Youth Voice Film Screenings Line-Up
Monday, April 16th:
Education of Shelby Knox: Main Library (101 N. Stone Ave.), 4:00 – 6:30pm
NOTE: This film is not rated, but contains some strong language and reference to sex education practices.
The Lubbock, Texas, high school Shelby Knox attends maintains a strict Abstinence Until Married sex education policy, even though the county's teen pregnancy and STD rates top the chart. We meet the precocious Shelby in her sophomore year. She is instantly recognizable as a good girl with a supportive family, someone who has a natural propensity for doing the right thing and asking hard questions. She sees it as the duty of her city-sponsored youth organization to reform the school's sex-ed policies. As the town polarizes, Shelby is labeled "the Sex Ed Girl" by local media, but she is unflappable, and for the next three years, we follow her along a path of personal awareness and self-taught activism. Her way's not easy because two of her role models are her father, a self-proclaimed conservative Republican, and a youth minister of True Love Waits, a national movement to "save" young people for their wedding night. 75 minutes, facilitated by Planned Parenthood’s Teen Advisory Group
Ryan’s Well: Wilmot Library (530 N. Wilmot Rd.), 4:00 – 6:00pm
When Ryan is 7, he comes home from school and asks his mother for $70 to help build a well in the remote community in Uganda where his pen pal, Jimmy, lives. Ryan does dishes, laundry and other chores to raise the money. When he finds out that the actual cost to build the well is $2000, he enlists friends and they work together to reach his goal. This remarkable young boy will eventually raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. In this moving documentary we meet Ryan and his family, neighbors and friends who help him raise the money. We travel to Uganda and witness the meeting of the two very special pen pals, and the inaugural pumping of "Ryan's Well." At this extraordinary moment, Ryan realizes that he has more friends in Uganda than just Jimmy. He has won the hearts of the entire community, and changed their lives forever. Ryan's is a classic story of "the power of one." This film shows first hand how one determined spirit, regardless of age, can inspire an entire generation. 25 minutes, facilitated by Every Voice in Action Youth Crew
Walkout: Valencia Library (202 W. Valencia Rd.), 4:00 – 6:30pm
A film with a powerful message that resonates 38 years after the events it depicts occurred, Walkout is the stirring true story of the Chicano students of East LA, who in 1968 staged several dramatic walkouts in their high schools to protest academic prejudice and dire school conditions. Aided by a popular and progressive young teacher, Sal Castro, Paula Crisostomo and a group of young Chicano activists battle parents, teachers, bureaucrats, the police and public opinion to make their point. Along the way, the students learn profound lessons about embracing their own identity and standing up for what they believe in. Set in 1968, a tumultuous year that shook America to its foundation, Walkout is a vivid reminder that people can change the world. 110 minutes
Tuesday, April 17th:
Action, Not Apathy!: Marana High School (12000 W. Emigh Rd.), Empire High School (10701 E. Maryann Cleveland Way), and Rincon High School (422 N. Arcadia Ave.), after school various times
Get informed, get organized, and get involved in politics on the local and national level! Co-hosted by youth advocate and actor Malik Yoba, this episode highlights young people who are making a difference: the country's youngest mayor, a group of Boston teens who speak out at the Democratic and Republican Conventions, and students who are working with school boards and city halls to make positive changes actually happen. For the inspired and motivated, we map out practical tactics and steps you can take to make your own mark. 30 min.
Wednesday, April 18th:
Ryan’s Well: Lauffer Middle School (5385 E. Littletown Rd.), 12:00 – 1:00pm
When Ryan is 7, he comes home from school and asks his mother for $70 to help build a well in the remote community in Uganda where his pen pal, Jimmy, lives. Ryan does dishes, laundry and other chores to raise the money. When he finds out that the actual cost to build the well is $2000, he enlists friends and they work together to reach his goal. This remarkable young boy will eventually raise hundreds of thousands of dollars. In this moving documentary we meet Ryan and his family, neighbors and friends who help him raise the money. We travel to Uganda and witness the meeting of the two very special pen pals, and the inaugural pumping of "Ryan's Well." At this extraordinary moment, Ryan realizes that he has more friends in Uganda than just Jimmy. He has won the hearts of the entire community, and changed their lives forever. Ryan's is a classic story of "the power of one." This film shows first hand how one determined spirit, regardless of age, can inspire an entire generation. 25 minutes
Thursday, April 19th:
Double Feature: Mighty Times: The Children’s March and Video Project by students of the Social Justice Education Project – Loft Cinema (3233 E. Speedway), 6:00 – 8:30pm
On May 2, 1963, the children of Birmingham, Ala., flooded the city's streets — and the city's jail — to challenge segregation. With dogs and fire hoses, police tried to stop them. Yet, in ways their parents could not, the children prevailed, defying the police intimidation that long had plagued Birmingham's black community. The Children's March tells the story of how the young people of Birmingham, Ala. brought segregation to its knees. Their heroism complements discussions about the ability of today's young people to be catalysts for positive social change. 40 min. Note: Children's March has some language and images that may be inappropriate for small children.
The Video Project by the Social Justice Education Project students focuses on the immigration issues and the student walkouts in Tucson last year, and looks at issues like student involvement, teacher support, and police brutality (still in progress). Thursday’s event will involve showing both films, discussingand comparing the student movement of today with that of the Civil Rights era, and a presentation and Q & A by the SJEP students who produced the film.
Finally, the evening will include a showcase of excellent Youth Voice programs in Tucson as well as from around the country. |
