When George Lucas talks about Edutopia, he isn’t describing a planet in a galaxy far, far away.

The Star Wars filmmaker is committed to creating this world with his George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF). In Edutopia, curious students use the most recent technologies to work together on special projects, with the support of dedicated teachers and involved members of the community. "It’s a shame when young people don’t like going to school and aren’t engaged by the experience," says Lucas (above left). "Edutopia is what we think learning looks like at its best."

Growing up in California, Lucas was a bored daydreamer in class, uninspired by the take-notes, take-a-test mentality. He established GLEF in 1991 to make a different experience for future generations. The foundation would provide what Lucas considers to be a missing piece in the national debate about school reform: a picture of an ideal educational system. To do so, GLEF has collected hundreds of innovative success stories from schools around the country and passed on their lessons to educators, legislators and parents via films, CD-ROMs, books, newsletters and a Web site. The foundation hopes to stimulate involvement and guide choices for reform. "Education is the engine of our democracy," says GLEF executive director Milton Chen. "We’re trying to reach out with a vision of what schools can become."

In 1997, Lucas produced Learn & Live, a documentary hosted by Robin Williams (above) highlighting schools with learning approaches Lucas sees as the essence of Edutopia. (For example, a Chula Vista, Calif., class studies insects under an electron microscope via a fiber-optic video connection to a local university.) Hailed by some as one of the most comprehensive education films ever, the documentary has aired on 75 public television stations; 90,000 copies and a companion book have been distributed to reformers interested in improving schools.

In October GLEF launched a Web site, Teaching in the Digital Age, that will use film, articles and links to help teachers get the most out of digital technology. The foundation will also disseminate the Internet content as videos, CDs, newsletters and books.

Lucas not only funds most of the GLEF productions himself, he also takes a lead in the content. "I have been amazed at how he will make time for the foundation," Chen says. While in Australia last summer directing the next Star Wars episode, Lucas advised on film segments for Teaching in the Digital Age. He also writes for the foundation newsletter and regularly meets with Chen and GLEF staff.

"Success for us is knowing people are learning from and sharing this information, that it’s helping them change their school communities," says Lucas. "It’s a struggle sometimes, but we’re committed to it."