On native lands of the Upper Midwest, in the hollows of Appalachia and in West Coast migrant camps, parents contemplate a compromised future for their children, facing depressed local economies and soaring dropout rates. But a growing body of research on quality child development offers hope for breaking the cycle of inter-generational poverty. Three diverse filmmaking teams set out across rural America, exploring the lives of our youngest citizens and telling the stories of families and communities coming together- against the odds- to guide their children into successful graduates of the Class of ‘27. The three stories focus on students, educators, parents and guardians in three locations: Owsley County, KY, the poorest county in the US; along the West Coast with children of farm workers; and in White Earth Nation, the largest and poorest Native American reservation in Minnesota. Shot in observational style, the beauty and poverty of these American settings and the challenges our youngest citizens, their families and school systems face, come into stark relief. Award-winning writers who grew up in similar circumstances will introduce each story.