Highlands students were among a limited number of teens selected to help script and score an upcoming animated film that focuses on mental health issues and delivers a message of inclusion and resilience.
“Finding Alice in Wonderland” is produced by educational animation company Wonder Media and supported by The Grable Foundation.
“It’s an important topic because some people struggle, and it’s better if we reach out to them and tell them things will be OK at some point,” said senior Landen DonGilli, 17, one of the four Highlands student involved in the project.
“Teenagers need a sense of belonging. Lots of teens are stressed, and they need to feel part of something.”
The movie, developed by students from across the Pittsburgh region, is a twist on the Lewis Carroll classic. In this updated version, the main character struggles through the challenges of a new middle school and begins to feel isolated and self-conscious. Through a dream journey, she learns strategies for coping with anxiety, building tenacity and rallying around friends with similar issues.
It’s a topic that is likely to strike a chord with many people.
About 5.3 million teens were diagnosed with a mental or behavioral health condition in 2023, up 35% from 2016, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private philanthropy in Baltimore.
About one in five teens has had a major depressive episode, 20% experienced anxiety and 40% reported feelings of sadness, the foundation website said.
Terry Thoren, CEO of Wonder Media and executive producer of cartoon series, “Rugrats,” said the movie aims to help students process emotional challenges and learn to support one another.
“The transition from elementary to middle school is often a challenging time for students,” Thoren said. “It’s a period when fitting in can feel like everything, and many young people struggle quietly to find where they belong.”
In the film, Alice faces those challenges. As she journeys into Wonderland, she encounters familiar characters who are masking their true selves in order to be accepted.
“Through these interactions, the story opens the door to meaningful conversations about mental health, giving voice to feelings many students experience but may not yet have the words to express,” Thoren said.
“By writing about these behaviors, visualizing them through storytelling and bringing them to life in our movie, participating students gain a deeper understanding of themselves and others. At the same time, their peers, while watching these stories unfold, benefit from seeing these shared experiences reflected in a powerful and relatable way.”
Highlands is one of nine schools from across the region chosen to participate. Among the others are Franklin Regional, Quaker Valley and Seneca Valley.
“Each school had a scene and we got to create the voices, the script and the animation,” said senior Abella Valenti-Baker, 17.
“I really enjoyed it. It was a great way for us all to come together with our creative minds.”
Adele Misejka, 18, said the movie prep was a good lesson in career-readiness, requiring learning about deadlines, leadership and teamwork.
“We had to turn stuff in on time, and we had specific assignments each week,” said the senior, who plans to study music therapy in college.
“It was cool to branch out and do different things that we normally wouldn’t do.”
The movie is scheduled to premiere May 22 at Woodland Hills High School, complete with a red carpet. Its release was scheduled purposely to coincide with mental health awareness month.
Teacher Michael Zeiler, the project liaison, said he always imagined it would be the best experience to voice an animated character.
“This is a dream come true as a teacher,” he said. “I found myself asking questions about the process from concept design to character development. I wish I had this experience when I was in high school. It’s really cool to be able to create this amazing environment.”
Work on the movie began months ago, and responsibility fell upon the students to work deadlines into hectic schedules. All four were leads in this year’s musical, “Legally Blonde.”
Each scene, about four-minutes long, will be compiled with those from other districts to complete the movie.
The project will be uploaded to YouTube following the premiere.
Senior Hannah Misejka said that because her group worked so efficiently, Highlands was asked to submit a second scene.
“It’s great to have more of us in the movie,” she said.
“I’m excited to see the final product, and I think it will be really cool to see what all the other schools did.”