COMPANION CURRICULUM TO THE ACADEMY AWARD® WINNING FILM

University Level

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3

LETTER FROM EXECUTIVE PRODUCER 4

SOCIAL JUSTICE 5

LESSON 1: AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROBLEMS FACED BY UNDOCUMENTED PERSONS IN THE US 6 LESSON 2: INOCENTE 10 LESSON 3: LOOKING AT LACK OF DOCUMENTATION LOCALLY 11

PUBLIC HEALTH 12

LESSON 1: THE IMPACT OF HOMELESSNESS ON THE HEALTH OF AMERICAN FAMILIES 13 LESSON 2: THE IZÚCAR FAMILY 17 LESSON 3: THE PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS OF LOCAL HOMELESS AND/OR UNDOCUMENTED FAMILIES 19 APPENDICES 20 APPENDIX A: FACT SHEETS 21 APPENDIX B: WEBSITES FOR FURTHER RESOURCES AND INFORMATION 25

3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Shine Global would like to thank all those who made this curriculum possible. WRITER AND EDITOR Susan MacLaury Dr. Susan MacLaury, Ph.D, LSW, is the Executive Director of Shine Global. As such, she was an Executive Producer of the Academy Award®-nominated and two time Emmy Award®-winning WAR DANCE, THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA and Academy Award®-nominated INOCENTE. She also directs the outreach and advocacy for Shine Global, the non-profit film production company dedicated to ending the exploitation and abuse of children worldwide through films that inform and inspire change founded by herself and her husband, Producer Albie Hecht. Susan is dually degreed in social work and health education. For more than twenty years she directed educational and prevention programs for adolescents in New York and New Jersey. She has also provided extensive staff development to teachers, counselors, and healthcare providers working with adolescents nationally. She currently teaches health education at Kean University. Susan is the author of “Student Advisories in Grades 5-12: A Facilitator’s Guide,” now in its second printing, as well as producer of the short form documentary, “Project Highroad.” ASSISTANT EDITOR Alexandra Blaney Alexandra Blaney joined Shine Global in 2009 and is currently the Director of Marketing and Production. She graduated from Pomona College where she studied International Relations and History. Her passion is to use media and the arts, especially film, to promote social justice. Alex served as Associate Producer on INOCENTE. A VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR FUNDERS

4

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER INOCENTE tells the story of a 15-year old homeless, undocumented artist living in San Diego. Over the past nine years, she and her mother and three younger brothers have moved every few months through more than 25 shelters and other forms of temporary housing. Only her love for art has sustained her. Inocente paints after school at the ARTS (A Reason to Survive) Program where her talent has been nurtured by key staff. The film follows Inocente through several months during which she is given her own art show. At the same time she negotiates a fragile relationship with her family and her own need to grow and separate from them. Inocente reminds us that we are not defined by our past, but by our dreams. INOCENTE won the Academy Award® for Best Documentary Short Subject in 2013 as well as screening at festivals and in theaters both domestically and internationally and has proven to have a powerful effect on audiences. We hope that audiences will be both inspired by Inocente’s inherent strength and moved enough by her circumstances to act on behalf of the million plus homeless and undocumented children for whom she speaks as well as millions of other middle school and high school children whose artistic abilities deserve nurturing. As the producers of INOCENTE, we have always believed in the film’s potential classroom and service organization use in middle schools, high schools and universities. With many years experience both teaching personally as well as working with middle school teachers, however, we knew that the film had to be accompanied by excellent curricula. You can purchase or rent the educational DVD from the Cinema Guild directly on their website www.cinemaguild.com. Shine hopes that INOCENTE will make a vital contribution to both the cognitive and affective learning of students internationally for many years to come. We welcome your feedback and that of your students to these lessons. Please feel free to send these to susan@shineglobal.org. Sincerely, Susan MacLaury

5

INOCENTE: SOCIAL JUSTICE LESSON PLANS

6

BEING UNDOCUMENTED IN THE UNITED STATES: UNIVERSITY LEVEL LESSONS IN SOCIAL WORK/SOCIAL JUSTICE

BASED ON THE SHORT DOCUMENTARY “INOCENTE” These three lessons are based on the short documentary film, INOCENTE. The film will be viewed in the second class. GOAL: To explore the realities of the lives of families who are undocumented in the United States. OBJECTIVES: At the conclusion of these lessons students will be able to:

