Corporate Vision Short-Form Films for Long-Term Learning Shaped by shifting attention spans and digital habits, the way students connect with information is changing. The Driving Force Institute is leading the response to this shift, delivering engaging shortform history films that meet learners where they are and reshape how the subject is taught. As The Driving Force Institute is named in the Corporate Excellence Awards 2025, we spoke with Founder and CEO Patrick Riccards for more. As tens of millions of students across the country shifted to virtual learning overnight in 2020 and left teachers desperate for new and engaging learning materials, one company rose to meet this challenge in a digital learning environment. In such an unprecedented period, The Driving Force Institute leveraged its expertise to transform the teaching and learning of American history through short-form films designed to meet students where they already were: online. Today, The Driving Force Institute stands as one of the nation’s largest producers of American history education films, having produced more than 500 films and reached more than 60 million users across the globe since its founding. The content provider is dedicated to exploring untold narratives, bringing inclusive history to students and classrooms, and ensuring its content resonates with teenage audiences. Its topics range from overlooked historical figures to pivotal moments that shaped the nation, all delivered in a format that fits seamlessly into modern attention spans. “Knowledge is our goal, and we succeed in helping all learners achieve it.” Unlike traditional education providers, The Driving Force Institute has reimagined how history is delivered to meet the habits and expectations of modern learners. Recognising that today’s students consume content primarily through platforms like TikTok and YouTube, The Driving Force Institute produces short-form films, each approximately two minutes long, that mirror the pace and style of social media. These bite-sized capsules of learning are designed to be both accessible and engaging, offering a format that feels familiar while delivering substance. This strategic approach not only captures attention but also encourages repeat engagement. By keeping content concise and visually dynamic, The Driving Force Institute ensures that students can explore history in a way that feels intuitive and relevant. All the organisation’s films are available open source on YouTube, making them easy to access and share across classrooms and communities. Teachers can use these films to introduce new topics, sparking discussion and encouraging independent exploration. At the core of The Driving Force Institute’s work is a belief that history education should not only be informative but provoke curiosity in learners. This philosophy drives the way it approaches storytelling, opting to spotlight lesser-known figures, events, and artifacts that challenge conventional narratives and encourage students to see history as a living, evolving conversation instead of a static list of dates. “Our goal is to help all learners begin to think like historians,” Patrick explained. “We want all of our users to become critical thinkers, to ask tough questions, and to constantly go down rabbit holes to explore what other important information they have not been taught through traditional texts.” This year, The Driving Force Institute has made waves in the education sector, most recently earning itself recognition as the Most Engaging American History Content Provider 2025. Looking ahead, it intends to continue this trajectory with the launch of a professional development platform aimed at helping educators connect more effectively with digital-native students. Designed with input from teachers to ensure that it reflects real classroom needs and challenges, the platform will offer tools and training to support teachers in using short-form video content in the classroom. In addition to this, The Driving Force Institute is also looking ahead to a major upcoming project: Essentials, which will take the form of a 500-film series created to mark the United States’ 250th anniversary. Developed in close collaboration with some of the largest names in education, history, and museums, this series will anchor a new website, history.org. The site is designed to serve as a central resource for history education and will offer one of the most comprehensive short-form history collections available to educators. “Now, more than ever, we see how important it is to learn, know, and appreciate our history,” Patrick concluded. “Such knowledge makes us better learners, better workers, and better citizens.” Contact: Patrick Riccards Company: Driving Force Institute Web Address: www.drivingforceinstitute.org
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUyMDQwMA==