BYkids

About BYkids

Founded with the mission of cultivating empathy, connection, and actionable change, BYkids pairs veteran filmmakers with talented young storytellers from around the globe to humanize important topics and universal themes through personal narratives. BYkids enables youth to create documentaries that shed light on pressing global issues and catalyze cross-cultural understanding and deep personal engagement that goes beyond the classroom. 

What They Do

BYkids produces four films per season for in-class and at-home learning, providing a broad platform for educational enrichment. Through mentorship, creative tools, and a trusted platform, they help young people transform their lived experiences into compelling films. The films premiere on PBS flagship station WNET, and BYKids works with PBS LearningMedia and other partners to distribute supporting materials for teachers and learners. By sharing these stories widely—on public television and in classrooms across the country—BYkids amplifies voices from diverse cultures, builds global understanding and empathy, and gives viewers concrete ways to respond.

Partnership with EMA

In July 2023, EMA and BYkids established the Community of Learners (CoL) as a way to introduce BYkids films to educators and students in classrooms around the country. Over the last two years, the CoL has become a highly productive and mutually supportive cohort of teachers sharing curriculum, building community, and developing new resources that center student agency and purpose, including dynamic integration guides for every BYkids film and suggested pairings with a variety of texts and innovative assessments. EMA continues to host and facilitate the CoL through bi-monthly meetings, where teachers are able to connect about their work, share stories, and sow seeds for future collaborations.

In 2026, as part of the Purpose Storytelling Collaborative, we launched the first professional development workshops for teachers, led by members of the CoL. These paid PD opportunities for educators explore how to use BYkids films and visual storytelling as teaching and learning tools to create purpose-driven curriculum that will inspire students.

Their Impact

BYkids has produced 17 films across 11 countries, with stories reaching students and educators in up to 140 countries.

‍BYkids’ educational action partners reach 50 million students through Discovery Education, social media, and their in-person/virtual events.

Their free innovative educational materials reach 4.5 million teachers through Discovery Education, 1.8 million teachers through PBS LearningMedia and 150 countries through PenPal Schools.

Through these partnerships and initiatives like the BYkids Community of Learners, these documentaries are not only enriching classrooms but also inspiring meaningful dialogue and action on issues that matter.