MAKE A CIRCLE Screening: San Bernardino

KVCR, Child Care Providers United Training Fund, Child Care Resource Center, and First 5 San Bernardino present:

MAKE A CIRCLE Screening, Gathering and Panel Discussion

From an award-winning filmmaking team, MAKE A CIRCLE follows a group of child care providers who are determined to change how our society values the education of its youngest citizens. With a mix of humor, outrage, and passion, MAKE A CIRCLE captures the unfolding stories of Patricia, a leader of the California child care workers union, as she fights on behalf of a largely immigrant workforce; Charlotte, another union member who tirelessly lifts up the low-income families in her care; and Anne, the director of a large preschool, who finds novel ways to value and support her teachers when jobs at Starbucks are offering higher pay. Within their stories are interludes that offer a cinematic window into the unique, imaginative world of the young children in their care. The film culminates as thousands of child care union members march on their state capitol demanding better working conditions, just as their contract is set to expire. Weaving together the magic they create in the classroom, the struggles they endure at home, and their tireless activism for their profession, MAKE A CIRCLE is a moving portrait of life as an early childhood educator and a promising blueprint for fixing our broken child care system.

Please join the filmmakers and early educator film participants for an engaging Q&A around supporting our youngest Californians at the beginning of their educational journey.

RUN OF SHOW

📍 KVCR : 701 S. Mt. Vernon Ave., San Bernardino, CA 92410

🅿️ Parking is free in Lot 11 across from building (see map below)

🕐 6:15 Doors open, light bites and mingling

📢 7:00 Opening remarks

📽️ 7:15 Movie begins

🗣️ 8:15 Panel discussion

👋 8:45 Event ends

EVENT AND ACCESSIBILITY DETAILS

🎟️ The event is free but RSVP is required

🍴Light Dinner Provided

👶 Free child care available. If attending with your child, please contact the filmmakers at [email protected] by September 10th in addition to securing your free Eventbrite ticket

🗣️The film will have Spanish subtitles when English is being spoken and English subtitles when Spanish is being spoken

🤟 If you require sign language interpretation, please contact [email protected] by September 4th to let us know.

📸 There will be photographers at this event. By securing your ticket and entering the screening venue, you consent to be photographed, filmed and/or otherwise recorded.

✏️ Professional Development Opportunity: Please click on the link below if you are interested in receiving professional development hours, for attending this screening. You must have an account with the California Early Care and Education Workforce Registry.

LINK HERE

To learn more about how to receive PD hours for attending please contact Angelica F. Preciado at [email protected]

PANEL MODERATED BY CONNIE LEYVA

Executive Director, KVCR and Former Member of the California State Senate

Connie Leyva is currently the Executive Director at KVCR Public Radio and Television. KVCR is located on the campus of San Bernardino Valley College serving the Inland Empire on Channel 24 and FM 91.9. She oversees all aspects of KVCR including community and student engagement, raising money, and content. Prior to joining KVCR in December of 2022, Leyva was the Senator serving the 20th Senate District in the Inland Empire from 2014 to 2022, representing almost a million constituents. During her tenue in the California State Senate, Senator Leyva served as chair of numerous other key committees including the Democratic Caucus, Senate Education Committee, and Mobile and Manufactured Homes Select Committee. She authored more than fifty bills signed into law including landmark legislation on statute of limitation on sexual assault and Clean Truck Heavy-Duty Regulation. Leyva has always had a heart for people and the communities in which they live. She went to work for UFCW Local 1428 in 1994 and helped workers find their voices on the job. Starting in the benefits department, she ultimately became the first woman president of that local. From 2004-2014, while serving as UFCW Local President, she was also the first woman president of the California Labor Federation representing over 2.1 million workers though out California. Leyva lives in Chino, CA. with her husband Al where they raised their twin daughters who are now grown and have their own families.

JEN BRADWELL

Co-Director, MAKE A CIRCLE

Jen has edited more than 15 feature documentaries, including the Emmy Award-winning TIME FOR ILHAN, THE BIG PICTURE: RETHINKING DYSLEXIA {Sundance/HBO), Jennifer Siebel Newsom's FAIR PLAY {Hulu), and Erika Cohn's WHAT YOU'LL REM EM BER {NYT Op-Docs). Two seminal projects she wrote and edited {RESILIENCE and PAPER TIGERS) have had more than 50,000 community screenings to date, helping ignite a national conversation about childhood trauma. Jen has taught editing master classes at UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism and UC Santa Cruz's Social Documentation program. Years of editing and story consulting have inspired her to direct her first feature doc.

RASIENE REECE

Owner, All God's Children Child Care and Union Member Leader

With over 25 years of experience as a family child care provider, Rasiene Reece has dedicated her life to educating and enriching the lives of children while supporting families throughout the Victorville/High Desert communities. For more than 16 years, she has been a trusted resource and advocate for quality child care. Rasiene has been a proud member of Child Care Providers United (CCPU) since 2003, championing fair wages and professional recognition for child care providers. She has served on two CCPU negotiation teams and has been on the front lines of historic wins that have strengthened the profession and improved outcomes for providers and families alike. In addition to her work in early childhood education, Rasiene is the Founder and CEO of Women of Noble Character, a nonprofit organization based in Victorville. For over 15 years, this organization has been dedicated to serving the unhoused community of the High Desert, providing compassion, resources, and support to those most in need. Her passion, leadership, and unwavering commitment continue to make a lasting impact on children, families, and the broader community she serves.

JENNIFER CARTER

Executive Director, Oak Tree Learning Center

Jennifer Carter, professionally known as Mrs. C., is the CEO/Executive Director of Oak Tree Learning Center which operates in LA and San Bernardino County. Her schools serve over two hundred children and families, and employs over 30 care early childhood teachers. Carter used her deep understanding of teaching, assessment and learning to create a hands-on learning curriculum called Meaningful Assessment-ready Experiences for Pre K. It helps parents learn how and why children are learning, which turns them into well-informed partners for teachers and school leadership.

Mrs. C is a member of several professional and business organizations including the Inland Empire Black Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Women's Business Owners. She is an alumnae of Dartmouth College - Tuck School's Diverse Business Owner Program, the Inland Empire Women's Business Center's It's Your Time Program and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Owners' program, for which she acts as Ambassador for Cohort 27. In addition to memberships, she also serves on several Boards including San Bernardino County's LPC Committee Advocacy, Every Voice California Regional Lead Advocate, Secretary for Californians for Quality Early Learning (CQEL), and San Bernardino County's Local Planning Committee Executive Board.

JAMES MOSES

Director of Strategic Engagement, Inland Empire (RIMS) Region, Child Care Resource Center

James Moses is Child Care Resource Center’s (CCRC) Director of Strategic Engagement, Inland Empire (RIMS) Region. Each month, CCRC provides services to nearly 100,000 children, families and providers in our 22,500-square-mile service area. We remain a unique and distinctive leader in the childcare industry. Our current programs include home visiting, workforce development, family engagement, childcare financial assistance, Head Start and State Preschool, early childhood mental health, child abuse prevention and so much more. James has worked in San Bernardino County, in various roles, for more than 35 years. He served as a District Manager with the County of San Bernardino and as a Program Manager with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools prior to joining CCRC. Additionally, he sits on several local/state boards. In his spare time, he loves to spend time with his family, golf and fish. James was raised in San Bernardino County and is a graduate of Cal State San Bernardino.

Host or Publisher MAKE A CIRCLE Film