Education Series

Not Alone: Film Screening & Discussion

in Partnership with World Muse, BendFilm, St. Charles, and The JAM Project

February 6, 2019

6:00pm

Join us for a 30-minute film screening followed by a moderated panel discussion. Recommended for parents and youth 13 and older with a parent/guardian.

Free childcare available for ages 3+. RSVP required below.

“Not Alone captures the important voices of youth with lived experience of suicide attempts, self-injury, mental health issues, and depression in a unique, engaging, and hopeful way. In an age where media surrounding these topics is largely doom and gloom, sensationalized, or glamorized, this film shines a light on hope and on helping those in need.”

— Chris Maxwell, American Association of Suicidology

If you missed this event, you can screen the film on Netflix and download these resources that were shared that evening.

Documentary Film

Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety

December 6, 2018

6:00pm

Free childcare for ages 3+ provided. RSVP required.

BendFilm and Cascades Academy are proud to present a special, free screening of this documentary film to open up a dialogue between local families, community leaders and experts.

The event will feature a viewing of the 56-minute film, followed by an informative panel discussion with local experts:

• Dawn Betts, Director of Counseling at Cascades Academy
• Dr. Gurpreet S. Chopra, MA, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
• Alyssa C. Reveles, LPC
• Anne Van Dusen, Psychotherapist (LCSW)
• Moderated by Todd Looby, Director, BendFilm

The producers of the film have one goal: to start a global conversation and raise awareness around anxiety. Through candid interviews, they utilize the power of film to tell the stories of many kids and teens who discuss their anxiety and its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they’ve found solutions and hope. The film also includes a special interview with Michael Phelps, a mental health advocate and one of the greatest athletes of all-time. In addition, the documentary provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, along with the help, resources and tools available to address the condition.

Parenting in the Age of Digital Distraction: Helping Our Children (and Ourselves) Find Balance with Technology

with Emily Cherkin, The Screentime Consultant, LLC

October 17, 2018

6:00 p.m.

Free childcare for ages 3+ provided. RSVP required.

Stop fighting: Find balance! Join us for an evening with Emily Cherkin, The Screentime Consultant, LLC, who has spent over 15 years working with families, schools, and children across rapidly-changing digital landscapes. A longtime classroom teacher, a current parent, and a conflicted user of technology, Emily’s talk will:

• Focus on technological changes over time
• Address current research about screens and brain development
• Challenge parents to look at how technology is used at home
• Help you regain balance in an age of digital distraction

Armed with humor, empathy, and evidence-based research, Emily will help our community to normalize, strategize, and optimize the way screentime affects us as individuals and families. Emily is "tech-positive" and recognizes that technology is here to stay.

About Emily Cherkin:

Born and raised in Seattle, Emily Cherkin has worked with families and schools in Seattle for fifteen years. In addition to navigating the challenges of parenting in a distracted digital age, Emily also facilitates “tech-positive” parent workshops, professional development trainings, and school presentations around Seattle. Emily is a graduate of the University of Washington, where she was a Mary Gates Undergraduate Leadership Scholar, and she completed her Master’s Degree in Education (with a focus on Conflict Resolution and Peaceable Schools) from Lesley University in Boston. After three years in New York City, Emily returned to Seattle where she taught 7th grade English and created a curriculum based on screen usage, media literacy, and bullying at Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences (SAAS). She has also worked as an academic coach for children and adults with executive function challenges, including ADHD, and recently partnered with a creative arts preschool to open a coworking space for working mothers in her neighborhood. Professionally, Emily is a presenter at the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS) Annual Conferences; a Program for Early Parent Support (PEPS) former board member, group leader, and guest speaker on screentime; a member of the Children’s Screentime Action Network (CSTAN); and a soon-to-be graduate of Leading Women in Technology’s Women in Leadership (WILPower) program. More important than her work life, however, Emily is also mom to 10-year-old Max and 7-year-old Sylvie, who present daily thrills and challenges. In attempt to find balance with her own digital distractions, Emily recently deleted her social media apps, but notices she now compulsively checks the weather, which really does not change as often as social media posts. Like most parents, Emily considers herself a “work in progress” and is definitely grateful for things like good coffee, supportive friends and family members, and the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

If you missed Emily's presentation, you can download the parent handout here and watch a video of her talk below: