Listen: Community Film Screening and Discussion on Student Mental Health

8301 East Buckeye Avenue,Spokane Valley WA 99212

16 February, 2023

Description

An Invitation to a “Listen Experience”: A Feature Film Screening and Community Discussion Featuring Filmmaker and Social Strategist: Erahm Christopher Co-Sponsored: By the Alliance for Innovative Educational Redesign, ESD 101, West Valley School District, and the Reardan-Edwall School District. The Issue: Student Mental Health in our Schools, Community, and our Nation. The Film: “Listen” is a provocative Hollywood movie inspired by Erahm Christopher’s experience working with over million youth across the United States, Canada, and Europe. In the film, a high school counselor with no support and little respect, sets out to aid a group of youths struggling to be heard. Christopher has used his poignant film as a catalyst to create safe spaces for vital mental health conversations in schools, Universities, communities, hospitals, and non-profit organizations, across the United States and Canada. He uses his films to shift perspective about youth mental health and inspire positive behavior change that improves school culture. To date, Christopher has reached over 8 million people with his content and saved countless lives. The Event: AIER in conjunction with ESD 101 is offering a free screening of this film on February 16th at 6:00pm, West Valley High School Theater. After the screening Christopher will facilitate an interactive discussion about the film and its implications for the Spokane region, our students, and our schools. Special guests from the Reardan School district who have been working with the film and Christopher for over a year will be present to share their experience and the impact in the district. The “Listen Experience” is a powerful and provocative exploration of the impact trauma, anxiety, depression, bullying, and suicide are having on the lives of our students in and out of school. Addressing student mental health issues in school has become more and more critical in recent years. The recent pandemic has made the crisis in student mental health worse. In his recent article in the New York Times, Harvard educator Jal Metha says: We often are in such a rush in school — from one class to the next, from one topic to another — that we don’t remember that the fundamental job is to partner with families to raise successful human beings. The pandemic is helping many of us to think about our students in a fuller and more holistic way; we should remember that when the COVID crisis ends. (NYT 12/23/20 - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/23/opinion/covid-schools-vaccine.html So, we invite you to a “Listen Experience” How do I participate? If you would like to attend the Listen Experience you can sign-up at the Eventbrite link below. The viewing opportunity is free, but we request that if you do take advantage of this opportunity to view the film, that you also agree to stay and participate in the interactive discussion (discussion or debrief?) following the film. When: The “Listen Experience” will be held on February 16th starting at 6:00pm. The film is just over 90 minutes long we expect the discussion to go about another 90 minutes after the film is completed. Where: The “Listen Experience” will take place in the West Valley High School Theater; West Valley High School, 8301 E. Buckeye, Spokane, WA 992128301 E Buckeye, Spokane, WA 99212 Important Notes The film features depictions and discussion about teen-body image, bullying, abuse, self-harm, gang violence, trauma, family conflict, and teen suicide ideation. We encourage anyone considering attending the “Listen Experience” to review the links below. Participation is limited - we only have 100 seats available - so sign-up soon.. And please, commit to attending the forum discussion after viewing the film on 2/16. If you have questions about participation in this community forum event, please contact Mike Poutiatine at AIER: [email protected]. Information about the “Listen” film and the film’s director: Film Maker Erahm Christopher – at TEDx Spokane 2022: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTk5fjuajzY&t=34s Other links: http://listenthemovie.com/ https://vimeo.com/466707691 https://eagleeye.news/artsandleisure/listen-displays-various-teenage-conflicts/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1789431/ If you would like to view the film on your own, you can do so through this link for a minimal cost: https://gumroad.com/l/LbXAZ