GREENFIELD — Over the last several months, Four Rivers Charter Public School students have traveled around New England, documenting stories of formerly incarcerated people and their roles in green reentry programs.

The result is “Roots of Change,” a documentary exploring the intersections of social justice, climate change and economic opportunity.

Each year, Four Rivers’ senior class has an opportunity to dig deep into a topic for their annual class documentary. This year is no different, except this time, the film will be screened at the Garden Cinemas for one night only. On Thursday, Feb. 15, the public is invited to visit the theater and view “Roots of Change” at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $11.50 and all proceeds benefit the Four Rivers Sustainability Fund.

In exploring this topic, the students looked everywhere from The Compost Cooperative in Greenfield — which formed several years ago to give businesses and residents a way to get rid of compostable waste while providing former Franklin County inmates a chance to run their own business — to Springfield, Boston and even Providence, Rhode Island and New Haven, Connecticut. They interviewed subjects and learned about environmentally conscious programs that welcome formerly incarcerated individuals.

“We wanted to explore the way marginalized communities in the U.S. are impacted by climate change … and connecting that to the injustices in the justice system,” said senior Willa Punches. “There are really wholesome and wonderful ways to help people and the environment. I think we have to think outside the box in how we solve issues.”

Other than staff offering a helping hand, the students are responsible for the entire production from the initial creative planning through post-production. Most students took on different roles, such as interviewing or editing, but everyone gets a chance to get some hands-on experience in film production.

“The teachers really take a step back and let us troubleshoot things,” noted fellow senior Sierra Upton. “It was super fun.”

Alex Wilson, the school’s 11th and 12th grade social studies teacher, commended the class for their “courage” in taking on such a complex and sensitive topic

“I think the depth of this topic and the level of empathy the students have shown is particularly impressive,” Wilson said, adding that he is proud of the students for highlighting two “disparate” topics and finding how they connect.

For those students tasked with interviewing subjects, they learned how to prepare for a conversation, as well as the social skills needed to build the trust to allow someone to open up and discuss a topic as sensitive as their incarceration history.

“Listening to someone’s story, they’re really baring their soul and I think that’s really powerful,” said senior Sophia Slade. “It’s a really incredible thing to have this opportunity at my school.”

And for producers, like Isaiah Goleman, the project was a test in organizational skills and storytelling, while also teaching the importance of empathy when sharing someone’s personal story.

“We’re trying to represent those [stories] in a way that’s respectful,” Goleman said, emphasizing that a production like this is all about raising awareness about the topics. “For people to support something, they’ve got to know about it first. … Individual stories are really important.”

“We’re not presenting green reentry as a be-all, end-all solution,” Slade added. “We want people to understand the justice system more and have a feeling of responsibility, as well as hope.”

“Roots of Change” premieres at the Garden Cinemas on Feb. 15, at 7:30 p.m. The film is about 25 minutes long and students will take folks behind the scenes of their work following the screening.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.