Burlington event explores solutions to the politicization of schools and ideological division tearing communities apart through film, panel discussions, and keynote addresses

VERMONT — The “United We Stand Media Fest” on Saturday, October 3^rd in Burlington, Vermont will address the ideological polarization in American communities through documentaries, social media content, presentations by national speakers and panel discussions with local organizers.

The event’s feature documentary film, 15 Days: The REAL Story of the Pandemic School Closures, directed by Natalya Murakhver, reveals why America’s school closures lasted longer than “15 days to slow the spread.” The film shares the voices of children and families nationwide, exposing devastating learning loss, mental health crises, and inequality that resulted from mandates which were imposed in schools much longer than they were in other institutions and nations worldwide. 

The film also reveals how key science was available and ignored, and examines how unions and activists influenced school response measures.

The filmmaker and her mother, Raisa Murakhver, will both be speaking at the Burlington event on October 3^rd, addressing the politicization of school systems that was ushered in during the COVID-19 crisis and how it relates to their experiences living in the Soviet Union.

Prior to the feature film, there will be an afternoon of short documentaries and social media reels by local producers exploring the connections between the pandemic response measures, the politicization of our schools and the rise in socialist ideology in our communities.

Interspersed between the media offerings will be presentations and panel conversations with local and national researchers and organizational leaders.

Speakers

Ken Pope is returning to Vermont to speak at the United We Stand Media Fest regarding the importance of depoliticizing the classroom and going “beyond emotions and slogans to an objective history of communism.” He will also present short films by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, where he serves as a senior fellow.

Jennifer Richmond of the Institute for Liberal Values will address the foreign influences on U.S. public school systems and the need to return to our country’s founding principles: “When we center the individual and honor pluralism as the bedrock of our society, our differences become something to embrace rather than divide.”

Dr. James Lindsay, researcher, mathematician and author of “Translations from the Wokish: A Social Justice Encyclopedia” and “The Marxification of Education” will give a keynote addressing strategies to confront and overcome ideologies which are meant to divide: “What’s going on here? Parents deserve to know. Our children deserve far better than this. Our nation and its future depend on correcting it.”

Local organizational leaders will provide local context and relevance by participating in two panel conversations and offering display tables with educational materials available throughout the day. 

Local panelists will include: Alison Despathy, Vermont Stands Up board member and journalist; Seth Fewer, student president of the Barre Activism Hub; Marie Tiemann, co-founder and president of SPEAKVT for Parents in Education, Pastor Ed Wheeler, creator of the Americanism & Marxism Vermont symposium; and Clara Morrison, Executive Director of Right for Vermont Foundation. 

Sponsors

Spoonsors of the United We Stand Media Fest include the producers of the event’s feature film, Restore Childhood and Main Street Landing, which is providing the film house for the event. The event is also being organized and facilitated by Vermont Stands Up. 

Vermont Stands Up is a grassroots organization uniting Vermonters from all backgrounds and political affiliations around a shared commitment to freedom, civic accountability, and open dialogue. Founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has grown into a broader movement dedicated to bridging the divides that too often separate neighbors, believing that Vermonters have more in common than the issues that split them apart. Through educational events, community forums, and advocacy work, Vermont Stands Up creates space for honest conversation and mutual understanding — bringing people together across differences to strengthen the civic fabric of the state. 

Registration

Pre-registration is required. Tickets can be purchased on the United We Stand Media Fest’s Eventbrite page. $20 early-bird tickets are for sale through September 30^th, increasing to $30 on October 1^st.

More information is available at the VermontStandsUp.org. Sponsorship and media inquiries can be directed through the contact form on the organization’s website.