disengaged and unhealthy students. Young people are being tasked with learning too much material and testing well on that alone. Do they retain the information? Are they really learning, or merely memorizing this week’s content? Is learning how to cheat and game the system an adaptive or antiso- cial, skill? It’s a culture of achievement that, “…ends up turning kids into little professionals,” says Darrick Smith, a former Oakland Tech High School teacher and one of the educators ap- pearing in the film.


There’s an interesting analysis in Race to Nowhere on the flip side of the “too much” equation. It’s about what kids are missing, what they don’t have time for and how running on empty is standard operating procedure for the majority of school-age families. Are you on the Race to Nowhere? See for yourself. The film is currently on a public screening campaign in the- aters and semi-theatrical venues such as school auditoriums and local com- munity centers and churches. Check RaceToNowhere.com for upcoming dates and times.


Dan Marengo is the communica- tions director at Visit Berkeley – Con- vention & Visitors Bureau and Film Office (VisitBerkeley.com). He is also the father of two grade-school students who often have too much homework. See Community Resource Guide listing on page 31.


Race to Nowhere East Bay Screenings


March 10


•7 p.m., La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley •7 p.m., Community Presbyterian Church, 200 E. Leland Rd. (between Harbor and Railroad Ave.), Pittsburg


March 17


•7 p.m., Cerrito Theatre, Rialto Cinemas, 10070 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito


natural awakenings March 2011 13


Support our advertisers – they pay for this publication,


so you don’t have to


HEALTHY LIVING HEALTHY PLANET


feel good live simply laugh more


FREE


America’s Food Revolution


EXERCISE GREEN


GOOD FOR THE SOLE AND SOUL


PET THERAPY OPTIONS


TOXIN-FREE HOME


GREEN Clean


MARCH 2011 | East Bay Area Edition | www.NAEastBay.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32