www.GetTheBigPic.com
Get the Big Picture is an education program that supports learning and cultural engagement in youth through the power of movies. We champion media literacy and its ability to inspire creativity and promote inquiry through storytelling.
Our curriculum is project based for grades 6-12 and aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The lessons have proven to increase enthusiasm for learning through movies that explore some of the most crucial topics faced by middle and high school youth.
Our curriculum can be adapted to strengthen a broad range of subjects including English, Social Studies, Science, Math, and topics included in Career and Technical Education programs. Our 50-minute lessons are modeled after Project Based and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and include aspects of film education- from audio and video production and storytelling in all its forms. Each lesson incorporates socially relevant movies and promotes visual literacy by fostering thoughtful discussion through fun activities and projects.
Building character one scene at a time, the success of GTBP is evident through learners who are confident, curious, empathetic, and empowered to make a positive difference in the world.
Founded by entertainment industry professionals, educators and digital entrepreneurs. Our goal is to develop audiences both in and out of schools to think critically and ultimately build a community that is confident, connected, empathetic, and excited about learning.
Our curriculum is project based for grades 6-12 and aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The lessons have proven to increase enthusiasm for learning through movies that explore some of the most crucial topics faced by middle and high school youth.
Our curriculum can be adapted to strengthen a broad range of subjects including English, Social Studies, Science, Math, and topics included in Career and Technical Education programs. Our 50-minute lessons are modeled after Project Based and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and include aspects of film education- from audio and video production and storytelling in all its forms. Each lesson incorporates socially relevant movies and promotes visual literacy by fostering thoughtful discussion through fun activities and projects.
Building character one scene at a time, the success of GTBP is evident through learners who are confident, curious, empathetic, and empowered to make a positive difference in the world.
Founded by entertainment industry professionals, educators and digital entrepreneurs. Our goal is to develop audiences both in and out of schools to think critically and ultimately build a community that is confident, connected, empathetic, and excited about learning.
Founders
Rakeda L. Ervin
Rakeda L. Ervin is a creative producer with more than twenty years of experience writing and producing
broadcast television and digital content. She has produced countless episodes of award winning series,
airing on VH1, E! and A&E. Rakeda’s additional credits are productions created and distributed by
studios and networks like Warner Bros., CNN Films, and NBC. After relocating from Los Angeles to
Austin, TX, Rakeda became an educator to inspire the next wave of creative professionals. In 2014, she
joined Manor ISD, and developed a media program at Manor High School. There, she taught Audio and
Video Production for five years. During that time, Rakeda served as a Connected Educator with the PBS
NewsHour Student Reporting Labs program. She supported E4 Youth, an organization connecting
creative youth with professional experiences as an educator and an Executive Board Member. Rakeda
earned a BA degree in Mass Communications from Quinnipiac University, in Hamden, CT. She
completed a professional producing program in Film and Television at UCLA, where she met Trinket
Lewis, her future business partner with Get the Big Picture. Today, Rakeda is a co-founder and creator
of Get the Big Picture (GTBP), a movie-enriched curriculum provider with the mission of building
character, one scene at a time. Rakeda feels passionately about lifelong learning and describes her work
with GTBP as a culmination of her professional experiences, where passions and purpose meet.
Trinket Lewis
Trinket Lewis’ career has been a combination of passion for value creation and a penchant for being an
early adopter, taking clients into the future of media. Before there was BET.com as we know it today,
there was BET OnBlast, the network’s first online video platform. Despite initial misgivings, Trinket was
able to convince network executives about the benefits of the then-burgeoning online video
movement, utilizing her foresight to predict the impact this technology would have on the future to
build and launch the first online video player. Her knack for strategic leadership and visual storytelling
led Trinket to partnering with the ESSENCE Festival team to relaunch the festival’s website with a higher
emphasis on video. This resulted in a 150% increase of site visits during the festival’s three-day
weekend. Today, Trinket leads Get the Big Picture (GTBP), an education resource company that she
co-founded that provides fun and engaging movie-enriched curriculum. GTBP was born out of a desire
to build culturally responsive classrooms to accelerate forward-thinking and life-learning while helping
today's youth develop purpose-driven lives and become global citizens. Trinket also continues to lend
her creativity and big thinking talents to clients like Adidas, Toyota, VH1’s “Love & Hip-Hop,” “Wildin’
Out"and Walmart to name a few.
Rakeda L. Ervin is a creative producer with more than twenty years of experience writing and producing
broadcast television and digital content. She has produced countless episodes of award winning series,
airing on VH1, E! and A&E. Rakeda’s additional credits are productions created and distributed by
studios and networks like Warner Bros., CNN Films, and NBC. After relocating from Los Angeles to
Austin, TX, Rakeda became an educator to inspire the next wave of creative professionals. In 2014, she
joined Manor ISD, and developed a media program at Manor High School. There, she taught Audio and
Video Production for five years. During that time, Rakeda served as a Connected Educator with the PBS
NewsHour Student Reporting Labs program. She supported E4 Youth, an organization connecting
creative youth with professional experiences as an educator and an Executive Board Member. Rakeda
earned a BA degree in Mass Communications from Quinnipiac University, in Hamden, CT. She
completed a professional producing program in Film and Television at UCLA, where she met Trinket
Lewis, her future business partner with Get the Big Picture. Today, Rakeda is a co-founder and creator
of Get the Big Picture (GTBP), a movie-enriched curriculum provider with the mission of building
character, one scene at a time. Rakeda feels passionately about lifelong learning and describes her work
with GTBP as a culmination of her professional experiences, where passions and purpose meet.
