Paper Tigers Invitation

We are thrilled to invite you to join us for a limited-engagement screening of Paper Tigers.

Helena Middle School Auditorium
January 25th
6-8:30 pm.

Paper Tigers is a powerful documentary by James Redford and Karen Pritzker that explores the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress on struggling teens. The film follows a year in the life of Lincoln High Alternative School in Walla Walla, Washington. After radically changing its approach to disciplining students, they saw a dramatic turnaround in everything from the number of fights to test scores to graduation rates. Principal Jim Sporleder decided to ask the question, “What happened to you?” instead of “What’s wrong with you?” By implementing trauma-informed practices and resilience techniques, Lincoln H.S. experienced an:

• 85% reduction in out-of-school suspension days
• 40% decline in expulsions
• 500% increase in graduation

Paper Tigers covers how children that are being exposed to a toxic level of stress increases their risk to become obese, drug and sex addicts, risk-takers and criminals. ACEs alter lives and this documentary examines the latest understanding of ACEs and what we can do to overcome them. It captures the pain, the danger, the beauty and the hopes of struggling teens, as well as the teachers armed with new science and fresh approaches that are changing lives for the better.

Our goal is to expand the conversation about ACEs and the importance of being trauma-informed into the entire community. We are excited for you to see this film because we think you will find this helpful in your day-to-day interaction with youth in our community. A panel will follow the film to share ACEs experiences as well as field questions.

Why “Paper Tigers”? When kids are struggling to deal with multiple ACEs because of the effects of toxic stress on their brains, they can’t distinguish the difference between a Bengal tiger and a paper tiger.

Need more convincing? Visit the film’s website and view the trailer.
The event is FREE, but tickets must be reserved, click here.

We hope you will join us for what is sure to be an extraordinary evening! CEUs will be available.
This event is brought to you by Elevate Montana, Helena Group:

Sponsors: Association for the Education of Young Children * Challenge Helena * Childwise * Dan Fox Family Care Program * Early Childhood Coalition * Florence Crittenton * Friends of Head Start * Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies * Intermountain * Juvenile Probation * Lewis & Clark Public Health * Policy Council of Head Start * St Paul’s United Methodist Church * United Way of Lewis & Clark Area * Youth Connections * Youth Dynamics * Youth Homes