On June 17, 2010, three EIU students led by Cameron Craig, geography instructor headed to Grand Isle, LA and Mobile Bay area, Alabama to document the impact the oil spill has had on humanity.  The project, created by Cameron Craig, focuses on the personal stories of those Gulf coast residents impacted by the oil spill that occured on April 20, 2010.  "Midwest residents get the broad picture of what is happening to the Gulf coast as a whole, " Craig said. "This project was created to delve into the human element of the oil spill on an individualistic point of view so that students and viewers can understand the more unknown stories."

Since the project team's return on Monday, June 21, 2010, the project has received media coverage and overwhelming interest throughout central Illinois and western Indiana.  Thus far, the project has yeilded several products included a five-part short series on WEIU-TVs Newswatch with Zach Nugent, an uncut one-hour interview with Dauphin Island residents for classroom viewing and discussion, and an initial sneak preview of the upcoming documentary, "Return to Paradise: Voices of the Human Spirit," coming Fall 2010.

Footage from the excursion was used to complete a five-part series for WEIU-TVs Newswatch with Zach Nugent.  The short series provides an insight to the issues that the residents of Dauphin Island are having to struggle with as the threat of oil looms in the boundary waters around their island.  The series can be found on the GEHD Project site.

A one-hour uncut interview has been produced that provides an exceptional educational experience on the impact the oil spill has on a small group of Dauphin Island residents.  The interview, in its entirety, yielded a lengthy and animated discussion in a senior seminar course at Eastern Illinois University.  Educators are strongly encouraged to use this interview in their classrooms to increase student awareness of the personal impact the oil has on the lives of Dauphin Island residents.  The interview will be available soon.

The project also provided the team a chance to connect and reflect while visiting with Gulf coast residents.  "It was an exceptional learning experience for the students as well as me, " Craig commented.  "We learned more from being their and discussing the struggle with the residents than we would have by watching the news."

The project was a productive success.  It would not have come to fruition without the generous support from contributors.  The team greatly appreciates the learning opportunity the contributors have provided.

Learn more about the project and see articles, video clips, and teacher resouces on the TCPFilm website.

Be sure to visit our blog at GEHD.BLOGSPOT.COM. We invite residents of the Gulf coast to provide their stories and insights about what is happening to them so that more information can be passed to viewers and students.  For more information about this project, contact Cameron Craig via email at cdcraig@eiu.edu.