by Claire Miller
The College of Education is teaming up with Welcoming America and the Georgia chapter of the National Association for Multicultural Education (GA NAME) to screen “Welcome to Shelbyville,” a film about a small Southern town that grapples with a rising immigrant population.
The film tells the story of Shelbyville, Tenn., and how its residents face “rapid demographic change and issues of immigrant integration” during the 2008 presidential election, according to the film’s website.
The event, entitled “Changing Landscapes: Immigration and Education,” will begin at 5 p.m. Sept. 28 in the Georgia State University Speakers Auditorium (44 Courtland St., Atlanta) with a reception, and the film will begin at 6:15 p.m.
Following the screening, Jessy Molina, Welcoming America outreach director, and COE Clinical Assistant Professor Alyssa Hadley Dunn will moderate a panel discussion on the film. The panelists include Erica Dotson, Clayton State University assistant professor; Rachel Steinhardt, Welcoming America lead consultant; Carole Hahn, Emory University Candler Professor of Educational Studies; and Vera Stenhouse, president of GA NAME and project director for GSU’s Community Opportunities that Motivate People and Enhance Learning and Service (COMPELS) Grant.
“The issues raised in ‘Welcome to Shelbyville’ are timely, relatable and persistent: Race, religion, national identity, belonging, fear, power and survival,” Stenhouse said. “The screening and discussion provide a needed opportunity that advances GSU initiatives regarding fostering global competence and informs people about organizations in the community and in the academy, such as GA NAME and Welcoming America, who are committed to examining issues and connecting people to their humanity. This screening is particularly relevant for the College of Education, which prepares students, many of whom are immigrants themselves, and cohorts of teachers who teach in communities that mirror the one featured in the film.”
For more information about this event, please contact Vera Stenhouse at 404/321-0808 or ganame2010@gmail.com.
To view a flyer for this event, click here.
Changing Landscapes: Immigration and Education
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011
Location: Georgia State University Speakers Auditorium
44 Courtland St., Atlanta
Time: 5-6 p.m. Reception
6:15 p.m. “Welcome to Shelbyville” film screening
7:30-8:30 p.m. Panel discussion
