FREEPORT – Freeport resident Brett Pierce founded the nonprofit educational initiative called Meridian Stories in 2011 as a response to the question, “How do you get youth to re-channel the massive, daily energy that is expended online toward deeper explorations of meaningful, curricular content?”

Meridian Stories began with 13 schools and two years later, it grew to 35- – almost all from Maine and one from Michigan. Recently, two Freeport Middle School teams won first-place Meridian Awards that his nonprofit sponsored, beating out seven other entries. Pierce’s colleague, Bob Moore of Freeport, asked the students to identify a critical local problem: Propose a solution using Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); implement that solution; and create an engaging video narrative about the whole process.

Pierce, 55, who also runs a company called Steel River Productions, grew up in Rye, N.Y., a suburb of New York City. Following high school, he majored in theater at Kenyon College in Ohio and then taught English and drama at a private school in Virginia for three years. Pierce is a former producer with Sesame Workshop, the creators of “Sesame Street.” He lives in Freeport with his wife and his two children, Ethan, 16, and Maya, 14, both students at Freeport High School. Pierce says he and his family moved to Freeport because of its extensive conservation areas, gorgeous coastline, and vibrant downtown area.

Last week, Pierce answered some questions regarding his interest in education for the Tri-Town Weekly.

Q: Could you give us a little more background on your interest in the betterment of our young people?

A: The possibility to become really excited by an idea or a character or a story or a discovery happens in either middle or high school. At that point, complex thinking is possible and a person’s passion can be found and nurtured. If you miss that – if learning is just perceived as an unjust burden that needs to be survived – then the loss is almost tragic. I love working – directly or indirectly – with kids in that age range to help ensure that they breakthrough to a topic – intellectual, humorous, mechanical, theatrical, scientific, humanistic – that they find stimulating.

Q: What do you do at Steel River Productions?

A: The name comes from a documentary on the New York City subway system that my wife, Kerry Michaels co-produced called “River of Steel.” It is a company under which I do freelance work in the development and production of curricular-driven media. I am currently working on two projects through Steel River. The first is a radio drama for youth in South Sudan through the U.S. Institute of Peace, and the second is a new version of “Sesame Street” in the Arab Gulf States called “Iftah Ya Simsim” (Open Sesame).

Q: Do you think we’re doing a good job with public education? What could we do better?

A: I don’t give a lot of thought to the large issues that drive public education – standards-based learning and the like. I am not in the classroom. For me, it comes down to the people, the teachers. The success of my kids’ public education comes down to a handful of stunning teachers who have connected with them. So, the driving issue of public education for me has to do with the recruitment of quality teachers – people who know their content and who are motivated by being in a room with minds that are forming.

Q: How did you develop Meridian Stories?

A: The genesis of the idea came from working on a reality game show with Iraqi youth called “Salam Shabab” (Peace, Youth). In that TV series, teams of youth were challenged to create short films on topics about family, gender, tolerance, diversity and the like. These films were a part of a larger competition to become “Ambassadors of Peace.” I learned from that experience 1.) the amazing capacity of youth to use digital media to create stories; and 2.) that friendly and supportive competitive environments could bring out the best in kids. I have tried to bring those two ideas together to inform the creation of Meridian Stories.

Q: How long did it take to develop and how would you go about making this a national program?

A: The nonprofit initiative is entering its fourth year. The mission of Meridian Stories is “to prepare students for the 21st century workplace by providing opportunities to collaborate, create, problem solve and lead in the development and production of meaningful digital narratives to address curricular goals.” I am very fortunate to have Bob Moore, an incredibly smart and thoughtful Freeport resident, working with me on the development of content and new strategic directions. But the challenges ahead are large. Going to scale – which is the only way to ensure the financial stability of the enterprise – will take some seed grant money, lots of continued hustle on a school-by-school, district-by-district basis, and the inclusion of more brainpower in the areas of social media, marketing, STEM and fundraising.

Q: You must be pleased with the performance of the Freeport Middle School team. What does that tell us about the school?

A: The Freeport Middle School teams in this unique challenge – let’s be frank – crushed the competition. They were disciplined, focused, diligent and great storytellers. They were impassioned. The teams had inspired leaders. The school gave them the freedom to pursue this, and with vigor.

“The driving issue of public education for me has to do with the recruitment of quality teachers,” says Brett Pierce of Freeport, who runs an educational nonprofit called Meridian Stories.