1. Identify three potential obstacles faced by undocumented families in the United States (C);

2. Discuss 2 characteristics often common to the histories of undocumented families

in the US (c);

3. Relate two specific consequences of the lack of documentation on the Izúcar family (C);

4. Describe which obstacle faced by undocumented families they would personally

find to be most difficult to manage and why (A);

5. Research and prioritize the three most serious problems faced undocumented families in their city or state (P);

6. Determine the number of undocumented families who are also homeless in their city and the services provided by at least 3 organizations charged with their care (P).

7

LESSON 1: AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROBLEMS FACED BY UNDOCUMENTED PERSONS IN THE UNITED STATES The instructor will explain that over the next three sessions students will consider the problems faced by undocumented persons in the United States with a special emphasis on those who are also homeless. The instructor will present the following information (also contained in the accompanying PowerPoint presentation). The Scope of the Problem

• As of 2011, there are an estimated 11.5 million undocumented immigrants in the US, a number that appears to have stabilized.

• They face the constant risk of deportation and separation from family members.

• They cannot legally work in the US, obtain a green card or social security card

legally, making it difficult if not impossible to support their families.

• Ironically, obtaining this documentation allows them to collect salaries, pay taxes

and pay into the social security system from which they will never benefit.

• They live in overcrowded circumstances and are not eligible for any type of

federal housing.

• Many are traumatized by border crossings.

• The majority of those who enter the US illegally are impoverished with limited

education and job skills, making upward mobility exceedingly difficult.

Health Issues

• 6 out of 10 undocumented individuals lack health insurance vs. 25% of legal immigrants and 14% of US born.

• They tend to work in traditionally difficult/dangerous occupations with minimal

safeguards (i.e., farming; factory work) resulting in disproportionately higher rates of injuries and disease.

8

• They are especially vulnerable to emotional problems like depression and anxiety

in the first few years of arriving in the states for a number of reasons: • Failure to succeed in their country of origin • The trauma of dangerous border crossings • Limited financial resources • Restricted mobility • Marginalization and isolation • Blame/stigmatization • Vulnerability to exploitation • Fear/stress about the risk of deportation

Current Status of Undocumented Minors in the US

• Approximately 1.8 million undocumented persons are children, the majority of them in California (40%).

• Every year about 65,000 graduate from public US high schools.

• But only 5% attend college, predominantly because they have no access to federal

aid or in-state tuition and the cost otherwise is insurmountable.

• Undocumented minors live with ongoing fear of their parents’ deportation, greater

than average rates of substance abuse by parents, domestic abuse, violence and sexual abuse than US residents.

• Many live in unsafe homes, in unsafe areas, lacking adult supervision and

protection.

• English is generally not their first language, making educational success more

difficult.

• In 2012, President Obama announced that people younger than 30 who came to

the United States before the age of 16, posed no criminal or security threat, and were successful students or served in the military could get a two-year deferral from deportation, and would be able to apply for work permits.

• While there is currently a movement to provide a path to citizenship for these

young persons, several efforts to pass the DREAM Act, the Development, Relief, and Education of Alien Minors Act have failed to date.

9

Discussion The instructor will ask students to reflect on these points by asking: - Students’ thoughts about to what rights undocumented persons are entitled

- Their overall reactions to the realities of everyday life and work for undocumented persons in the United States

- To recap some of the health problems they experience

- To react to the fact that they are at greater risk for workplace injuries and illnesses

- To discuss the impact of the educational ceiling so many undocumented youths face, the fact that a college education is an unattainable goal for the majority of them

- To discuss the realities of the greater risk of different kinds of abuse

- To share with the class which of these obstacles would be hardest for them personally to deal with and why

The instructor will summarize by recalling that the class has been introduced to a general overview of the problem and that in the following class they will look more personally at the impact of these factors on a 15-year old girl and her family.

