For Peanut Impact Campaign - Learning Handbook | Empact

🔺 Problem

Picture walking through Baltimore's neighborhoods. You'll see young faces full of potential, but too many of them are trapped in a story they didn't choose.

35% of youth are below child poverty rate, juvenile crime is soaring with 1,200 cases per year and 13% of 16-24 year olds are not in school or working. There is an opportunity to shift the narrative and break cycles of poverty by bringing people together in positive ways, creating more enriching environments, and offering solutions that bridge the gaps of success.

 

❤️‍🔥 About the Impact Partner: Tender Bridge

🗞️ Important Facts

• Poverty significantly impairs educational outcomes for Baltimore's youth, creating a cycle of disadvantage that is difficult to break. Children from low-income families in Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) face numerous barriers to academic success:
• Over 50% of BCPS low-income students scored "below basic" in 4th and 8th grade reading exams1, highlighting a critical literacy gap.
• 63% of middle and high school students were failing at least one class during the 2020-21 school year1, exacerbated by pandemic-related disruptions.

• Baltimore has seen a concerning surge in juvenile crime rates in recent years, with overall juvenile crime increasing by 208% between 2022 and 2024 1
Some of the most alarming trends include:
• Car thefts and carjackings rose by 158%
• Robberies saw a staggering 1,347% increase
• Violent crimes are being committed by increasingly younger offenders 1

• To address this crisis, Baltimore is implementing a comprehensive violence prevention strategy:
• The plan focuses on integrating hospital systems, expanding focused deterrence initiatives, and launching school-based intervention programs 2.
• Additionally, Maryland's new Juvenile Justice Reform law, set to take effect in November, will expand charges for those under 13 to include sex offenses, gun violations, and animal cruelty cases 1.

❓FAQ

About the Director

Matthew is an award-winning filmmaker splitting his time between Los Angeles and the Bay Area. He began making film at the age of 12, exploring the world around him with a unique eye and perspective that continues to grow and evolve to this day. His dedication to his craft led him to New York University, where he received a degree in film production. He directed his first feature-length film, Friends of Mine, at the age of 22. The film premiered at the prestigious Hollywood Film Festival, where it screened in the iconic ArcLight Hollywood movie theater. Matthew then began directing commercials for brands such as Ralph Lauren, Apple, Meta, and more.

Matthew's love of music led him to collaborations with Jacob Collier, Shawn Mendes, Sam Fischer, and Romain Collin. Matthew's most recent feature-length film, This Land, premiered at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, the largest documentary film festival in the Western United States, and was praised by The New York Times as being "an intriguing time capsule" and was named the best documentary of the year by Film Threat.

Matthew’s work has been screened, published & exhibited globally on prime time TV, during the Winter Olympics, at the de Young Museum of Art, at the Berlin Commercial Awards, Cannes Lions, and film festivals around the world. His work in commercials and short films earned him the honor of being a part of the Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase, a Shots Creative’s Rising Star, an official nominee at the Berlin Commercial Awards, a two-time AICP nominee, and the recipient of eight Vimeo Staff Picks.

About a year ago, Sam Ott and I went to Baltimore to meet some coaches and players of the Baltimore Banners hockey team. We planned (and still plan) to make a feature film about the East Baltimore team founded by Noel Acton and wanted to learn more about the team firsthand. While there, we had the chance to meet and spend time with Daryl Fletcher and to say I was inspired by him is an understatement. His quiet maturity and wisdom floored me. For the few days we were in town, he shared this wisdom with me and Sam and let us capture it on camera. The short film For Peanut is the result of our time filming him for a few days with no plan or crew. We hope Daryl’s story inspires you like it did us. - Matthew Palmer, Beyond The Short