Sundance Goes to ‘Dream School’ with Curtis 50 Cent Jackson

Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson
Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson (Photo © Richard Chavez)

Musician Curtis 50 Cent Jackson and Sundance Channel are collaborating on the new non-fiction series Dream School coming to the network in the fall of 2013. Jackson will executive produce the show along with Jamie Oliver, who created the series’ format.

Sundance Channel President Sarah Barnett announced the new series, stating, “Dream School will be at times devastating, at times deeply uplifting, and entirely full of the genuine conflict and struggle that goes along with true transformation. Viewers will see that play out, not just from the teenagers in the show but also from the celebrities and educators who have signed on for this tough yet potentially life-changing project.”

“The series of Dream School we did in the UK was one of the things I’m most proud of,” explained Oliver. “We literally changed the lives of many of the kids for the better: some of them went back to school and are now excelling; some of them found out that, despite being told in school that they would never achieve anything, they were actually very gifted at art or acting and went on to achieve great things. But ‘Dream School’ is tough — both for the kids and for the teachers. It’s not going to be an easy ride because there are always big characters to deal with and often tensions run high.”

The Plot:

What would happen if the kids who were the hardest to reach in conventional school, instead attended a place of learning where the educators were achievers and leaders — many of whom have become household names? In Dream School, classes are taught by professionals from the top of their fields – and the faculty includes professional musicians, politicians, filmmakers, scientists, actors and artists.

The six-part hour-long series creates a place for troubled teenagers to be inspired to turn their lives around. Homeless, privileged, neglected, or bullied, the kids on this show all have one thing in common — they are dropouts. High school dropouts are four times as likely to be unemployed as those who have completed four years of college, they are more likely to apply for public assistance and they comprise a disproportionate percentage of the nation’s prison and death row inmates. 82% of prisoners in America are high school dropouts.

Now Sundance Channel is giving them a once-in-a-lifetime chance to start over. Overcoming past failures and future obstacles will prove to be no easy task for both the students and teachers in this series. Dream School is an ambitious project where the best and the brightest in our culture teach kids that have been falling through the cracks.