Indie Lens Pop-Up: "The Bad Kids" film hits home for CIS of Atlanta

ATLANTA – On Tuesday, January 31, Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) invited Communities In Schools (CIS) of Atlanta to join CHRIS 180, Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, Georgia Family Connection Partnership, and Atlanta Public Schools for a panel discussion to speak on the current climate in our community and how we are supporting our local children and teens. The panel followed a special screening of Indie Lens Pop-Up for The Bad Kids, an observational documentary chronicling one extraordinary principal’s mission to realize the potential of students who attend Black Rock Continuation High School. “Believing in students, being a passionate adult who can guide them – that is what encourages the kids the most,” CIS of Atlanta’s panel representative and site coordinator Dr. Alisha Hill told the audience. The Sundance Festival award winning film hits home with CIS of Atlanta, as our organization understands that simply getting to school and being able to learn may also compete with the daily struggles many students face including eating, avoiding drugs and abuse, and having a bed to sleep in every night. “These are very urgent and current issues,” says CEO Frank Brown. “But we know that when the needs of children are met, they can be free to learn in an environment where teachers can be free to teach.” The Bad Kids is a coming-of-age documentary revealing that education combats the crippling effects of poverty on the lives of “bad kids.” The film shows the power of extraordinary educators who, like CIS of Atlanta, believe that, more than academics, it is love, empathy, and life skills that give at-risk students command of their own futures. The film will air on Tuesday, March 21 at 11pm on GPB, to find more information on the film go to http://www.thebadkidsmovie.com/.