10

LESSON 2: INOCENTE The instructor will recap some of the points made in the previous session outlining the scope of the problems faced by undocumented persons and their families. He/she will make the point that in today’s session the class will experience the impact of several of these conditions on one San Diego family, with a special emphasis on the eldest child and only daughter, 15-year old Inocente. The class will watch the film (40 minutes). Upon its conclusion the instructor will ask:

- What were students’ overall reactions to Inocente?

- How did they feel about the fact that she hid her homelessness?

- Why might she have done so? In her place would students have responded similarly or differently and why?

- What was their reaction to her family’s living conditions? What seemed to them to be most challenging about these?

- We don’t meet her brothers but do hear from her mother, Carmela. What are students’ reactions to Carmela?

- Why do they feel that Inocente’s relationship with her mother continues to be so strained?

- What does art mean to Inocente?

- What future might it provide for her?

- What were their feelings about Inocente leaving home to live in the Toussaint residence?

- How well does the Izúcar family situation illuminate the statistics and trends discussed in Lesson 1?

- Of all the problems faced by this family, which would be hardest for them personally to deal with and why?

- What services does this family need? The instructor will close by stating that in the following class students will be doing in-class research and will ask that as many students as possible bring their laptops in to class.

11

LESSON 3: LOOKING AT LACK OF DOCUMENTATION LOCALLY The instructor will recap the issues brought up through screening INOCENTE in the previous class. He/she will explain that the class today will look at the issues inherent in lack of documentation through a local lens, considering the number within their town, the problems faced by them, and the types of services they need vs. what is provided. The instructor will ask students to comment on what they believe to be the most serious problems facing undocumented families in their town or city and will supplement what they are able to share with facts they themselves have researched. The class will determine what to them represent the 3 most serious problems. Splitting the class into 6 small groups, the teacher will assign one of these problems to each of them. Three groups will report back on the local scope of these issues and apparent impact on homeless citizens locally. The other 3 groups will each be given the task of researching what local organizations or resources exist to address the problem assigned to them. (At least one of these groups should be asked to focus on the problems specifically faced by undocumented homeless families). Students will spend approximately 30 minutes in their small groups researching their questions and will then be asked to report back to the large group on their findings. They will have 3-5 minutes each to do this. Processing:

- What were students’ reactions to considering the impact of lack of documentation on residents of their city/town?

- What seems to them to have the most serious impact and why?

- What are their thoughts about the organizations charged with the responsibility for responding to the needs of these residents?

- What more must be done and why?

12

INOCENTE: PUBLIC HEALTH LESSON PLANS

13

THE IMPACT OF HOMELESSNESS ON THE HEALTH OF AMERICAN FAMILIES: UNIVERSITY LEVEL PUBLIC HEALTH LESSON PLANS

BASED ON THE DOCUMENTARY “INOCENTE” The following are 3 lessons based on the short documentary, INOCENTE. GOAL: To teach about the impact of homelessness on the health of American families, both nationally and locally. OBJECTIVES: At the conclusion of these three lessons students will be able to:

1. Identify at least five different ways in which homelessness negatively impacts health

(C);

2. Describe at least three health problems experienced by the Izúcar family, profiled in INOCENTE (C);

3. Discuss one way in which the impact of homelessness on parents also potentially affects children’s health (C);

4. Explain at least one way that lack of documentation potentially increases the health problems experienced by homeless families (C;)

5. Articulate which of the problems faced by homelessness persons would most concern them and why (A);

6. Discuss one reaction they have to the abuse experienced by Carmela and Inocente and why they feel this way (A);

7. Prioritize the three services they believe the Izúcar family most immediately need to protect their well-being and why (A);

8. Calculate the number of homeless families within their town/city (P);

9. Analyze the three most significant health problems faced by these families and the agencies charged with their remediation (P).

14

LESSON 1: THE IMPACT OF HOMELESSNESS ON THE HEALTH OF AMERICAN FAMILIES The professor will introduce the next 3 sessions by reminding students that the World Health Organization definition of health is: a state of complete physical, emotional and social wellbeing. (S)he will devote the next sessions to discussing the implications of homelessness on the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of families, which have become the new face of homelessness in America. In addition to looking at this problem abstractly, the class will also meet one family that is both homeless and undocumented and experience the impact of these conditions on their health by watching the short documentary, INOCENTE. The professor will make the point that the first session will be devoted to lecture and discussion on the overall problem of homelessness in the US and the seriousness of its effects on the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of adults and children. Among the points he/she may choose to cover (also see the accompanying PowerPoint) are the following:

• The US has the largest number of homeless women and children of any industrialized nation.

• 1 in 45 children in the US are estimated to be homeless.

• On any given day, 200,000 of them have no place to live.

• Homeless families comprise more than 1/3 (34%) of the homeless population as

of 2012.

• Almost 40% of America’s homeless are minors and 42% of them are younger

than 6.

• Homeless children are sick four times more often than other children.

• They experience:

o Four times as many respiratory infections o Twice as many ear infections o Five times as many gastrointestinal problems than are children with

15

permanent o And are four times more likely to have asthma

• They go hungry at twice the rate of other children.

o 57% of homeless children spend at least one day a month without food. o Ironically, they experience high rates of obesity due to nutritional

deficiencies.

• Homeless children also have three times the rate of emotional and behavioral problems than experienced by children who have homes.

• They are significantly more likely to experience violence by the age of 12 than are

other children: o 83% have been exposed to at least one serious violent event o Nearly 25% have witnessed acts of violence within their families

The professor asks students:

- To pick one of these physical problems and share an implication of it on that child and his/her family.

- Their reactions to the fact that homeless children may be both very hungry and/or obese.

- What they imagine the impact of such exposure to violence to be on these children? Why?

• Educationally and developmentally, homeless children are 4x more likely to evidence developmental delays.

• They are also twice as likely to have learning disabilities than children with stable homes.

• Some of these problems are undoubtedly caused by the fact that at least 1 in 5 of all homeless children are unable to attend school at any given time.

o Within a single academic year, 41% will attend two different schools and 28% three or more

o Every school change potentially sets these students back 4-6 months in their learning

o Of homeless children in grades 3-12, only 48% were proficient in reading,

16

while 43% were at grade level in math o 36% of homeless children repeat at least one grade o And more than a million (1.16M) homeless children today will fail to

graduate from high school

The professor asks students: - How might such school problems affect homeless children’s emotional wellbeing? Social? - Educational delays and learning disabilities may leave children depressed and anxious and at greater vulnerability for truancy, dropping out, poor self-esteem and inability to persevere academically, and finally, a greater propensity for either bullying or being the victims of it. - Based on this lecture the professor asks students to write down five ways homelessness can negatively impact the physical, social or emotional well-being of children:

- How would they prioritize these? Which to them seems to be the most serious and why?

- What’s the potential impact on the family as a whole from any one of these problems?

- Will such families have the necessary wherewithal to deal with them?

- If they themselves were homeless, which of these problems would most concern them and why?

The professor concludes by recapping the fact that whenever one person in a family has a problem, the entire family shares it, and homelessness clearly impacts the wellbeing of every family member.

17

LESSON 2: THE IZÚCAR FAMILY The professor recaps what the class covered in the previous session: An overview of the impact of homelessness on families’ physical, emotional and social well-being. (S)he makes the point that the class will today put a face on this problem by watching the short documentary, INOCENTE, about the Izúcar Family from San Diego, with special emphasis on the oldest child, 15-year old Inocente. By watching this documentary, students will see firsthand both the impact of homelessness on a family in America and also the added problems caused by lack of documentation. The class will watch the film (40 minutes). Upon its conclusion the instructor will process it by asking:

• What were students’ overall reactions were to the film? To Inocente?

• Recalling what was discussed in the previous session about the potential impact of

homelessness on families, what were some of the health problems the Izúcar family is dealing with?

• Undocumented minors like Inocente live with ongoing fear of their parents’

deportation, greater than average rates of substance abuse by parents, domestic abuse, violence and sexual abuse than US citizens - How did domestic violence affect this family? - Inocente blames herself for the final violent incident that resulted in her

father’s deportation. What is the potential psychological effect of that on her?

- How does she handle this?

• Art is Inocente’s refuge. How does it positively affect her wellbeing?

• What are students’ reactions to Inocente’s mother, Carmela? What strengths does

she evidence? Frailties?

• Carmela and Inocente are estranged. Why do students believe they are? How

might this fact impact the family as a whole?

• How do students feel about Inocente’s intention to move out of the family and

live in Toussaint Academy?

18

• Doing so didn’t seem to work for her. What are students’ thoughts about this?

• What public health services does the Izúcar family need?

19

LESSON 3: THE PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS OF LOCAL HOMELESS AND/OR UNDOCUMENTED FAMILIES The instructor recaps the previous session: Viewing INOCENTE and reflecting on the impact of both homelessness and lack of documentation on the family, as well as the positive benefit of art on Inocente’s personal well-being. Today the class will be doing research on the incidence of homelessness and lack of documentation within their town/city/community and their respective effects on public health. The class will be divided into 6 groups. Three will consider the impact of homelessness:

1. One group will look at the evidence of physical problems faced by members of homeless families in their community.

2. One will explore evidence of emotional problems. 3. One will examine the potential social impact.

Three will examine the impact of lack of documentation:

1. One group explores its impact on physical health 2. One emotional well-being 3. The third social

Each group will identify what they believe to be the 3 most serious problems their population faces and will also research which agency(ies) in their community are best equipped to address them. Each group will then present their findings to the class and the rest of the students are invited to comment and/or ask questions. Processing:

- How did it feel working on their small group assignment? Presenting it? - What one fact did they learn that most impacted them and why? - Going forward, is there anything attitudinally or behaviorally they might do

differently in responding to the needs of homeless persons? If so, what and why?

20

INOCENTE: COMPANION CURRICULUM APPENDICES

21

Appendix A: Fact Sheets All fact sheets are also available for download from www.inocentedoc.com • Homelessness for Children in the US: Some Startling Statistics • Undocumented Children in the US • The Importance of Arts Education

22

HOMELESSNESS AMONG CHILDREN IN THE US: SOME STARTLING STATISTICS

• The United States has the largest number of homeless women and children of any

industrialized nation • The statistics below are the best estimates of the extent of homelessness, but it is

important to note that they are undercounts. Startling Numbers

• 1 in 45 children in the US are homeless. • On any give day, 200,000 children have no place to live. • Homeless families comprise approximately 34% of the homeless population. • Almost 40% of the entire homeless population is under 18. • 42% of these homeless children are younger than 6

Health Problems Due to Homelessness

• Homeless children are sick four times more often than other children. o Four times as many respiratory infections. o Twice as many ear infections. o Five times more gastrointestinal problems. o Four times more likely to have asthma. o Go hungry at twice the rate of other children. 57% of homeless kids spend

at least one day every month without food. • They have high rates of obesity due to nutritional deficiencies • They experience three times the rate of emotional and behavioral problems of

non-homeless children Experiences of Violence

• By age 12, 83% had been exposed to at least one serious violent event. • Almost 25% have witnessed acts of violence within their families.

Educational and Developmental Issues Children experiencing homelessness are:

• Four times more likely to show delayed development. • Twice as likely to have learning disabilities as non-homeless children. • (At least 20 %) are unable to attend school. • Subject to frequent school changes. Within a year, 41% will attend two different

schools and 28% will attend three or more schools and each change sets them back 4-6 months.

• Far less likely than other children to be at grade level: (Among homeless children in grades 3-12, only 48% were proficient in reading, 43% were proficient in math, and 36% repeat a grade)

• Much less likely to graduate from high school (Approximately 1.16 million of homeless children today will not graduate).

23

UNDOCUMENTED CHILDREN IN THE US The numbers: • There are 1.6 million undocumented children in the United States. • California has 40% of the undocumented students (this includes all grade levels) • Each year, 65,000 undocumented children graduate from public U.S. high schools • Only 1 out of every 20 undocumented high school seniors attend college. This is

largely because they have no access to federal aid or in-state tuition, so the cost is insurmountable.

Health issues: • The Pew Hispanic Center estimated in 2005 that 59% of the nation's undocumented

immigrants are uninsured, compared with 25% of legal immigrants and 14% of U.S. born.

• Researchers found that during the time right after they arrived in the US, Mexican migrants were nearly twice as likely to experience depression or anxiety issues.

Some of the reasons for these increased mental health issues: • Failure to succeed in country of origin • Dangerous border crossings • Limited resources once in the U.S. (especially in regards to health care) • Restricted mobility • Marginalization and isolation • Blame/stigmatization and guilt/shame • Vulnerability/exploitability (especially in regards to fair wages) • Fear and extreme stress about deportation or troubles with the law

The DREAM Act • The Development, Relief, and Education of Alien Minors Act, is a bipartisan bill

that would give students who grew up in the United States but were not born in the United States a chance to contribute to our country’s well-being by serving in the U.S. armed forces or pursuing a higher education. After a lengthy process, the best and brightest qualified students would be able to earn citizenship.

Benefits: • It would contribute to our military’s recruitment efforts and readiness • It would make our country more competitive in the global economy by allowing

these young people to live up to their fullest potential • It will have important economic benefits, since the students impacted by the act

could add between $1.4 to $3.6 trillion in taxable income to our economy over the course of their careers, depending on how many ultimately gain legal status.

These facts were compiled from Undocuhealth.com, The Pew Hispanic Research Center, The Advocates for Human Rights, Advances in Nursing Journal, Whitehouse.gov and Dreamact.info.

24

THE IMPORTANCE OF ARTS EDUCATION 17,000 community organizations (such as Boys & Girls Clubs, libraries, parks and rec) are using arts to:

• Divert youth from gangs, drugs, and the juvenile justice system • Provide a cost-effective approach with better results than sports and boot camps • Reduce truancy and improve academic performance • Build self-discipline, communication, and job skills

Example: The Arts Apprenticeship Training Program at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild in one of Pittsburgh’s poorest neighborhoods found that;

• 80% of participants go on to college compared to 20% of the community’s non participating youth

• In the program’s three years, juvenile crime dropped 27% • For 11- and 12-year-old youth, the rate of repeat criminal behavior dropped 64% • The cost per participant is $850 per year vs. $28,000 per year for juvenile boot

camp

The US Department of Justice finds that these programs: • Increase the ability to express anger appropriately, and to communicate and

cooperate effectively with others • Increased academic stamina • Reported a decrease in delinquent behavior • Resulted in improvements in attitude towards school, self-esteem, and self-

efficacy • Fewer new court referrals during the program period • New offenses by participants during program period tended to be less severe than

prior to the program

A study by Stanford University found that young people who participate in the arts for at least three hours three days a week through at least one full year were:

• 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement • 3 times more likely to be elected to class office within their schools • 4 times more likely to participate in a math and science fair • 3 times more likely to win an award for school attendance

In the last decade, arts education in schools has decreased dramatically: • 16% of districts reduced elementary school class time for music and art • In 2006, 89% of schools in California failed to offer a standards-based course of

study in music, visual arts, theater, and dance

Regardless of push from New York City Mayor Bloomberg, still only 45% of elementary schools, 35% of middle schools, and only 34% of high schools in NYC provided arts education in all four forms.

25

Appendix B: Websites for Further Resources and Information GENERAL Official film website – http://www.inocentedoc.com Inocente Resources on MTV - http://act.mtv.com/inocente A Reason to Survive (ARTS) - http://www.areasontosurvive.org/ * The San Diego program featured in the film ARTS EDUCATION Americans for the Arts - http://www.artsusa.org/ California Alliance for Arts Education - http://artsed411.org/ HOMELESSNESS Campaign to End Child Homelessness - http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/ *great resource for state by state information on child homelessness Hollywood Homeless Youth Partnership - http://hhyp.org/ Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless Student’s Guide to Ending Homelessness: http://www.mnhomelesscoalition.org/downloads/Students%20Guide%20to%20Ending%20Homelessness.pdf National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth - http://www.naehcy.org/ National Coalition for the Homeless - http://www.nationalhomeless.org/ IMMIGRATION REFORM Define American - http://www.defineamerican.com/ Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund - http://www.maldef.org/ New York State Youth Leadership Council - http://www.nysylc.org/ United We Dream - http://unitedwedream.org/