UCF’s Center for Distributed Learning has garnered national acclaim for its groundbreaking docuseries, A Break for Impact, and its latest short documentary, Beneath the Same Sky. Both projects have transformed classrooms at UCF and achieved remarkable recognition, including a record-breaking 10 Suncoast Emmy nominations and a world premiere at DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival.
The A Break for Impact project began in 2020, spearheaded by Irene Pons ’00, a senior lecturer in UCF’s Department of Legal Studies and executive producer. Pons envisioned an immersive educational initiative to expose students to real-life legal and humanitarian issues at the U.S.-Mexico border. Over four phases, the project expanded to document student volunteer experiences at border hotspots like Brownsville and El Paso in Texas and Tijuana, Mexico.
As the project evolved, the CDL team, led by Media Production Manager and Lead Producer Aaron Hosé, amplified its storytelling power. Hosé, a nine-time regional Emmy Award winner, emphasized the educational and artistic value of the productions.
“We are committed to creating content that improves the student learning experience and adds real value,” Hosé says. “This is why we do what we do at the Center for Distributed Learning —to help elevate the quality of media used in online courses.”
The latest phase of the project, Beneath the Same Sky, reached new heights. Directed, produced, and filmed by award-winning filmmaker and CDL video producer Christine Kane, the documentary offers a rare, balanced look at the intersection of humanity and duty at the border. It captures moments like riding along with Border Patrol agents, juxtaposed with the stories of migrants seeking a better life.
Rick Brunson ’84, field producer for the docuseries and senior instructor at UCF’s Nicholson School of Communication and Media, described the border as a space “where duty and dreams collide,” aiming to humanize all sides of the immigration debate.
Both A Break for Impact and Beneath the Same Sky are being used as innovative teaching tools. Pons integrates the series into her immigration law courses, using short modules to engage students in reflection and discussion.
Read more about it here: UCF Projects Earn 10 Emmy Nominations, Screening Premiere | University of Central Florida News
Written by Zoemar Lebron ’22 at UCF Today.
Published to Nicholson News on December 6th, 2024.
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