Dear Foundation Community,
As 2020 winds down I reflect on the challenges and the gifts of the year. The planet was put on a big time out and many of us scrambled to survive, support, adapt and reflect while others retreated and isolated. We experienced the many stages of quarantine. We hoarded toilet paper and cleaning supplies. We baked, drank and walked. We binged a lot of TV. We didn’t go out, but lived, learned, worked and socialized from home. We spent a lot of time with family or we were alone. For the most part we were grounded. Whether we knew it or not, our mental health took a toll.
My biggest take away is I have learned to embrace uncertainty. I lean into it with a bright light of knowing that we will survive. We will eventually be even better than before. We have an opportunity to revamp and prioritize what’s important to us; not what society says is important. Human beings are good. My pre-COVID travels and now virtual screenings with hundreds and sometimes thousands of people each week echo the same message. There is a longing to get back to basics and we need to tap into that which makes us most human and fosters connection. Let’s step back from technology and create more balance. Turn off the news. Talk about our feelings, our fears and our hurt and be loved all the more for it. The big questions are, how do I help my child I know is hurting and they won’t let me in? How do I ask for help? Where do I start? I believe Social emotional learning is key. Lets teach SEL at home and in schools equally as important as math, science and reading. Let’s encourage grownups to model their own vulnerabilities. It’s good to speak up and ask for help. It’s good to reach out. It’s imperative to include people. Together we will find a path forward.
IndieFlix Foundation has been in the trenches working with and supporting organizations to address anxiety, depression, suicide, sexual assault and bullying in our schools, at home and in the workplace. We have grasped opportunities to support others and build partnerships, from panel discussions to the launch of the ‘Kids In The Spotlight’ foster films channel. We have used the gift of many experts, experienced voices and rigorous data to create a 24 week (one year) social emotional learning curriculum to accompany the trilogy and soon to be 4 pack of mental health films for schools for 5th grade and up. Click the click below for a summary of how the Indieflix Foundation has helped communities this year, with a glimpse into our plans for the future.
