Upstander Project

The Upstander Project produced DAWNLAND. Upstander Project (UP), is a Boston-based organization founded in 2009 by documentarian, Adam Mazo, and educator and curriculum designer, Dr. Mishy Lesser. We produce Emmy® Award-winning documentary films, educator and public learning resources, and facilitate educator workshops that address social issues rooted in hurtful and stereotypical racist ideas. Our films amplify silenced narratives and dismantle untruths while challenging indifference to injustice and encouraging anticolonial practices.

Our first film, Coexist (2010), looks at a post-genocide Rwanda and the limitations of government-mandated forgiveness and reconciliation. Our current filmography to date includes First Light (2015), Dawnland (2018; Emmy® Award-winner), Dear Georgina (2019), Bounty (2021), and Reciprocity Project – Season 1 (2022) – all documentaries focusing on different aspects of genocide against and survivance of Native peoples.

We present our documentaries at film festivals, international conferences, and educational and cultural institutions. To support the impact on our subjects and viewers, we pair each film with opportunities to reflect and connect. We design companion viewer’s guides for the general public, as well as, teaching guides and lesson plans for educators. We also facilitate half-day workshops and multi-day trainings for various kinds of educators: K-12 classroom teachers, museum professionals, faith leaders, public sector workers and officials, and community educators. Our flagship program is the Upstander Academy, a 13-day journey in which educators from around the country are immersed in a variety of experiences and activities designed to promote deep reflection and transform learning environments. During the Upstander Academy, participants practice and model upstander skills, reflect on the impact of genocide against Native peoples, test innovative teaching methods that support critical and creative thinking, learn to interrogate primary sources and use diverse materials and tools, and join a community of upstanders.

We hope to inspire educators and individuals to create more inclusive curricula, schools, public spaces, and conversations so that, in turn, they influence others to become truth-tellers and upstanders.

Together we can nurture compassionate, courageous relationships that honor the interconnection of all beings and the Earth.

Learn more about Upstander Project teacher workshops and learning resources on the Upstander Project website.

Together we can nurture compassionate, courageous relationships that honor the interconnection of all beings and the Earth.

Learn more about Upstander Project teacher workshops and learning resources on the Upstander Project website.

The Upstander Project produced DAWNLAND. Upstander Project (UP), is a Boston-based organization founded in 2009 by documentarian, Adam Mazo, and educator and curriculum designer, Dr. Mishy Lesser. We produce Emmy® Award-winning documentary films, educator and public learning resources, and facilitate educator workshops that address social issues rooted in hurtful and stereotypical racist ideas. Our films amplify silenced narratives and dismantle untruths while challenging indifference to injustice and encouraging anticolonial practices.

Our first film, Coexist (2010), looks at a post-genocide Rwanda and the limitations of government-mandated forgiveness and reconciliation. Our current filmography to date includes First Light (2015), Dawnland (2018; Emmy® Award-winner), Dear Georgina (2019), Bounty (2021), and Reciprocity Project – Season 1 (2022) – all documentaries focusing on different aspects of genocide against and survivance of Native peoples.

We present our documentaries at film festivals, international conferences, and educational and cultural institutions. To support the impact on our subjects and viewers, we pair each film with opportunities to reflect and connect. We design companion viewer’s guides for the general public, as well as, teaching guides and lesson plans for educators. We also facilitate half-day workshops and multi-day trainings for various kinds of educators: K-12 classroom teachers, museum professionals, faith leaders, public sector workers and officials, and community educators. Our flagship program is the Upstander Academy, a 13-day journey in which educators from around the country are immersed in a variety of experiences and activities designed to promote deep reflection and transform learning environments. During the Upstander Academy, participants practice and model upstander skills, reflect on the impact of genocide against Native peoples, test innovative teaching methods that support critical and creative thinking, learn to interrogate primary sources and use diverse materials and tools, and join a community of upstanders.

We hope to inspire educators and individuals to create more inclusive curricula, schools, public spaces, and conversations so that, in turn, they influence others to become truth-tellers and upstanders.

Together we can nurture compassionate, courageous relationships that honor the interconnection of all beings and the Earth.

Learn more about Upstander Project teacher workshops and learning resources on the Upstander Project website.

Together we can nurture compassionate, courageous relationships that honor the interconnection of all beings and the Earth.

Learn more about Upstander Project teacher workshops and learning resources on the Upstander Project website.