A FILM. A CLASSROOM CONVERSATION. A CATALYST FOR CHANGE.
Facing the Falls and its classroom resource guide turn one extraordinary journey through the Grand Canyon into practical lessons in courage, interdependence, self-advocacy, teamwork and belonging. New York City is the launch point for an educational initiative designed to reach students and teachers far beyond one school system.
Donations are tax-deductible through our fiscal sponsor, Creative Visions.
THE NEED IS NOW
Bullying, peer pressure, social-media toxicity, isolation, mental-health strain and insecurity shape how students see themselves and one another. Disabled students also encounter stigma and low expectations. Yet students are rarely given enough honest space to talk about fear, difference, vulnerability, help-seeking and their own value.
Educators are expected to build safer, more inclusive classrooms while managing crowded curricula and limited time. They need practical ways to address belonging, disability, empathy, identity and self-advocacy without having to create an entire lesson from scratch.
Facing the Falls meets both realities. The film creates emotional openness. The resource guide and facilitated conversation turn that moment into reflection, confidence, empathy and action.
2-MINUTE TRAILEREXPERIENCE THE FILM
Meet the film that captures attention, opens people emotionally and creates the conditions for honest conversation.
Watch the trailer“A stirring film about extraordinary tenacity and unshakable determination.”
“For the first 15 minutes, I barely took a breath.”
“A masterclass in how storytelling can change culture.”
“The conversation we had with you was truly powerful.”
Audience responses from screenings and post-screening conversations.
The screening inspires people to open up.
The discussion motivates people to make change.
After the applause is where impact begins.THE IMPACT
Students examine fear without shame and see that courage can begin before confidence arrives.
They practice naming what they need, asking for support and communicating clearly under pressure.
They discover that needing others is not weakness. Every ambitious journey depends on trust and care.
They question narrow ideas about ability and recognize the value each person brings to a team.
COURAGE IN PRACTICE
Fear does not have to disappear before a student can move forward.
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We treat independence as the highest form of human achievement. But every one of us depends on other people, systems and infrastructure.
CARA YAR KHAN, PROTAGONIST & PRODUCER
THE NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS PILOT
The film opens students emotionally. The 50-page pilot resource guide helps teachers turn that openness into standards-aligned reflection, discussion and action.
Explore the school resource guideA gripping, accessible 34-minute documentary meets students where they are.
Guided prompts connect the expedition to their own fears, choices and relationships.
Structured conversation builds empathy, communication and respect across differences.
Students identify how they can create more inclusive classrooms and communities.
FOR TEACHERS
The resource guide gives educators a thoughtful, flexible way to lead conversations that students remember.
EARLY RESPONSE FROM PS 234
The initiative reached classrooms near the end of the 2025–26 school year. This fall is the first opportunity to build sustained school engagement at scale.
“We were all enthralled and inspired. The pride you feel in being part of the disability community was such an important message for our students to hear.”
“Your honesty, compassion, leadership and advocacy will reverberate with our students, and with me, for many years to come.”
NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS & DIAL
“It was an absolute honor to experience the film in the same room as you. We received many thank you notes after today’s event and hope to see an uptick in usage of the school resource guide this school year.”
“You filled each of us with such inspiration today.”
ACCESS IS A PRACTICE
The film is available with captions and audio description. We are now in conversation with Gallaudet University about producing an ASL version of the film and school resource guide.
Making the story available in more formats and languages is part of the work ahead, and part of what philanthropic support can unlock.
ONE STORY. MANY DOORWAYS.
The NYC pilot gives us a strong starting point. Philanthropic support will help us evaluate what works, adapt the curriculum and make the initiative useful to educators across the United States, Canada and, over time, other countries.
The free film and pilot classroom guide were made available across New York City public middle and high schools near the end of the 2025–26 school year. Fall 2026 is the first full phase of school engagement.
FROM ACCESS TO ACTIVE USEThe current guide aligns with New York City curriculum and learning objectives. The next phase will create adaptable core materials and, where useful, localized versions aligned with the standards educators follow in other cities, states and provinces.
UNITED STATES · CANADAAn ASL version is being explored with Gallaudet University. A December 2026 screening with Chinese subtitles in Taiwan opens a doorway to new audiences and future language adaptations.
ACCESS THAT GROWS WITH THE INITIATIVEA picture book for ages 2–3. A children’s storybook for ages 5–8. Future adaptations for universities and professional settings.
AN EXPANDING LEARNING ECOSYSTEM
What begins in one classroom can travel far beyond it.
WHAT PHILANTHROPY CAN UNLOCK
These are opportunities to build lasting educational infrastructure, not one-off transactions. Gifts can support a priority or strengthen the initiative as a whole.
Support a year-one portfolio of school visits, preparation, facilitation, teacher coordination and student follow-up.
Develop an adaptable core guide and begin aligning materials for new cities, states and Canadian provinces.
Help create an ASL version of the film, opening the story to Deaf students, educators and audiences.
Document student and teacher outcomes so learning can improve and future expansion rests on credible evidence.
Leadership gifts, grants and collaborative funding are welcome. We will shape recognition and reporting around each partner’s goals.
A PROVEN STORY. A NEW GENERATION.
Executive produced by Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, Facing the Falls has reached audiences in theaters, at festivals, in companies, at the United Nations and on Delta Air Lines. Its next chapter belongs in classrooms.
THE NEXT CHAPTER NEEDS YOU
The pilot is built and the door to 1,121 New York City schools is open. Your support helps us activate that opportunity, learn from it and build curriculum that can travel to schools across the United States and Canada while remaining free for educators.
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