for “making a particularly timely statement about the undercurrent of racism and bigotry which afflict all governments. “Paul and other special guests were in studio before and after the documentary with Need to Know host Hélène Biandudi Hofer to talk about the production and share personal stories about working on the film. See the Need to Know special on the documentary to learn more.

Listen the Connections podcast 4/27/17 about the documentary.

WXXI News Articles on 75th Anniversary:

Israeli ambassador, Holocaust refugees, families, thank Oswego for Fort Ontario shelter (8/6/2019)

Holocaust refugees in Oswego for 75th anniversary of their arrival (8/5/2019)

The legacy of Oswego’s Safe Haven is its Lessons (8/9/2019) via WRVO

Other Resources for Teaching About the Holocaust:

Getting Started Guide: Teaching About the Holocaust (7-12 grades) from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and FirstBook

Education Resources from: The U.S. and the Holocaust

Latino Americans Series Classroom Resources

Resources from the PBS Latino-Americans, a three-part documentary series chronicling the rich and varied history and experiences of Latinos over the past 500 years.

Resources from the program include:

Latino Americans Series PBS LearningMedia Collection

Explore The Series Website (English & Spanish)

Latino Americans is led by Emmy Award-winning series producer Adriana Bosch anddocuments the evolution of a new “Latino American” identity from the 1500s to the present day, featuring interviews with close to 100 Latinos from the worlds of politics, business and pop culture — including Herman Badillo, Dolores Huerta, Gloria Estefan and Rita Moreno — as well as deeply personal portraits of lesser-known Latinos who lived through key chapters in American history.

“In six episodes of first-rate television, LATINO AMERICANS covers centuries of history about native-born Latinos and immigrants from throughout the Americas,” said Bosch, a Cuban-born filmmaker whose previous PBS projects include LATIN MUSIC U.S.A. and a number of documentaries for the series AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. “We do not shy away from addressing key issues of legitimacy, justice, discrimination and the very meaning of citizenship. The series has great cinematography, incisive interviews, evocative archive materials — but what I am most proud of is that we were able to tell history in the first person. Latino Americans is history ‘con nombre y apellido’ — with first and last name. And that is what makes our stories compelling and profoundly human.”

The diversity of the Latino American experience is reflected in both the on-camera interview subjects and the filmmaking staff. The production team, most of who are Latino Americans, includes individuals who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Salvadoran and Dominicans heritage, among others. In addition to Bratt as the narrator, the musical score for Latino Americans is by award-winning composers Joseph Julián González, a native of California’s Central Valley of Mexican descent, and Claudio Ragazzi, a native of Argentina; and the acclaimed singer-songwriter Lila Downs, born in Oaxaca, Mexico, will serve as the featured artist for the series, performing the closing song in Latino Americans.

Multilingual Public Media Education Resources

WXXI Education created a list of public media resources that are available in multiple languages.

This list of resources has been curated by WXXI Education and is a working list. Our team will continue to add resources. The list includes multilingual resources available from PBS, PBS KIDS, and public media partners. We have categorized the resources into a few groups, click the links below to navigate to each section:

Recursos de PreK-12 (PBS LearningMedia)

Parenting/Grownup Resources

  • Bright By Text – Free texting service with activities, videos, and resources to support children. Bright By Text is for parents and caregivers with children ages prenatal to 8 years old. Families receive 2 to 4 text messages per week, and each message includes a link to short videos, simple activities, and related resources. Bright By Text is available to families in WXXI’s viewing area in Rochester and across the Finger Lakes. All of the content is available in English and Spanish.
  • PBS Parents Play & Learn App – This free app is designed specifically for parents and caregivers. It provides more than a dozen games grownups can play with their kids, each themed around a familiar location – including in the garden, at the grocery store, a restaurant, the kitchen, and many more. The bilingual (English/Spanish) app makes it easy for grownups to seize upon those daily “teachable moments” through theme-based interactive games and simple hands-on activities that connect math and literacy skills to everyday experiences.
  • Daniel Tiger for Parents App – This free bilingual (English/Spanish) app empowers parents and caregivers with songs and videos from the hit PBS KIDS series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Is your child learning about sharing? Struggling with trying a new food? Working on what to do with mad feelings? Daniel Tiger for Parents has a song for these important social-emotional skills – and many more of life’s little lessons! Featuring over two dozen Daniel Tiger songs, supporting videos from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and helpful hints for parents about the important skills children need to be ready for school and life.
  • Parenting Minutes – WNET’s Parenting Minutes are short videos that focus on key topics related to early childhood learning and raising children. Each video page contains shareable tips and facts, as well as links to more FREE resources and information. Videos are available in English, Spanish, Bengali, and Chinese.
  • PLUM Landing Parent Materials Section – Explore nature with your kids. Using these tips, activities, and printables to explore the outdoors with your child – explore: seeds, trees, habitats, wind, sounds, and more. (for Grades 1-4) 
  • Digital Resources for Parents and Teachers – This PBS LearningMedia video tutorial introduces parents, caregivers, and educators how to create an account and how to find and save resources in Spanish in your digital library. (for All Grades)

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Preschool/Early Childhood Resources

  • PBS KIDS Learn Along BINGO Packets – These bilingual (available in English and Spanish)l, weekly Learn Along Bingo packets  include a range of thematic learning opportunities for children to choose their own learning adventures. (for Grades PreK-2)
  • Daniel Tigre in Español YouTube – Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood videos and songs have been uploaded in Spanish in their own YouTube collection. Free Online Books: Daniel Tiger Stories: Free Online Books in English and Spanish
  • PBS KIDS Play & Learn Science App – Play with shadows, control the weather, roll and slide objects down a ramp, choose the best materials for an umbrella – all while building science inquiry skills and learning core science concepts. The games in this free, blingual (English/Spanish) app encourage kids to see the science in their world. They are intentionally designed to serve as catalysts for real-world exploration by modeling real-world locations and experiences. The related hands-on activities and parent notes prompt families to “try it” at home and provide tips for engaging in conversations. (for Ages 3-5)
  • Ready Jet Go! Space Explorer App – Kids can explore the solar system and visit planets, stars and constellations with Jet and his friends. Ready, Jet, Go, Excelsior! Go on a galactic journey with Jet, Sydney, Sean, Mindy and Sunspot from their backyard in Boxwood Terrace through space! Explore, paint, and play, as you learn about planets, stars and constellations. This free app can be toggled into either English or Spanish. 
  • The Cat in the Hat Builds That App – This free app introduces pre-k kids to science inquiry and engineering (STEM) concepts through games tailored to their learning progress. Kids can build bridges, explore friction through slides and sort fun objects and tools in fantastical lands along with the Cat in the Hat, Nick and Sally. Includes simple and fun hands-on activities that grownups and kids can do together, extending the STEM fun to home and everyday materials. The app can be toggled into either English or Spanish.
  • Oh Noah! Online Games – These online games are fo children who are learning Spanish as a second language. There are four games that teach simple vocabulary to kids. 
  • The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! Online Games – The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! online games can be toggled between English and Spanish. There are 6 Spanish games. 
  • PEEP & the Big Wide World – The animated series Peep and the Big Wide World gives wings to the innovative idea of teaching science and math to preschoolers. Wry and distinctive visual humor, charming plotlines, and lovable characters combine with a comprehensive science program to attract and engage kids three to five years old. The website offers providers a full Science curriculum, activities, digital games, and parenting resources in both English and Spanish. (for Ages 3-5)
  • Sesame Street in Communities – Hundreds of English/Spanish multi-media tools to help kids and families enrich and expand their knowledge during the early years of birth through six, a critical window for brain development. Includes videos, songs, activities, articles, digital storybooks, and more to engage kids and adults in everyday moments and daily routines—from teaching early math and literacy concepts, to encouraging families to eat nutritious foods, to serious topics such as divorce and food insecurity. (for PreK-2)
  • Curious George’s Busy Day Online Games – 16 mini learning games on topics such as: hide and seek, groups of ten, fair sharing, counting, catching bugs, and more. Games are available in English and Spanish.
  • Elinor Wonders Why – Be curious with Elinor and her friends, Ari and Olive, in the PBS KIDS series Elinor Wonders Why. Find an array of resources in this PBS LearningMedia collection —including interactive lessons, playlists, viewing guides, and printable activities—to encourage your students to ask questions, make observations, and bask in the wonderment of nature’s amazing answers! (for Grade PreK-K)
  • A World of Stories – A PBS LearningMedia collection of stories from around the world, presented in English, English/Spanish, and English/French. 
  • Family & Community Learning with PBS KIDS Play & Learn Science – Get ready to dive into the world of science inquiry and the engineering design process! On this page, you will find everything you need to create an engaging Family & Community Learning (FCL) experience using the Play and Learn Science! app, a free bilingual (English / Spanish) mobile app that includes 15 games to teach children scientific inquiry. From a Facilitator Guide that gives a breakdown of the whole four-session family engagement experience to supplemental materials such as take-home materials and fun graphics, these resources expand the games into hands-on learning opportunities for families in your community. Materials are available in English and Spanish. (for Grades PreK-K)
  • Family & Community Learning with The Cat in the Hat – Create an engaging Family & Community Learning (FCL) experience using these high-quality resources based on The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! and the The Cat in the Hat Builds That app. Use the facilitator guide to get a breakdown of all four sessions of curriculum and share the handouts with families to promote learning science inquiry and the engineering and design process. Materials are available in English and Spanish. (for Grades PreK-K)

