Bring Global Stories to Your Campus
Start a SIMA Film Club — a student-led space where documentary films become the spark for dialogue, curiosity, and connection.
SIMA Film Clubs are about seeing clearly, thinking independently, and leading courageously.
Explore stories from around the world
Experience powerful documentaries that open your eyes to global perspectives and real-world issues.
Lead your peers in meaningful conversations
Discover your voice as a leader by guiding discussions that inspire curiosity, empathy, and action among your classmates.
Earn global leadership certification
Gain recognized leadership experience and certification that sets you apart on college, scholarship, and job applications.
Build your resume with real-world experience
Gain hands-on leadership, event hosting, and civic engagement experience that stands out on your college and career applications.
Our Mission
To empower students to connect global issues to local realities — fostering critical inquiry, media literacy, and civic agency through the power of film.
“Stories shape how we see the world. SIMA Film Clubs help students shape it for the better.” — Educator, India
How It Works
A SIMA Film Club is a student-led initiative hosted at your school or organization, with support from a faculty advisor. Clubs meet regularly (weekly, monthly, or throughout the school year) to:
- Watch selected short documentaries from SIMA Academy
- Discuss key questions and themes
- Reflect and respond by connecting film insights to local projects or initiatives
Join a Global Movement
SIMA Film Clubs are active across the U.S., Africa, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. By starting one, you become part of a global network of young people using storytelling to transform the way we learn, connect, and lead.
Examples of Student-Led Projects:
- United States: Town hall on sustainable agriculture and fundraiser for non-GMO farmers.
- Nigeria: Growing Together: Trees and Dreams — 200+ trees planted through arts and climate education.
- India: Student podcast on food safety and consumer rights.
- Sri Lanka: Pens for a Greener Future — recycling 10,000+ pens and supporting women entrepreneurs.
- Hong Kong: Girls Re:generate — a campus campaign on gender equity and domestic violence.
- Germany: FN&N Project — funding a clean water well in Uganda serving 800+ households.
“SIMA’s documentaries have taught me about responsibility, effort, and solidarity. Documentaries provide us with an authentic perspective, one that is exponentially more powerful than simply reading about or listening to a lecture on a culture.”
– Emilio Diez Barroso, Student Film Club Leader, Aiglon College, Switzerland
Recognition & Certification
Students who complete four screenings and one classroom or community project per year receive the SIMA Leadership Certificate, recognizing their initiative to inspire dialogue and engagement through global storytelling.
Certificate recipients are featured on the SIMA Academy platform and social channels and are automatically entered for nomination to the SIMA Changemaker Awards, celebrating outstanding creativity, collaboration, and real-world impact created by young leaders worldwide. These credentials strengthen college applications, résumés, and scholarship profiles.
Example: “Earned the SIMA Leadership Certificate for leading school-wide initiatives that fostered dialogue and civic engagement through global documentary storytelling.”
Ready to Start Your Club?
Launch a SIMA Film Club and bring global stories to your campus.
FAQ
Thinking about starting a SIMA Film Club? Here’s everything you need to know.
A SIMA Film Club is a student-led space where stories spark conversation. You and your peers choose powerful short documentaries about the issues that matter to you — from climate and equality to innovation and identity — and use them to open dialogue, challenge perspectives, and explore new ideas together.
As a Film Club leader, you’ll build skills in collaboration, critical thinking, and civic agency — and can earn the official SIMA Leadership Certificate for your achievements. It’s your chance to bring global stories to your campus and help shape how your generation sees the world.
Students in high school, university, or leadership programs can apply to start a SIMA Film Club — as long as their school or hosting institution is an active SIMA Academy subscriber.
If your school or program doesn’t yet subscribe, talk to a teacher, librarian, or administrator about bringing SIMA Academy to your campus — and invite them to reach out to us for support at hello@simaacademy.com.
Before registering, share your idea with a teacher, counselor, or administrator. Explain that SIMA Film Clubs:
- Use award-winning documentaries from SIMA Academy, aligned with global learning goals
- Encourage critical thinking and dialogue
- Build students’ civic agency through storytelling and shared reflection
- Provide recognition opportunities like the SIMA Leadership Certificate and SIMA Changemaker Award
Once your school confirms participation and has an active SIMA Academy subscription, you’re ready to register your club.
Then you’re ready to get started! Register your SIMA film club and use your School’s Access Code to unlock SIMA Academy’s film library to choose the title for your first screening.
Can’t find your School’s Access Code? Ask your teacher, administrator or Librarian.
Contact us here and we’ll send your school an invitation to join.
SIMA Academy features over 280 award-winning documentaries from more than 100 countries — covering themes such as human rights, gender equality, innovation, climate resilience, education, and social innovation.
Films come with filmmaker Q&As, that help your club connect ideas to the world around you.
You can stream directly via your computer browser, any iOS or Android device with the SIMA Academy App, or choose to connect your device to a projector or TV screen. SIMA Academy is also optimized for in-app downloads, which allows you to stream in low and no Wifi environments.
Once registered, your club will receive a Welcome Kit that includes:
- Your School’s Access Code for SIMA Academy
- A Student Leader Guide with step-by-step setup instructions
- Discussion prompts, filmmaker Q&As, and sample schedules
- Details on the SIMA Leadership Certificate and Changemaker Awards
Announcement templates to share with your school community
Most clubs meet monthly, but you can set your own schedule — weekly, bi-monthly, or once per term. The important part is creating space for open dialogue and exploration through film.
Each club is encouraged to translate what they learn into creative or community expressions — such as art exhibits, podcasts, or campus initiatives — but the focus is always on connection, understanding, and reflection through storytelling first.
Once you confirm your schools SIMA Academy subscription and have identified a Faculty Advisor, complete the short form here:
👉 Register Your Film Club
We’re here to support you. Email us at hello@simaacademy.com for questions or guidance. Visit www.simaacademy.com to learn more about SIMA Academy and how to bring it to your school.