Trinket Lewis
Trinket Lewis’ career has been a combination of passion for value creation and a penchant for being an
early adopter, taking clients into the future of media. Before there was BET.com as we know it today,
there was BET OnBlast, the network’s first online video platform. Despite initial misgivings, Trinket was
able to convince network executives about the benefits of the then-burgeoning online video
movement, utilizing her foresight to predict the impact this technology would have on the future to
build and launch the first online video player. Her knack for strategic leadership and visual storytelling
led Trinket to partnering with the ESSENCE Festival team to relaunch the festival’s website with a higher
emphasis on video. This resulted in a 150% increase of site visits during the festival’s three-day
weekend. Today, Trinket leads Get the Big Picture (GTBP), an education resource company that she
co-founded that provides fun and engaging movie-enriched curriculum. GTBP was born out of a desire
to build culturally responsive classrooms to accelerate forward-thinking and life-learning while helping
today's youth develop purpose-driven lives and become global citizens. Trinket also continues to lend
her creativity and big thinking talents to clients like Adidas, Toyota, VH1’s “Love & Hip-Hop,” “Wildin’
Out"and Walmart to name a few.
Training Facilitators
Mark D. Cunningham
Mark D. Cunningham is an Associate Professor in Radio-Television-Film at Austin Community
College in Austin, Texas. He received his PhD in Radio-Television-Film from the University of Texas
at Austin. His dissertation focused on race, gender and narrative in the South Central Los Angeles
focused films of writer/director John Singleton. He has contributed essays to national publications,
several anthologies, and peer-reviewed journals focusing on such topics in film and
television/media studies such as John Singleton’s film Poetic Justice , Spike Lee’s
semi-autobiographical film Crooklyn , actor/rapper/activist Ice T’s role on Law & Order: Special
Victims Unit , alternative spaces of blackness in Barry Jenkins’ debut film Medicine for Melancholy ,
and the importance of black popular culture. He has also presented papers at nationally recognized
cinema and media studies conferences, facilitated talk back sessions at community events, and
participated in both media and education related panel discussions. Dr. Cunningham also spent 18
years in the public education system, having taught at the elementary, junior high, and high school
level.
Melissa Agudelo
Melissa Agudelo has been working in public education for over 20 years. After receiving her BA in
Political Science through the University of Mary Washington, she started as a Teach for America
teacher. Melissa was placed in Phoenix, Arizona where she completed three years of service at the
elementary level. After relocating to Virginia, Melissa received her high school credential and spent
8 years teaching US History to juniors. After moving to San Diego, CA, Melissa accepted a position
at High Tech High and after two years in the classroom, she accepted the position of Dean of
Students. She served the High-Tech community at two separate schools over 7 years. During that
time, she was asked to conduct workshops and speak on behalf of High Tech at numerous
conferences and meetings around project-based learning. Melissa is also a certified restorative
practices trainer and loves sharing her passion for trauma informed classroom approaches with
anyone who will listen. When she’s not working, Melissa spends most of her time at UCLA, visiting
her oldest daughter or on the softball field, watching her accomplished younger daughters play.
Mark D. Cunningham is an Associate Professor in Radio-Television-Film at Austin Community
College in Austin, Texas. He received his PhD in Radio-Television-Film from the University of Texas
at Austin. His dissertation focused on race, gender and narrative in the South Central Los Angeles
focused films of writer/director John Singleton. He has contributed essays to national publications,
several anthologies, and peer-reviewed journals focusing on such topics in film and
television/media studies such as John Singleton’s film Poetic Justice , Spike Lee’s
semi-autobiographical film Crooklyn , actor/rapper/activist Ice T’s role on Law & Order: Special
Victims Unit , alternative spaces of blackness in Barry Jenkins’ debut film Medicine for Melancholy ,
and the importance of black popular culture. He has also presented papers at nationally recognized
cinema and media studies conferences, facilitated talk back sessions at community events, and
participated in both media and education related panel discussions. Dr. Cunningham also spent 18
years in the public education system, having taught at the elementary, junior high, and high school
level.
Melissa Agudelo
Melissa Agudelo has been working in public education for over 20 years. After receiving her BA in
Political Science through the University of Mary Washington, she started as a Teach for America
teacher. Melissa was placed in Phoenix, Arizona where she completed three years of service at the
elementary level. After relocating to Virginia, Melissa received her high school credential and spent
8 years teaching US History to juniors. After moving to San Diego, CA, Melissa accepted a position
at High Tech High and after two years in the classroom, she accepted the position of Dean of
Students. She served the High-Tech community at two separate schools over 7 years. During that
time, she was asked to conduct workshops and speak on behalf of High Tech at numerous
conferences and meetings around project-based learning. Melissa is also a certified restorative
practices trainer and loves sharing her passion for trauma informed classroom approaches with
anyone who will listen. When she’s not working, Melissa spends most of her time at UCLA, visiting
her oldest daughter or on the softball field, watching her accomplished younger daughters play.
