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Make a Circle Screening & Discussion

Events

Join WXXI and Monroe Community College (MCC) for a special screening and community conversation around the film, Make a Circle, at the MCC Downtown Campus on Wednesday, April 8. This engaging evening will bring community members together to reflect, connect, and explore the film’s themes in a welcoming space.

Event program: Doors will open at 6 p.m. The screening of the film, Make a Circle, will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by a panel discussion at 7:30 p.m. The panel will feature local early childhood professionals including: Ann Marie Stephan (Executive Director of Rochester ChildFirst Network), Tiffany Howard (Early Childhood Professional at Friendship Children’s Center), and Crystal Campo (Family Child Care Provider). And, the panel will be moderated by WXXI News Reporter, Noelle Evans. The evening will also include a community resource fair with local, regional, and New York State early learning partners. Light refreshments will be provided.

Family-Friendly: To help make this experience more accessible for adults with young children, a family-friendly viewing space will be available. Adults will need to stay with their children at all times.

Please register using the form below. All registered participants will receive a follow-up email with confirmation and additional event details.

The screening and discussion are free and open to the public but registration is required.

Make a Circle Screening Event

Join WXXI and Monroe Community College for a special screening and community conversation around the film, Make a Circle. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Please use the form below to register. Questions? Contact Rachel Rosner at RRosner@wxxi.org

Full Name(Required)
What is your connection to child care or early learning?(Required)
Check all that apply.
Will you be bringing children to the event with you?(Required)
Families with young children are welcome. A designated family-friendly viewing area will be available, along with a kid-friendly activity space to support participation. Please note that this is not a drop-off event—children must remain with their caregiver at all times.
Are you interested in receiving professional development credit for attending this event?
If yes, please indicate whether you are requesting NYS Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) credit, ASPIRE credit, or both.
As New York State moves toward universal child care and expanding access to prekindergarten, what questions do you have about the future of these efforts and what they will mean for children and families across Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes?
Please let us know if you or anyone in your party requires accommodations to fully participate in this event (e.g., ASL interpretation, language translation, mobility access, sensory considerations, etc.). We are committed to accessibility and will do our best to support your needs. For any questions regarding the accessibility of this event, please contact Sarah Murphy Abbamonte at sabbamonte@wxxi.org.

About the Film

From an award-winning filmmaking team, Make a Circle follows a group of child care providers who are determined to change how 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 a new union for child care providers, 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 glimpse 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 unwavering 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.

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