The Brooklyn Community Arts and Media High School (BCAM), founded by a former DJ and basketball point guard turned first-time principal Dr. James O’Brien, opened with a freshman class of 104 in 2006.
It is one of 350 “small schools” opened in New York City since 2002 that are at the center of the city’s efforts to transform a top-down public education bureaucracy into a system that gives educators the autonomy to build their own schools, tailor curriculums to communities’ needs, and provide students with real choices in their education.
The film follows a diverse group of characters in their community, homes, and classrooms over the course of four years – from the school’s inception through its first graduation. With unprecedented access to intimate moments in their lives in and out of school, from classrooms and counselor’s offices to students’ and teachers’ homes, Growing Small examines the process of forming a school as a community effort.
The film is a verité, character-driven narrative told in three acts and combines footage shot by the filmmakers with footage shot by the film’s subjects.