PBS KIDS App Learning Goals Eng & Spanish

Elementary Resources

  • PBS KIDS App Sheet (PDF) – This Spanish printable page shows all available FREE PBS KIDS apps, what age/grade level they are for, and what the learning goals they meet. (for Grade PreK-3)
  • Let’s Go Luna! Friends Around the World – This printable page shows children how to say “friend” in multiple languages – Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French, Swahili, Japanese, Turkish, German, and Hindi. 
  • Cyberchase At-Home Activities – A series of PBS KIDS Cyberchase at-home activities, including “Habitat Mapping Game”, “Design Your Own Play Superhero”, “Temperature Scavenger Hunt”, and “Create a Family Water Conservation Plan”. All of these activities are available in both English and Spanish and as downloadable PDFs. (for 
  • The Ruff Ruffman Show: Science – This science resource collection from The Ruff Ruffman Show features teacher’s guides, YouTube-inspired videos, digital games, and student activities in English and Spanish starring canine host extraordinaire, Ruff Ruffman. Ruff, along with his trusty assistants Blossom the cat and Chet the mouse, answers questions from kids, takes on challenges, and learns the value of failure—all while modeling science inquiry skills and learning about core science concepts. Bring the fun of Ruff’s scientific investigations into your classroom and use the letters to families to extend the learning at home! (for Grades K-2)
  • Family & Community Learning with PBS KIDS ScratchJr. – Join a learning adventure using the PBS KIDS ScratchJr app that will get the whole family involved! This collection contains everything you need to create an engaging Family and Community Learning (FCL) experience. From a Facilitator Guide that gives a breakdown of the whole four-session experience to supplemental materials such as Family Design Journals and ScratchJr How-To cards, these resources will help provide a comprehensive learning experience for families in your community that will explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) and core coding concepts. Materials are available in English and Spanish. (for Grades K-2)
  • Exploraciones – Exploraciones is a PBS LearningMedia collection of resources for teaching Spanish in the elementary grades. The collection includes the ¡Arte y más! video series, which is designed to take students with no prior experience in Spanish from the novice-low to novice-mid level as defined by the Kentucky World Language Proficiency Standards. The collection also includes themed units featuring a variety of video segments, animations, lesson plans, activity ideas, and other materials for teaching students at the novice-mid to novice-high level. (for Grades K-5)
  • Decouverte – Découverte is a PBS LearningMedia collection of resources for teaching French. The collection includes a variety of video segments and animations.  (for Grades K-6)
  • SciGirls – Both the PBS LearningMedia collection and the SciGirls website offer English/Spanish resources. The LearningMedia collection offers downloadable videos in both English and Spanish, and the SciGirls website offers activities and videos in Spanish. (for Grades 2-5) 
  • Take the Stage – This PBS LearningMedia collection includes videos and lesson plans that teach academics through the arts. Aligned to science, social studies, math, and language arts standards. Videos and materials in English and Spanish. (for Grades K-5)
  • The Healthy Kids Project – The Healthy Kids Project uses song, movement, and animation in ten engaging lessons that support healthy choices and attitudes–teaching not only successful actions (limiting refined sugar, choosing water as a beverage, choosing fresh foods over processed foods), but also successful strategies (valuing the body, not letting past mistakes impede future success, taking one step at a time toward a goal, helping others to make good choices.) Each lesson contains a 60-second video (available in English and Spanish) and is accompanied by an overview, lesson plan and student activity. (for Grade K-2)
  • Joe Bee Xiong: War to Peace – In this PBS Wisconsin Education resource, learn how Joe Bee Xiong moved to Eau Claire, Wisconsin as a refugee in the 1980s after fighting as a child soldier in Laos during the Vietnam War era. He dedicated his life to serving the community, including on the city council, making him the first Hmong-American in Wisconsin elected to public office. He also taught others about Hmong culture and Hmong-Americans about US customs. This story’s animation and books are available in both English and Hmong. (for Grades 3-8)
  • Artsville – This PBS LearningMedia collection provides all of their video content in both English and Spanish. Welcome to Artsville, where learning about art takes center stage! Learn dance, drama, music, and visual art concepts by watching these fun animations. (for Grades 4-8)

