By Christie Bender
Grand Rapids Public Museum
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced that it is partnering with Camp Shout Out to host a special film screening and panel discussion of the award-winning documentary, When I Stutter, this February.
This event will bring awareness to stuttering by addressing how the community can be cognizant of the challenges individuals face on a daily basis. Following the screening of When I Stutter, panelists will discuss stuttering, as well as open up the floor to the audience to ask questions.
When I Stutter is a documentary that reveals the profound emotional impact that stuttering has had on a diverse group of individuals. The film’s storyline follows a young man on his journey through stuttering therapy, the relationship he forms with the speech pathologist and the heartwarming progress he makes along the way. Ultimately, the film showcases the wonder and beauty that can occur when an individual meets the right person at the right stage in life.
Panelists include mediator John Gomez, director and writer of When I Stutter; Kristin Chmela, director of Chmela Fluency Center and co-founder and co-director of Camp Shout Out; Derek Daniels, associate professor in the Department of Communication sciences and Disorders at Wayne State University; Scott Palasik, musician, novelist and professor of Speech Language Pathology at the University of Akron; Julie Raynor, co-founder and co-director of Camp Shout Out and licensed speech pathologist and Leland Robertson, inaugural camper at Camp Shout Out and current student at Calvin University, pursuing a master’s degree in Speech Pathology.
“The Grand Rapids Public Museum is honored to host this event to bring light to challenges faced daily by our community. Being aware of differences amongst us is just the beginning to adapting experiences to be inclusive of all,” said Dale Robertson, President & CEO of the GRPM. “The Museum continuously works to be a place of inclusivity and belonging.”
There will be two opportunities for the community to view the film and hear from the panelists, Thursday, February 20 from 7 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, February 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. This event is free to attend and open to the public; registration is required as seating is limited. Film merchandise will be available for purchase. To register visit grpm.org
