The Community and Our Impact
Public school students in Los Angeles (the heart of the film industry!) don’t have significant access to the arts.
Los Angeles public high schools are among the most diverse in the nation.
These students represent the future of the US and the world, and they’re struggling:
More than 80% of students in LAUSD live at or below the poverty line.
An estimated 50% of students in LAUSD suffer from PTSD.
Many of these high schoolers have emotional and behavioral issues that cause isolation from their academic and social communities.
That’s where Rabbit Hole comes in!
Rabbit Hole provides safe spaces for high schoolers, helping create community and foster self-expression.
Here are some of the great people we've met:
Student Impact
Educator Impact
1. How would you describe Rabbit Hole as a program provider for your youth?
Rabbit Hole is a wonderful partner for our school. They are able to motivate and provide guidance for students in a safe environment with the help of film. The providers are experts in their field and understand the teenage brain. They are able to break down themes and elicit authentic, candid responses from their clients.
2. Can you describe a moment that captures the strength of the Suspension Diversion program?
The strength of this program reflects directly on our school’s suspension rate. Since we have implemented the Saturday Diversion, we have not suspended ANY students from school. The culture and climate of the school reflect this and parents have also embraced this “suspension alternative.” Students themselves say that they learn so much more in the 3 hours they spend with us vs. a suspension day at home.
3 Can you describe how the Suspension Diversion program impacted student behavior?
The Suspension Diversion program is intended for students to examine their current behavior and over time, express a willingness to change. Many students see me in the hallways after the program and let me know they are thinking about choices they are making. Student behaviors have changed as many students are voluntarily coming on Saturdays and there are about 10% who are repeat offenders. The success of the program would not be possible if we didn’t have the guidance and film selection provided by Rabbit Hole. Hooking the students to current themes and then seeing them relate those themes to their own lives is not easy, but it happens every Saturday.
4. Can you describe how the program has impacted your relationship with the students who have participated in the program?
My relationship has been impacted in so many ways because of this program. When I viewed films before, I only looked at them from an entertainment perspective. I knew that their messages were powerful, but I never realized how much they could help shape human behavior. Students bring their friends to me, asking for them to go to Saturday School because it is helped them. Students who are repeat offenders tell me that the films they see have taught them so much about themselves. I believe that the students themselves have enriched my life in ways I never thought was possible.