How the Kids Saved the Parksincluding Q and A with the kids
A Reality Show Well Worth the Time
Editor’s note: Intended first as a movie review of “How the Kids Saved the Parks,” showing at the Wild and Scenic Film Festival (January 10-13), this expanded into sharing more of what a fine bunch of kids and teachers have to say.
What is an activist? Looking for an expert definition, consider what Alexandra Zetterberg has to say: “People come together and put their thoughts into actions. It is people standing up for what they believe in, and not backing down. Activism can be used for big and small things.”
Zetterberg, a fifth grader at the Grass Valley Charter School, is a veteran of a successful campaign that helped stop the closure of South Yuba River State Park. Dozens of kids from the school helped enliven a larger community effort.
“We got as many people as we could.” Alexandra also commented. “Then we organized. We put a Mobile Media Action Team together. We got to have an audience with [California Secretary for Natural Resources] John Laird’s office. We explained our reason why we didn't think the parks should close. In the end they gave in to our wishes and we came away triumphant because we pulled together and made a difference.”
Another fifth grader, Sammy Maliszewski, flavors commentary with a twist on preteen sophistication, “The community showed activism too. It’s a cooperative thing. We are Charter kids. Grownups don’t expect a lot out of kids, but that’s the thing. Kids like us are made for stopping the grownups from becoming bad guys when they don’t know it.”
Teacher Merry Byles-Daly answered a question asking what surprised her most about an opportunity for the kids to present their concerns at the state capitol. “With just a couple of days’ notice, over 40 students showed up, full of passionate enthusiasm for saving their park. What impressed me the most, at that first meeting, was the level at which the students understood what was at stake, and what it would take from them to be prepared to present their case in a very high level and public setting.”
Third grader Ben Meyler noted, “I was surprised at how nice they were at the state capitol, and they listened to us.”
Teacher Alex Ezzell shared something he learned about these young activists. "These students reminded me about something that I believe all of us once knew. There is tremendous power in the enthusiasm of youth. It has nothing to do with ‘cuteness’ and everything to do with the purity of their beliefs. Cynicism has not yet crept into their outlook. They wholeheartedly believe, that despite inevitable obstacles and setbacks, with perseverance, they will succeed. It's as though, through their belief and commitment to action, the only possible outcome is success."
OK, maybe there is room for a little cuteness. Fifth grader Claire Schad offered an analogy that deserves a place in the activist handbook: “I play softball, and if you hit the ball right to the second baseman, who is going to throw it to first, you don’t stop till you are at the base. They could still drop it.”
Alex Ezzell nods appreciatively, as do his students, to the thousands of people who lent support. This includes help from the Nevada County Board of Supervisors, the mayors of Nevada City and Grass Valley, and from non-profits, such as the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL). He hailed the “gift of trust and responsibility” instilled in a group of students amidst "an amazing tapestry of organizations and individuals [that] coalesced to make this action successful.”
SYRCL, which orchestrates the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, produced the 15-minute “How the Kids Saved the Parks.” It well deserves being one of the diverse dozens of films accepted in the festival from all over the US and countries around the world.
The film’s local color not only fits perfectly with SYRCL’s decades-long devotion to the South Yuba River. Its exemplary success story nestles into a core theme of the film festival – activism. With a solid reporting style, this right-sized, well-constructed documentary puts the kids front and center. By their example they inspire grownups to do what Sammy Maliszewski thinks activism is: “compassion, perseverance, and courage.”
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Extracts from Grass Valley Charter School activists about the meaning of "activism”:
Grade 5:
Parker Chow: Keep your head up high and make a statement.
Michelle Gonzales: You don’t just sit down and let the problem fix itself. You do something about it.
Zara Katzenstein: When you see something bad and want it changed, you stand up for it because it is important to you or your community or to the world.
Sebastien Kuca: You don’t say oh I’ll do that tomorrow.
Zach Meyler: You have to go to people who can change what you’re fighting for. If it weren’t for activists in the past my mom wouldn’t be able to vote.
Wes Forslund Mooers: Step up and work for a good cause.
Claire Schad: We didn’t just think; we did!
Suraya Shelton: Everyone thinks I am a kid. I can’t make a difference. Well I can.
Irish Stine: Stand up for something and don’t wait for it to change, but take part in changing it.
Grade 6:
Devin Anderson: Not hoping something happens or waiting for it to happen, it’s sending a letter to help persuade someone, or getting out and gathering petitions. We got over 10,000 signatures.
Camryn Brown: Try to make other people aware of what’s happening and publicly change what they don’t agree with.
Kialey DeRock: Activism is being a part of a collaborative team to inspire change.
Melissa Martinez: It cost me time and comfort when I stood out in the cold on a Saturday night trying to get the petition signatures. I had to go to a radio station and be prepared for an interview.
Kelly Muir: We were fighting to stop something bad from happening. We wrote speeches, practiced skits, went on the radio and were interviewed. We put a lot of work into something we cared about, and in the end we were successful.