Films That Can Inspire Afterschool Leaders and Youth Participants

By Sam Piha

Source: www.pixarpost.com

There are a number of films which are relevant to the afterschool field and they can be easily streamed online. The holiday break is a perfect time to check them out. We discuss them below.

Inside Out  

Source: Inside Out

Inside Out, is a special gift for those who work in expanded learning programs. It echoes much of the research and work done on social emotional learning, character building, non-cognitive skills, growth mindsets, and our most recent knowledge of how the brain works. This Disney/Pixar animated film focuses on the emotions within an 11-year-old girl - emotions that battle for control and ways to influence her behavior. The film is an important tool in helping young people understand where their emotions come from, how to identify them, and empowering young people to manage their own feelings and behavior. You can view a LIAS Blog on Inside Out that we posted. We highly recommend you view the film. Better yet, watch it with a young friend who is 6 years or older.  

To watch or stream Inside Out, click here.

Finding the Gold Within 

Source: Finding the Gold Within

We first met filmmaker, Karina Epperlein, years ago at a screening of her film, Finding the Gold Within. This documentary chronicles the transition of young black men from high school to college, the issues of racism they encountered, and the role of Alchemy Inc., (Akron, Oh) an afterschool program supporting this transition. We were so taken by the film, that we sponsored several screenings in the San Francisco Bay Area which were followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker and Alchemy Inc. participants that were featured in the film. We later invited Ms. Epperlein, staff from Alchemy Inc. and an Alchemy youth participant to speak at a HKL conference. We also featured the film and filmmaker in several LIAS Blogs.

Film Synopsis: Finding the Gold Within follows six Black men from Akron, Ohio, through their first years of college. Despite their high levels of confidence and critical thinking, the stark reality of being away from their families and communities brings a series of crises. Each of them is determined to disprove society’s stereotypes and low expectations. In the intimate circle of Alchemy—which has been their “family” since sixth grade—they speak of their disappointments, despairs, trials and triumphs with a disarming honesty. Alchemy, Inc. and its leaders have been working in the school system in the Cleveland area, mentoring young black urban youth from middle through high school. –www.goldthefilm.com/synopsis

“Extremely topical… at times inspiring and funny, at other times heartbreaking and disturbing, and always fascinating. The conversations with these young men feature some of the most frank discussions about what it means to be black in America that I have ever heard.”– Pete Crooks, writer Diablo Magazine Interview

“Inspiring, heartbreaking, and unflinchingly honest, this film is not just about the journeys these men must take, but the journeys we all must share to bring about change.” – Clint Rohrbacher, Cleveland International Film Festival write-up

To watch or stream Karina's documentary, Finding the Gold Within, click here.

Brooklyn Castle

Source: Brooklyn Castle

Brooklyn Castle is a documentary about Intermediate School 318 (NYC) – a Title I school where more than 65 percent of students are living below the federal poverty level, that happens to have the best junior high chess team, bar none, in the country. We were so taken by the film, that we sponsored a special screening of it in Oakland, CA.

“The kids are happy to be at school and to stay at school past 3 p.m. because they know they are going to get to participate in the activity that they've chosen, and that they're starting to build a passion for … I guess the most important (LIAS Principle) I witnessed was that learning should expand the horizons of participants.” - Katie Dellamaggiore, Director and Producer of Brooklyn Castle. 

To watch or stream Brooklyn Castle, click here.

The Great Debaters

Source: The Great Debaters

This drama, starring Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker, is based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College, Texas. In 1935, he inspired students to form the school's first debate team, which went on to challenge Harvard in the national championship. 

Debate clubs are a valuable afterschool activity. To learn more, check out the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues. We also posted a LIAS Blog on this.

To watch or stream The Great Debaters, click here.

Source: National Association for Urban Debate Leagues

The Temescal Associates office will be closed for the holidays from 12/12/22 - 1/3/23. We'll be starting the new year off with a series of webinars in January that are not to be missed.

To register and learn more, click here.

"Inside Out" is On Point

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

Pixar is famous for feature-length, animated films that are appealing to both children and adults. Their films have included “Finding Nemo”, “Toy Story”, “Wall-E”, and “Up”. They have created some of the most enduring characters in film and have spoken to the archetypal issues of loss and resilience, of being lost and finding the way home, and the importance of friendship. 

Photo Credit: rollingstone.com

Their latest film, “Inside Out", is a special gift for those who work in expanded learning programs. It echoes much of the research and work done on social emotional learning, character building, non-cognitive skills, growth mindsets, and our most recent knowledge of how the brain works. 

"Inside Out" focuses on the emotions within an 11-year old girl - emotions that battle for control and ways to influence her behavior. The film is an important tool in helping young people understand where their emotions come from, how to identify them, and empowering young people to manage their own feelings and behavior. I highly recommend you see the film. Better yet, take along a young friend who is 6 years or older. 

Below, we cite some of the important takeaways from the film: 

- I HAVE FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS: It is important that young people appreciate that everyone has feelings and emotions deep inside. Sometimes these are the result of past experiences we have had but may not even remember. Sometimes we don’t know where they come from. It is especially important that young people develop the language and ability to describe their feelings and emotions. 

Photo Credit: playbuzz.com

- FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS CAN BE CONTRADICTORY AND MIXED: The film beautifully illustrates how different emotions can coexist. We can be both happy and sad. We can also experience anger that is rooted in hurt and sadness.

- FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS CAN EFFECT MY BEHAVIOR: If we want to help young people manage their feelings and behavior, it is essential that they understand what they are feeling and where it came from. Further, that these feelings and emotions can drive behavior.  

- IF I CAN UNDERSTAND MY OWN FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS, I CAN BETTER MANAGE MY OWN BEHAVIOR: Understanding feelings and managing one’s behavior is a skill that needs to be practiced. We want young people to experience the art of not immediately acting out their feelings through meanness or violence. 

Photo Credit: pixarpost.com

- IF I CAN UNDERSTAND MY OWN FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS, I CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND AND FEEL EMPATHY FOR OTHERS: When young people better understand themselves, they can put themselves in the shoes of others, thereby responding with understanding and empathy. 

In a future blog post, we will share some specific strategies to teach these lessons within expanded learning programs. 

For a recent article from the NY Times on the brain science behind the film, click here. For a recent interview by Terry Gross/NPR with film creator, Pete Doctor, click here. For a trailer of the film, click here.