Journeys In Film

What Journeys In Film does

Journeys in Film is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 and based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that develops free, standards-aligned film-based curriculum guides, lesson plans, and discussion guides for use in K-12 classrooms and adult learning settings. Its core product is a searchable online Resource Library organized by grade band (K-5, 6-8, 9-12, College/Adult) and thematic collection (Black History, Women's History, Holocaust Education, Environmental Studies, Media Literacy, Civics, WWII), with individual guides for documentary and narrative films such as Schindler's List, The Post, Hidden Figures, Just Mercy, UnBroken, Lilly, and Acts of Reparation. The organization complements its library with a free professional development webinar series, including the 2026 Library of Congress-funded "Stories That Connect" program, and distributes materials through partner channels including Share My Lesson (for PD credit), Indie Lens Pop-up, Harvard XMedia Lab, and filmmaker distribution platforms such as Netflix, PBS, and Amazon.

The business model is primarily donation-driven. Core educational resources are provided free to educators, while a smaller revenue stream comes from custom curriculum and staff development materials sold to corporations and NGOs. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors led by Founder Joanne Strahl Ashe and operated by a lean team of 1-10 staff, including Executive Director Jennifer Fischer and Director of Education and Strategic Initiatives Hershawna Frison, supported by a National Advisory Council featuring high-profile figures such as filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Liam Neeson, and Harvard professor Henry-Louis Gates. Strategic co-development partnerships, including with the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program, Amazon Aid Foundation, and Weber Family Arts Foundation, drive both content production and grant funding.

Name

Journeys In Film

Legal name

Journeys in Film

Website

https://journeysinfilm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Journeys in Film is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops free, standards-aligned film-based curriculum guides, lesson plans, and discussion guides for K-12 educators, adult learners, libraries, museums, and corporate L&D, supported by donations and institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film-Based Educational Curriculum

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

School Group & Curriculum-Led Trips (THAKAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Travel & Adventure Documentaries (MPADADAM)

Keywords

• Film education
• Curriculum development
• Lesson plans
• Media literacy
• Professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Placitas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Designated Gifts: Journeys in Film operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from supporters. The organization accepts designated gifts and major giving contributions.
2. Curriculum Materials Licensing: The organization creates custom materials and resources for corporations and non-profits for staff development, team building and more. Educational licenses are available for some films through distribution partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Journeys in Film is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops free, standards-aligned curriculum guides, discussion guides, and lesson plans based on award-winning documentary and narrative films for K-12 educators and adult learners. The organization also creates custom film-based learning materials for corporations, NGOs, libraries, and museums, and delivers professional development webinars that train educators in using film and primary sources for project-based learning.

