Reed Cowan
Encyclopedia
Reed Cowan is a documentary film maker and screenwriter.
He is a philanthropist and multiple Emmy Award
winner and multiple Emmy Award nominee.
Cowan responded to his son's death by reevaluating his life and dedicating himself to helping others in order to honor the memory of his son. He addressed his personal tragedy and his subsequent efforts to build schools in Kenya during that country's post-election violence of 2007 in his documentary, The Other Side of the Lens.
's Masai Mara
. Shortly after his loss, Cowan started The Wesley Smiles Coalition to work in tandem with Free the Children
, started by Craig Kielburger
. After raising substantial monies for the projects in Africa in the first year after his son's death, Cowan opened schools, water treatment facilities, mobile-medical clinics and other community infrastructure along Enelerai road in Kenya and in Kenya's Motoni district. Cowan's journey to Africa was chronicled by the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where he told reporters, "I will raise at least one school a year in my son's name until the day I die."
Cowan is on the advisory board for Free The Children and is producer of the youth organization Power In You. Cowan drafted the first legislation in Utah aimed at the stopping of bullying in school. The resolution passed unanimously in Utah's House and Senate.
Cowan drafted the first legislation in Utah specifically aimed at curbing bullying in school. Sponsored in the Utah house by Representative Ronda Menlove and in the Utah Senate by Senator Patrice M. Arent, the resolution against bullying, harassment and intimidation in schools was the first of its kind and called for a formal reporting system and cohesive school-to-school response in instances of school bullying. The resolution passed unanimously in Utah's House and Senate. At hearings testifying in favor of the resolution, Cowan told of his own years of being picked on in school, saying "lets send a message to Utah kids that we care about their safety and happiness at school."
He is a philanthropist and multiple Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winner and multiple Emmy Award nominee.
Personal tragedy
On April 23, 2006, Cowan's son, Wesley Cowan, died in his mother's back yard after falling from a horizontal set of monkey bars. Cowan, who is divorced from his son's mother, arrived on-scene moments after emergency crews arrived to find TV cameras focused on his own personal tragedy. The event made national news and Cowan granted his first interview on the tragedy speaking about his experience of being "on the other side of the lens".Cowan responded to his son's death by reevaluating his life and dedicating himself to helping others in order to honor the memory of his son. He addressed his personal tragedy and his subsequent efforts to build schools in Kenya during that country's post-election violence of 2007 in his documentary, The Other Side of the Lens.
Activism and charitable activity
One year after his son's death, Cowan traveled to Africa to open two Wesley Cowan schools in AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
's Masai Mara
Masai Mara
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is a large game reserve in south-western Kenya, which is effectively the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania...
. Shortly after his loss, Cowan started The Wesley Smiles Coalition to work in tandem with Free the Children
Free The Children
Free The Children is an international charity and youth movement founded in 1995 by children's rights advocate Craig Kielburger. The organization is largely youth-funded, based on the concept of "children helping children." It specializes in sustainable development in countries of Kenya, Ecuador,...
, started by Craig Kielburger
Craig Kielburger
Craig Kielburger, CM, MSM, OMC is a Canadian activist for the rights of children. He is the founder of Free The Children and co-founder of Me to We. On February 20, 2007, he was named a Member of the Order of Canada by the Governor General of Canada.-Early life:Kielburger was born in Thornhill,...
. After raising substantial monies for the projects in Africa in the first year after his son's death, Cowan opened schools, water treatment facilities, mobile-medical clinics and other community infrastructure along Enelerai road in Kenya and in Kenya's Motoni district. Cowan's journey to Africa was chronicled by the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where he told reporters, "I will raise at least one school a year in my son's name until the day I die."
Cowan is on the advisory board for Free The Children and is producer of the youth organization Power In You. Cowan drafted the first legislation in Utah aimed at the stopping of bullying in school. The resolution passed unanimously in Utah's House and Senate.
Cowan drafted the first legislation in Utah specifically aimed at curbing bullying in school. Sponsored in the Utah house by Representative Ronda Menlove and in the Utah Senate by Senator Patrice M. Arent, the resolution against bullying, harassment and intimidation in schools was the first of its kind and called for a formal reporting system and cohesive school-to-school response in instances of school bullying. The resolution passed unanimously in Utah's House and Senate. At hearings testifying in favor of the resolution, Cowan told of his own years of being picked on in school, saying "lets send a message to Utah kids that we care about their safety and happiness at school."