Though it’s been one of the more harrowing back-to-school seasons, well, ever, schools are back in session or are about to get back in session, and CreativeFuture is here to help – with some extra-credit learning materials designed to teach students the value of copyright and creativity.

We believe it is important to help our next generations to understand the value of copyright to American culture and to the economy.

With all of us now glued to our screens like never before, and with piracy on the rise, imparting these values has become essential – to preserve the creative industries that make our lives so rich and to protect the millions of jobs that our industries generate.

K-12

This educational journey begins with teachers. In order to teach their students about their rights and responsibilities as 21^st-century creators and consumers, teachers must first have resources to help themselves navigate the complex legal concepts of copyright and fair use.

We worked with educators and experts from across the copyright spectrum to support the development of Copyright & Creativity, a K-12 curriculum that is useful and informative for teachers and students alike.

The lessons, videos, and other resources of the Copyright & Creativity curriculum have now been used in thousands of schools across the country, helping children of all ages navigate the internet as they learn to create and entertain themselves responsibly. It includes professional development materials for teachers who want to teach these topics in their classrooms, as well as hours of activities and videos for their students.

As one of the educators who originally tested these materials in schools, Dana Greenspan, put it: “Understanding copyright and fair use is difficult at best. Ask ten K-12 educators what copyrighted materials can legally be used or remixed in an educational setting, and you’ll likely get ten different answers. With more creators of media than ever before, it’s critical that students learn at an early age to respect intellectual property and creators’ rights.”

You can read more testimonials from teachers here.

ALL LEVELS

For all students, including college students, check out our video collaboration with Macmillan Learning, written and performed by a group of Los Angeles-based street poets to explain why and how copyright protects creative people, creative industries, and the American engine for free expression.

The goal, which we wrote about when the video premiered, was to deliver a positive and topical message that “will spark the type of conversation that changes attitudes and opinions in the next generation of creators and consumers.” By showing the copyright-fueled creative process in action, we hope to inspire students to do better in their daily online life.

Whether you are a teacher, student, or parent, we think that both these resources will provide some inspiration during these challenging times. Together, we hope to help new generations learn to become responsible stewards of the copyrighted works that make our country great.

You can read CreativeFuture CEO’s original blog post introducing the Macmillan Learning video here.