Nebraska Loves Public Schools documentary features North Platte

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) - You may be seeing the promotions or hearing about its debut by word of mouth. The Mind Inside is a powerful, three-part documentary focusing on mental health and poverty in rural America. The final episode was filmed in North Platte.

It was filmed prior to COVID-19 by Nebraska Loves Public Schools. It highlights the tireless efforts of Officer Jeremiah Johnson and North Platte Public Schools Director of Student Services Brandy Bushcer as they advocate for students and their well-being to break the catastrophic cycle of poverty.

The 50-minute documentary also brings attention to how inherited trauma, generational poverty, drug abuse, neglect, and other home dynamics complicate the path to academic success.

“I think most people take public schools for granted and when you see the enormous responsibility that the school is taking on, not because they necessarily want to but, they realize that if this student doesn’t get the assistance that they need, whether it’s food, clothing or mental health, they cannot come to school and read, do math, and be absorbed in history, art and all of the things that we need in order to to be able to create our next generation of leaders,” said Sally Nellson-Barrett, Nebraska Loves Public Schools Executive Director. “So we just want to bring attention to it so that people can recognize the gaps and services and hopefully come together to try to solve that problem.”

The Mind Inside Episode 3 premiers tomorrow on the Nebraska Loves Public Schools website.