Biography

Fred Stawitz—author, educator, and filmmaker—has devoted the majority of his professional life to issues of education, professional development, and helping others learn more about the world and their surroundings. In 2011, he partnered with Dr. Virgil A. Wood to help organize the FREE The Dream movement.

Stawitz is President of StoryMakers, Inc., an enterprise for the production of books, videos, and other creative products in support of public interest advocacy issues.

He coauthored “Homeboy’s Soul: Pride, Terror & Street Justice in America” (2010) with a former gang leader from East L.A. County. Soon after publication, this book placed second in the Latino Family and Book Festival and received honorable mention at the Hollywood Book Festival.

Stawitz penned and produced the play “Soldier Mom” (1995) which was honored by the Gulf War Veteran’s Association and has authored several screenplays which have placed in national competitions.

As an instructor with the Topeka Public Schools, Stawitz earned an A+ for Excellence in Education Award from the National Education Association and a national Honors Teaching Award from NASA and the National Science Teachers Association. In addition, he served as president of a regional alternative education association and has extensive experience working with at-risk youth.

He worked as a volunteer camera operator and audio engineer for KTWU-TV, a PBS affiliate in Topeka, on regularly produced live call-in programs. He earned a certificate in video production from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.

In 1990, Stawitz joined Rockwell Space Operations where he created a technical training program for the Space Shuttle Flight Design Group and developed desktop simulations used to train the astronauts on complex shuttle systems.

He left Rockwell to head up the development of computer-based training and production of technical training videos for El Paso Corporation which operated America’s most extensive network of natural gas pipelines.

Stawitz graduated from Washburn University with dual degrees in mathematics and computer science backed by a minor in foreign languages.

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