Educational Media Reviews Online

According to this film, there are 22.5 million refugees in the United States, and half of them are children. Traditional public schools are often not equipped to handle the linguistic, social, and emotional needs of refugee children. This often results in many of these students falling behind or expelled from school. Day One explores how the Nahed Chapman New American Academy (NCNAA) in St. Louis, Missouri is working to help ensure that refugee and immigrant students receive an education that will help them successfully transition to public schools by learning English and developing their coping skills.

The student body at the NCNAA is incredibly diverse, representing 42 countries and 56 languages. Many of the featured students were forced to flee persecution in war-torn countries; their stories are heart-breaking, which makes their successes even more rewarding. The teachers at this academy are doing much more than just teaching students English–they are providing students the emotional support they need to overcome their personal traumas. For example, some students were former soldiers and must learn how to trust adults; bells and loud sounds trigger some students who have been exposed to war; and other students become withdrawn as a result of missing their families. The teachers work tirelessly to help the students heal by engaging them in a variety of ways, from creating therapeutic safe spaces to gardening to showing the students empathy and patience.

Director Lori Miller weaves the realities of refugees and immigrants must face in the United States throughout the students’ narratives. For example, many of the refugees only receive four months of assistance before they must become financially independent. This puts a strain on older students at NCNAA who need to work multiple minimum wage jobs to help support their families. The film also lightly explores how the current political climate impacts students, specifically anti-immigration policies set forth by the Trump Administration. The hopeful tone of the film visibly darkens as the teachers report a drastic downturn in enrollment toward the end of the film. The teachers note an increase in students feeling afraid as result of the increased xenophobia. These messages help ground the film and prevent it from becoming overly saccharine.

This film is able elicit many emotions in the viewer from happiness to sadness to anger. For these reasons, it is engaging to watch. There are also many layers to the film that make for great discussion in and out of the classroom. Some of the film’s themes include the mental health, globalization, precarity, and social justice. The film has a wide-reaching appeal and would support curriculum in a variety of social science programs at colleges and universities. For this reason, Day One is a great addition to library collections.