Every time tragedy strikes, an opportunity to learn something is created. Case after case of teens taking their life as a result of being bullied gives us a chance to step back and ask, what can we do? A San Francisco-based nonprofit organization is answering that question and offering up tools for us to do something about this devastating epidemic.
GroundSpark creates documentary films that confront issues of social justice. Through the end of 2010, GroundSpark is gifting their award-winning awareness program “The Respect for All Project.” They’re calling this offer, “The Spark.”
Tonic spoke to Cristy Chung, community programs director for GroundSpark. “The Spark is a response to the recent cases of teen suicide. It’s meant to give folks resources immediately,” Chung said, “With some funding from Google and the Gill Foundation, we were able to do just that. Everyone can now stream our films and download pdfs of our curriculum guides for free. It’s a call to action. We can do something and we’re calling on all adults to partner with youth to create safe and inclusive climates.”
Respect for All is a project that combines film with education. Chung said, “one of our beliefs is that it’s important to have education along with the films to encourage discussions and help teach young people about respecting, valuing and celebrating diversity.” There are four films in the Respect for All series:
Straightlaced: How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up: Targeted towards high school students, Straightlaced frankly discusses gender, race and sexuality. It chronicles a story about a young boy who took his own life because he was teased for being outside of the gender box and the positive actions his friends have taken in his memory.
Let’s Get Real: This film is the biggest piece to GroudSpark’s spark initiative. It features youth speaking candidly about personal encounters with bullying. It delves into the deeper issues such as gender, class, race and sexuality that are behind the epidemic of bullying we’re currently witnessing.
That’s a Family: Geared for kids eight grade and younger, this film deals with the evolving characteristics of a modern-day, unconventional family. The film offers a window into other people’s families to spark dialogue about our own families.
It’s Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School: Groundbreaking during the time of its release, It’s Elementary offers adults practical tools on how to discuss homosexuality with their children.
Chung encourages people young and old to organize viewings and discussions in their communities. She says, “We really hope people will be creative with how they view the film and have the conversations that are difficult to have. It’s crucial that people think about and discuss intersections of bias like race, class and sexual orientation in other ways.”
Schools are an ideal place to start spreading the Respect for All movement. Chung believes, “Students will succeed academically if they feel included and engaged. When they can be themselves, they’ll thrive. Schools need to take these issues on and think about how to create safe learning environments. GroundSpark’s resources are a good addition to school wide strategies to create safe, inclusive learning environments.” Chung says it doesn’t matter if you’re not a student or parent, it’s all about getting involved in your community and raising awareness about a serious issue.
On the individual level, Chung says it’s all about starting the conversation. She urges people to approach schools and religious organizations in their community and say, “here are the resources, and I want us to do some anti-bias work and some school climate work.” Starting or being part of the conversation is the first step to showing you care and making a difference that could save someone’s life. If you’ve been feeling the urge to serve your community and volunteer your time, GroundSpark’s Respect for All project is an inspiring, revolutionary place to start.
Visit GroundSpark.org to learn more about how you can get involved with their anti-bullying efforts, host a screening in your community or donate to their critical cause.
Photos courtesy GroundSpark.