THE MONARCH SCHOOL AND INSTITUTE
Serving students with neurological differences
Story & Intent
Monarch is a specialized educational and therapeutic school serving students with neurological differences, focused on individualized learning, development, and long-term growth. As a donor-supported nonprofit, continued fundraising is essential to sustaining and expanding its programs, with storytelling playing a central role in connecting donors to student outcomes and need. Our work is created to bridge that gap by translating daily experiences within the school into a deeper emotional and contextual understanding of its mission. Through photography and video, we help communicate progress, dignity, and potential in a way that supports fundraising efforts, strengthens grant applications, builds public awareness, and fosters trust with prospective families.
Creative & Production Approach
Production at Monarch is fully immersive, with full-day shoots structured around the school's class schedule and movement across multiple classrooms and learning levels. Content is captured candidly throughout the day, adapting to the natural rhythm of the school while remaining highly sensitive to student needs and regulated environments.
Interview days are dedicated sessions with students, staff, and parents, adding deeper narrative context to the observational footage captured across the year. Each production cycle is guided by an overarching storytelling theme that shapes both what is filmed and how it ultimately comes together.
The edit becomes a process of finding meaning in unscripted moments, shaping real experiences into a cohesive narrative aligned with the intended emotional arc. The final work is created for Monarch's annual gala and broader outreach, designed to connect audiences to the heart of the mission while supporting the fundraising that sustains the school.
PHOTOGRAPHY / VIDEOGRAPHY
SHORT-LONG FORM VIDEOS, DOCUMENTARY PHOTOS
The work is central to Monarch's annual gala and fundraising efforts, where films consistently generate strong emotional response from live audiences, often aligning with increased donation activity during and after the event.
Beyond the gala, the content continues to support donor outreach, awareness, and fundraising conversations throughout the year, helping communicate the school's mission to both new and returning supporters and strengthening ongoing relationships with sponsors and attendees.
Feedback from staff, families, and audiences has reinforced the emotional clarity and authenticity of the storytelling, with the work serving as a bridge between student experience and the community that sustains the school.
The Campaigns
The edit becomes a process of finding meaning in unscripted moments, shaping real experiences into a cohesive narrative aligned with the intended emotional arc.
Ashkan Studios - The Monarch School Documentary
