Paper Tigers to be screened

NEWTON — Project Self-Sufficiency will host a special screening of the documentary, Paper Tigers, a film which explores the impact of adverse childhood experiences and toxic stresses on struggling teens, on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
After the screening, attendees are invited to join a representative from Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey for a thoughtful discussion about the film. Attendees will work together to develop practical approaches to helping children and teens to cope with trauma. This event is Ideal for educators, administrators, health care professionals, parents, social workers and others interested in the well-being of children and teens.
Paper Tigers is a documentary that follows a year in the life of Lincoln High School in Walla Walla, Washington, a school that radically changed its approach to disciplining its students, becoming a promising model for how to break the cycles of poverty, violence and disease that affect families. Lincoln is an alternative school for troubled students who have not been successful in other school settings. The film tells the story of how the principal, teachers, counselors and school personnel fundamentally transformed their school and outcomes for their students based on new research documenting how prior trauma in a child’s life affects their ability to succeed in school and in life. By recognizing and respecting those underlying factors and dramatically changing the school’s approach to discipline, the school reduced aggressive incidents at the school by 75 percent, and the graduation rate increased five-fold.
“The film is a testament to the fact that one caring adult can change the trajectory of a young person's life,” said Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency. “We are proud to collaborate with Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey in screening this important documentary, and we are hopeful that those in attendance can start a meaningful dialogue within the community about methods to assist children and teens with coping with traumatic events in their lives.”
The Paper Tigers screening is free and open to the public, but space is limited and registration is required. The event is co-sponsored by Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey.