Film helps Cedar Rapids teachers, students understand trauma-scarred kids

CEDAR RAPIDS - About 50 students, parents and teachers met Wednesday afternoon at the Cedar Rapids Public Library for a screening of 'Paper Tigers,” a documentary about an alternative high school that practices trauma-informed care.

While the movie is set in Walla Walla, Wash., it hit home for many people in the audience.

'I immediately identified each one of the students who were highlighted with a student that is at Metro or has gone through Metro,” said Molly Sofranko, an art teacher at Metro Alternative High School.

The film follows students who have had 'adverse childhood experiences” - including physical and sexual abuse, drug use at home and abandonment. It cites research that argues those traumatic events can lead to 'toxic stress,” a rewiring of the brain that puts a person in constant 'fight or flight” mode.

With trauma-informed care, educators focus not on punitive responses but on understanding students' histories and showing them support and unconditional love when they act out.

According to the documentary, four or more adverse childhood experiences can lead to higher rates of imprisonment, cancer and suicide. But those effects can be offset by the presence of a caring, stable adult.

'The movie itself is so much like Cedar Rapids, and so much like Metro,” said Hannah Bertram, 17. She helped organize the event as a student in Iowa BIG, a project-based program for high schoolers. The Gazette Company is a partner of Iowa BIG.

Hannah and her classmates are working to educate teachers and administrators about trauma-informed care with screenings and trainings in several area school districts. She said she hopes to introduce the method in as many schools as possible.

About 275 teachers have received training this year, said Iowa BIG Headmaster Shawn Cornally. He said he hopes the screenings - which have been attended by about 350 people - spur local conversation.

'How do you actually get the community to have this conversation about these teens who are undesirable to be around, or these adults who look insane? They're not, they're suffering from trauma,” he said. 'Having that conversation really changes the empathy in the community, which we think will change the whole vibe of the city.”

During a discussion after the film, students and parents expressed gratitude for the work of Metro teachers and administrators. Staff members said they want to learn more about effective ways to deal with their students' trauma.

'I think that as a staff, we are ready for it, we want ways to deal with it,” Sofranko said. 'We recognize that a positive, research-tested type of system is something that we want.”