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At SIMA Academy, we believe that documentary storytelling has the power to inspire empathy, strengthen critical thinking, and mobilize meaningful action. Through our growing global network of educators, students, and community leaders, we continue to transform award-winning films into opportunities for learning, dialogue, and civic engagement—connecting people across borders through stories that deepen understanding and inspire change.

Over the past several months, SIMA Academy has expanded its international partnerships, launched new youth leadership initiatives, strengthened its media literacy resources, and brought thousands of learners together through documentary-centered educational experiences.

• International Day of Peace Campaign: In partnership with MasterPeace, we launched a global documentary screening campaign in celebration of the United Nations International Day of Peace. Running from August through September, the initiative featured five powerful documentaries—Rooted in Resilience, Mother of All Rivers, Jack and Sam, Radio Dadaab, and Exodus—exploring themes of peacebuilding, displacement, resilience, and community solidarity. The campaign brought together 37 registered screening hosts across 23 countries, connecting communities worldwide through documentary storytelling that inspires empathy, dialogue, and collective action.
• Expanding Our Partnership with Aspire Institute: Building on our successful pilot, we formalized a new yearlong partnership with Aspire Institute, significantly expanding opportunities for first-generation and limited-income university students and recent graduates to access SIMA Academy's documentary library and educational resources. The collaboration integrates SIMA Film Clubs, youth leadership recognition, and opportunities to participate in the SIMA Student Choice Jury. With Aspire's growing international network, the partnership has the potential to reach an estimated 90,000 additional young leaders by October 2027, marking a major step toward making documentary-based global citizenship education more accessible worldwide.
• World Merit × SIMA Young Changemakers Program: Together with World Merit, we launched a six-month youth leadership initiative engaging approximately 43 emerging changemakers from 19 countries. Participants are using SIMA Academy films to organize community screenings, establish Film Clubs, facilitate discussions, and develop locally relevant impact initiatives. Through ongoing mentorship, structured impact reporting, and opportunities for recognition through the SIMA Changemaker Awards, the program empowers young people to turn global awareness into tangible community action.
• UNESCO-APCEIU Global Citizenship Education Screenings: We concluded another year of collaboration with the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Centre of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU), delivering five international virtual documentary screening events throughout 2026. Since our July update, two additional screenings brought audiences together for War and Priest in September and Abundance in October, exploring questions of peace, conflict, sustainability, and global responsibility. Several events featured live conversations with filmmakers, creating opportunities for participants across countries to engage directly with the people behind the stories. 
• Advancing Media and Information Literacy: In recognition of Global Media and Information Literacy Week, we expanded SIMA Academy's educational resources to help learners navigate misinformation, artificial intelligence, and increasingly complex digital media environments. We introduced two new learning resources—The Discernment Protocol and The Researcher—and revised and republished all 10 SIMA Academy lesson plans. Together, these resources strengthen students' ability to evaluate information, investigate sources, recognize bias, and engage thoughtfully with competing perspectives. At a time when digital content is easier than ever to produce and distribute, we remain committed to helping learners develop the discernment necessary to distinguish credible information from manipulation.
• Celebrating Changemakers: We continued expanding the SIMA Academy Changemaker Awards, recognizing educators, students, and community leaders who use documentary storytelling to inspire action beyond the screen. The awards celebrate innovative classroom experiences, student-led projects, Film Clubs, SDG Challenges, and community campaigns that demonstrate the real-world impact of film-based learning. By recognizing these efforts across our international network, we aim to elevate inspiring examples of youth leadership and encourage others to create positive change in their own communities. 2026 Winners will be announced in December 2026.
• Global Recognition for SIMA Academy: This season brought another exciting milestone for our educational mission as SIMA Academy received a 2026 Anthem Award for its work in Education & Literacy, building on our three previous Anthem Awards honors. This recognition celebrates our continued commitment to making documentary-based education accessible to learners worldwide and reinforces the power of authentic storytelling to cultivate empathy, critical thinking, and global citizenship.
• Curated Films for Global Learning: Throughout autumn, we continued developing timely thematic film collections aligned with international observance days, providing educators and community organizers with resources to explore pressing global challenges. In August, our International Day of Hope: Regenerative Leadership collection highlighted stories of resilience, visionary leadership, and community-driven solutions. September's International Day of Peace playlist explored peacebuilding, reconciliation, and solidarity across borders, while October's World Food Day: Seeds of Change collection examined food security, sustainable agriculture, and the communities working to transform our global food systems. Together, these collections encouraged learners to connect global issues with local action through the power of documentary storytelling.

As we look toward the end of 2026, we are inspired by the growing global community of students, educators, and young leaders turning documentary storytelling into meaningful action. In less than a year, our SIMA Film Club initiative has grown to more than 90 Film Clubs across 39 countries—a powerful reflection of the demand for accessible, community-driven learning. From international peacebuilding campaigns and youth leadership programs to global citizenship education and media literacy, our work continues to demonstrate how powerful stories can spark dialogue, strengthen communities, and inspire change across borders.

Your generosity makes this work possible. With your continued support, we can reach more learners, empower more young changemakers, and bring transformative documentary experiences into classrooms and communities around the world.

With gratitude and warmth,

The SIMA Academy Team

Links:

• SIMA Academy
• Lesson Plan Library
• Browse Films