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Middle/High School Resources

  • Design Squad Global Clubs – The Design Squad Global clubs model connects kids ages 10–13 in informal education programs around the world. Kids explore engineering through – fun packed, high-energy, hands-on activities—and they partner with a DSG club from a different country! This collection includes resources (two club guides, connected videos, and trainings) to support a 6-week or 12-week program. All resources are in Arabic and English. (for Ages 10-13)
  • How to Make a Video Game – From MIT’s Science Outloud collection. Video games are fun to play, but have you ever wondered how to make one? Carmelo, a grad student in the MIT Media Lab, shows how anyone can start learning how to create video games by talking to machines through programming languages. This video is presented in Italian. (for Grades 6-12)
  • Abenteuer – Abenteuer is a PBS LearningMedia collection of resources for teaching German. The collection includes animations. (for Grades 6-12)
     
  • Latino Americans Series On-Demand with Educational Resources:  Resources from the PBS Latino-Americans, a three-part documentary series chronicling the rich and varied history and experiences of Latinos over the past 500 years.Watch Online in English or Spanish
  • Dropping Back In features half-hour programs which introduce people that left school and are now reconnecting to education and training opportunities. The stories show the issues they face and the people and programs helping them to succeed in continuing their education and furthering their work opportunities. 

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All Grade Levels

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Secondary Audio Programming (SAP)

A number of PBS KIDS series have episodes available in Spanish. If Spanish language tracks are available, users can access this audio using the SAP function on the television. PBS KIDS that have seasons and episodes with secondary audio programming include:

  • The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! – Seasons 1-3
  • Clifford the Big Red Dog – Seasons 1 and 2
  • Clifford’s Puppy Days – Select episodes in seasons 1 and 2 
  • Cyberchase – Seasons 1-12
  • Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood – Seasons 1, 2
  • Dinosaur Train – Seasons 2-4
  • Hero Elementary
  • Peg + Cat – Season 1
  • Ready Jet Go! – Season 1
  • Sid the Science Kid – Season 2
  • WordGirl – Seasons 1-8
  • SciGirls – Season 4 (Spanish Primary Audio with English subtitles)