Product overview

Journeys in Film is a nonprofit educational organization offering a comprehensive film-based curriculum platform centered on standards-aligned curriculum guides and discussion guides for documentary and narrative films. The core product is a searchable Resource Library containing free lesson plans and discussion guides organized by grade level (K-5, 6-8, 9-12, College/Adult) and subject area. Individual film guides like Lilly, Acts of Reparation, Unzipped, Just Mercy, and The Music of Strangers provide subject-specific curriculum materials. Themed collections (Black History, Women's History, Holocaust Education, Environmental Studies, Media Literacy) bundle related films and resources. Professional Development Webinars, including the Stories That Connect series funded by Library of Congress, provide educator training on teaching with film and primary sources. The platform also offers specialized tools like the Windows and Mirrors Media Literacy Activity for analyzing media representation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Resource Library Searchable online library at journeysinfilm.org that organizes free, standards-aligned film-based curriculum guides, discussion guides, and lesson plans by grade level (Elementary K-5, Middle School 6-8, High School 9-12, College/Adult Learning), subject area, and theme. It serves K-12 educators, librarians, and adult learners.
• Curriculum Guides / Learning Guides Standards-based interdisciplinary curriculum guides and lesson plans built around specific award-winning films, aligned to academic objectives in Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Media Literacy. Available as free downloadable PDFs and slide decks for K-12 and adult learning classrooms.
• Discussion Guides Film-specific discussion guides that include facilitation guidelines and group discussion tips to help educators and community programmers lead conversations on film themes. Free and downloadable from the resource library.
• Professional Development Webinars Free professional development webinar series for educators on teaching with film, media literacy, and using primary sources for Project-Based Learning. Includes on-demand sessions available through Share My Lesson for PD credit.
• Themed Film Collections Curated bundles of films and resources organized by theme, including Black History, Women's History, Holocaust Education, Environmental Studies, Civics and Civic Engagement, Media Literacy and Journalism.
• UnBroken Educator Learning Guide Standards-aligned Holocaust education curriculum guide developed in partnership with the Weber Family Arts Foundation, designed for use with the documentary UnBroken and tied to its Netflix release.
• Custom Corporate/NGO Learning Materials Bespoke film-based learning materials created for corporations and non-profits for staff development, team building, and cultural education programs. Distinct from the free K-12 offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Materials used in K-12 education particularly middle and high school grade levels
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Weber Family Arts FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026Partnership with Weber Family Arts Foundation to develop the Educator Learning Guide for the documentary UnBroken. The guide offers a standards-aligned curriculum for Holocaust education worldwide, developed in conjunction with the film's Netflix release and nationwide watch party.
• Amazon Aid FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHonored to partner with Amazon Aid Foundation to produce the curriculum around their film 'River of Gold.' Journeys in Film's expertise in developing interactive standards-based curriculum has been a powerful tool for engaging students worldwide about the Amazon Rainforest.
• Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program, the 'Stories That Connect: Using Film and Primary Sources to Build Belonging' professional development webinar series creates content in partnership with the TPS program.
• Harvard XMedia LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud partnership with Harvard XMedia Lab for educational outreach and development of film-based curriculum resources.
• Steven SpielbergflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerNational spokesperson since the organization's inception. Actively supports the organization's effectiveness as an educational tool for teaching youth cultural diversity and appreciation.
• Liam NeesonflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerAward-winning actor and National Spokesperson since inception. Serves on Advisory Board and supports commitment to foster social and academic growth through interdisciplinary film lessons.
• Professor Henry-Louis GatescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDirector of Harvard University's Hutchins Center for African & African American Research. Advisory Board member since inception. Committed to helping teachers bring diverse Black history and cultural stories to classrooms.
• Share My LessoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for on-demand professional development webinars providing PD credit for educators learning to teach with film.
• SilkroadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud partnership with Silkroad organization supporting global music and cultural education initiatives.
• Indie Lens Pop-upminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Indie Lens Pop-up for documentary distribution and educational outreach.
• The Telly AwardsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProud partnership with The Telly Awards recognizing excellence in video and television content.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Facing History and Ourselves: Facing History and Ourselves is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free, standards-aligned K-12 curriculum on historical and social issues including Holocaust, civil rights, and identity — directly comparable to Journeys in Film's model of free interdisciplinary lesson plans for schools.
• Learning for Justice: Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance), a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, provides free K-12 classroom resources on social justice, identity, and media literacy — closely matching the page-specific, free curriculum distribution model Journeys in Film uses for film-based lessons.
• Common Sense Education: Common Sense Education offers free K-12 media literacy and digital citizenship curriculum including lesson plans and discussion guides — directly overlapping with Journeys in Film's Windows and Mirrors activity and broader media-literacy resource set.
• News Literacy Project: News Literacy Project provides free K-12 news literacy curriculum (Checkology) with strong distribution to schools and librarians — comparable to Journeys in Film's media literacy offerings for the same educator audience.
• Project Look Sharp: Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College provides K-12 media literacy curriculum and professional development using documentary and news media — overlapping Journeys in Film's film-based curriculum and educator PD approach.
• Picture Motion: Picture Motion designs impact campaigns and educational materials for documentary films to extend reach into schools and communities — operating the film-impact-to-curriculum bridge that Journeys in Film also occupies with filmmakers.

Broad incumbents

• PBS LearningMedia: PBS LearningMedia is a free, broad-STEM-and-humanities K-12 media library used in classrooms nationwide — a much larger incumbent offering overlapping standards-aligned video content and discussion guides for the same educator buyers.
• Discovery Education: Discovery Education is an established K-12 digital curriculum platform providing video-rich, standards-aligned content across subjects — a broad incumbent whose video-based core competes with Journeys in Film's film-based approach for school district adoption.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@JourneysInFilm
• Facebookfacebook.com/JourneysinFilm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/journeys-in-film
• Instagraminstagram.com/journeysinfilm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Journeys In Film