By Amanda Moses
During the mid-winter recess for elementary students, the Spring Creek Afterschool Program held sessions from February 20th to February 23rd where parents enrolled their children in fun-filled, educational activities from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Sports Club (BSC) all the while on vacation.
On February 22nd, the children notably participated in a collaborative effort between The Opportunity Hub and New York International Children’s Film Festival. Students in kindergarten through fourth grade were able to watch a diverse group of short films curated by the NYICFF.
According to Johnny Rosario the Senior Director, Youth Development & Education at The Opportunity Hub, the programing was designed to provide valuable resources and experiences for the community.
“The NYICFF aims to use film as a tool for fostering self-awareness and understanding of others, ultimately promoting open dialogue, empathy, and mutual understanding. The film festival was designed for students in grades K through 4 and featured a lineup of six short films that were shown consecutively, totaling around 51 minutes,” Rosario said.
After the screening ended, Eileen Level, the Program Director, Teen and Young Adult Programs at The Opportunity Hub engaged with the children on their favorite aspect of the films, and inquired if there was something they disliked in the showcase how would they change the story.
Five-year-old Prince White did not mince his words in sharing what he did not like about Papriola, a short from Spain.
“[I didn’t like] that he didn’t want to put his backpack on and that his backpack got taken away,” White said.
However, Prince, along with many of the children all agreed that their favorite short film was Swing to the Moon, a French short that explored a tiny spider’s journey to space.
Once the discussion culminated, Level invited the students to create a story board for their very own short film.
Photos by Amanda Moses
