To Touch a Child (1962) User Reviews

Community Schools Concept

[CitizenCaine · 6/10 · 12 June 2004]

Industrial and educational film-maker Herk Harvey directed this short film about the birth of the community school idea. The film focuses on Cook School in Flint, Michigan. It makes the point that every child brings his/her own personal experiences to the public school setting, contributing to the overall environment. This can lead to problems and unmet student needs. The film touches upon instructional differentiation, which assists teachers to meet individual student needs. School leaders eventually figure out that an expansion of after school and evening programs would benefit everyone in the community. The film was instrumental in the spread of the community school idea. **1/2 of 4 stars.

Nice educational short

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 2 August 2016]

This 12-minute short about how after school programs and community projects and activities held in public schools either in the evenings or during the summertime can benefit a town in a multitude of positive ways addresses a relevant social issue in an admirably straightforward manner: Director Herk Harvey and writer John Clifford wisely avoid being preachy or lapsing into heavy-handed melodrama as they trust the subject matter to do its job and state a persuasive case on its own. Moreover, this film shows how the atmosphere at home and personality of each parent is evident in every student and hence teachers have to make sure every student's personal needs are met in an effective way. The solemn narration and sober tone add an appropriate sense of gravitas while kudos are also in order for the crisp cinematography and unobtrusive use of music. A levelheaded look at a serious issue.