Nuestra
Nuestra is a film about the inspiration behind and birth of Nuestra Escuela, Our School – a public school in Caguas, Puerto Rico designed to support students’ mental health. The film addresses issues of death, mental health, and suicide prevention and was released during National Suicide Prevention Month. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles.
What connects us? How does that connection better our lives and fill us with a sense of belonging?
In Nuestra, a new film co-produced by 180 Studio, Pigeon Roost, and the Partnership for the Future of Learning, we discover how one father’s tragic loss—the death of his teenage daughter—leads to the birth of a school that supports young people across Puerto Rico to experience education that meets their needs, in the name of the daughter whose life could not be saved. The film also addresses issues of mental health and suicide, and was released during Suicide Prevention Month as a moment to reflect on trauma-informed practices in schools, as well as mental health services within schools.
Nuestra Escuela does this by assigning a social worker to every student, many of whom were having trouble or pushed out of another school due to mental health or disciplinary issues. When entering the school, the social workers are the first people families meet, to make sure the family knows all about the services provided. The school is designed to support the students and their families. Mentors and social workers support students and their families as they deal directly with whatever problems arise. Rather than focusing on the negative, the school focuses on opportunities to do things differently, as part of a community, through a restorative justice process. Additionally, at the beginning of every semester, there’s a retreat to give new students a chance to reflect and come to their new school refreshed in spirit. This retreat is featured as a healing experience in the film.
Ultimately, Nuestra is a story about life, death, and rebirth. It’s about the relationship between Justo and his daughter, Ana Mercedes. It’s about the way that relationship changes after Ana Mercedes’ tragic death. And it’s about how Justo and Ana Mercedes manage to collaborate on a shared dream, even after her death, that helps save the lives of other young people in the way hers could not.
We hope you are moved by this story, and that it can supplement any work happening around mental health in schools in ways that also highlight the transformative power of strong relationships between adults and young people.
Additional Resources:
- To learn more about this remarkable school, Nuestra Escuela, visit nuestraescuela.org. See their videos page for more in depth information about the school. Tip: If you open a video from that page in YouTube you can enable Closed Captions and auto-translate with English subtitles.
- Article from Education Week: A growing number of schools are adopting trauma-sensitive practices. What does a trauma-informed school look like in practice? And how can schools gear up to provide it?
- NEA on Mental Health in Schools: At least 10 million students in the U.S., ages 13–18, need some sort of professional help with a mental health condition. 70% of students with mental health needs don’t get adequate treatment.
- Article from the 74 Million: Schools around the country are finding it necessary to support students who have experienced trauma related to immigration and have witnessed attacks against their communities.
- If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433) or Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for help if a friend is struggling. Visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org and afsp.org.
- See recommendations for how schools can support students.
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What connects us? How does that connection better our lives and fill us with a sense of belonging?
In Nuestra, a new story co-produced by 180 Studio, Pigeon Roost, and the Partnership for the Future of Learning, we discover how one father’s tragic loss—the death of his teenage daughter—leads to the birth of a school that supports young people across Puerto Rico to experience education that meets their needs, in the name of the daughter whose life could not be saved.
Watch the short film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqhAX6P6yUk
To learn more about this remarkable school, Nuestra Escuela, visit nuestraescuela.org.
Share on Twitter:
#SuicidePrevention #PrevenciondelSuicidio #PuertoRico #FutureForLearning
Trauma-informed schools address the mental health needs of students. See the story of a birth of a public school in Puerto Rico that does this important work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqhAX6P6yUk
School mental health services and professionals are essential to creating and sustaining safe schools for young people. Nuestra Escuela in #PuertoRico does this with a retreat and ongoing social services: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqhAX6P6yUk