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Donkey Hodie: Songs, Videos & Activities

Play games and watch full episodes of Donkey Hodie on https://pbskids.org/donkeyhodie

The whimsical puppet series produced by Fred Rogers Productions and Spiffy Pictures, encourages preschoolers to aim high, embrace challenges, and work hard to achieve their goals. The colorful multi-platform show follows the adventures of Donkey Hodie, granddaughter of the original Donkey Hodie character from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood (now known as “Grampy Hodie”). The original puppet appeared in 59 episodes of the beloved children’s series. Inspired by the quirky, funny side of Fred Rogers, Donkey Hodie furthers the children’s TV pioneer’s mission of helping young viewers navigate the challenges of childhood. The series features original new music along with reimagined versions of Rogers’ songs.

Set in the whimsical land of Someplace Else, the imaginative social-emotional series for children ages 3-5 centers on the adventures of Donkey Hodie, an enthusiastic, “can-do” yellow donkey with a bright magenta mane, and her pals: Purple Panda, her loyal and empathetic best friend who wears his big heart on his sleeve; Duck Duck, a practical, quick-witted young mallard who loves to figure things out; and Bob Dog, an energetic and eager canine who is always ready to boogie to music or fetch a ball. In Someplace Else, everyone’s big dreams are possible—whether it’s Purple Panda finding the end of the Golden Rainbow, Duck Duck planning a Book-A-Palooza Festival or Bob Dog playing the largest kickball game in history. Episodes include catchy songs that reinforce the stories’ positive messages and fun adventures.

Watch Full Episodes on the PBS KIDS YouTube Playlist

WXXI Education Favorites
Here are a few of our favorite Activities: 

Learn more at the PBS KIDS for Parents Donkey Hodie Page

Find activities, and games in the PBS LearningMedia Donkey Hodie Collection

Listen to the Donkey Hodie Theme Song:

Sesame Street: See Us Coming Together Special

It’s “Neighbor Day” on Sesame Street and everyone has something special to share! The special follows the Sesame Street friends through a community celebration with new friend Ji-Young—a 7-year-old Korean American character, performed by Sesame Workshop puppeteer Kathleen Kim. Original music and celebrity guests like actors Simu Liu and Anna Cathcart, comic book artist Jim Lee, chef Melissa King, television personality Padma Lakshmi, and athlete Naomi Osaka round out the celebration! Also Available on PBS LearningMedia

and 

Ji-Young’s Song with the Best Friends’ Band

Norm & Company: Dr. Walter Cooper On-Demand

Scientist, activist, educator, and humanitarian Dr. Walter Cooper joins WXXI President Norm Silverstein for an episode of Norm & Company, a monthly series where long-time Rochesterians recount fascinating stories about their lives in our community. Dr. Cooper shares stories about his college days at the University of Rochester, his work as a research scientist for Eastman Kodak Company, and his strong involvement in civil rights and education issue. Dr. Cooper received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry at the University of Rochester in 1956 and worked as a research scientist at Eastman Kodak Company for more than 30 years. During his time at Kodak he became very active in civil rights and educational issues, and is still today. The Democrat and Chronicle has called Dr. Walter Cooper a “superhero” because of his contributions to the Rochester community, his devotion to equality, and his commitment to young people. 

Serving Change On-Demand

Episode 1: Start Small, Think Big: Meet the roadtrippers and other inspiring people changing the world on a local, countrywide, and global level. Along the way, the roadtrippers learn making small positive changes in their own communities can slowly add up to changing the entire world around them.

Episode 2: From the Ground Up: How do you build a better world? One small change at a time. The roadtrippers meet with public service professionals doing their part to pave the way to a more just and equitable society.

Episode 3: A New World: Change is always happening—the best we can do is influence it in a positive direction. The roadtrippers meet leaders working to do just that, and reflect back on how they can do the same.

Watch On-Demand

More Roadtrip Nation Specials

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