After meeting with Joe Davis, the victim of gun violence, and Traci Reed, a former addict and staff member at the recovery center Freedom House, students in Kelly Ann Coughlin’s 8th grade class at Harding Elementary School were inspired to create a documentary about the ravaging effects of drug addiction.

As part of their yearlong exploration of the topic, students interviewed friends and peers to find out what they knew about addiction. In their documentary, members of the class reveal through quotes the ways the problem has personally impacted them.

Kelly Ann described her students’ project at Need in Deed’s teacher retreat this summer. Several teachers in the group were moved to tears by the presentation.