Why We ACT UP! Where Bullying Is Concerned

/in , /by

 

Bullying is something that no one should be staying quiet about, which is why Drama Kids International introduced the ACT UP! to Stop Bullying initiative.

 

Chances are, we’ve all experienced bullying in some form or manner during our lives—but it’s something that is especially prevalent in school. Did you know that 1 in 3 U.S. students have reported being bullied at school and an astounding 70.6 percent of teens have seen bullying occur at their school?

 

Types of bullying include verbal bullying, social bullying and physical bullying. Verbal bullying includes teasing, name-calling, taunting, threatening and inappropriate sexual comments. Social bullying can include leaving someone out on purpose, telling other children to not be friends with someone, embarrassing someone in public and spreading rumors about someone. Physical bullying is anything that involves hurting a person’s body or possessions.

 

Something that has grown even more common is cyberbullying. With the increased popularity of social media and ease of accessing it, nearly 43 percent of children have been bullied online, while one-in-four have had it happen more than once.

 

Bullying can have a long-lasting impact on those who experience it, both physically and emotionally. Did you know that those who are bullied are more at risk for mental health problems, headaches and struggling to adjust to school? Those who are bullied also are at increased risk for substance use, academics issues and violence to others later on, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

 

We want to do our part to help make bullying a thing of the past, which is why we are proud to offer ACT UP! to Stop Bullying workshops, which are designed for children in third, fourth and fifth grade. The workshops involve student participation in drama activities and group discussions that are used to teach them about the various forms of bullying and how they can properly respond to those situations if they ever arise.

Drama Kids International specializes in helping children build up their self-esteem, and no one’s self-esteem is being bolstered by bullying. It is our goal to see the ACT UP! workshops help teach children the roles they can play when bullying occurs, how to model good behavior, and how to identify bullying and practice safe and effective interventions.

 

If you would like to learn more about our ACT UP! to Stop Bullying initiative, reach out! We’d love to see it come to a school near you!

3 Ways to Inspire Creativity in Your Kids

/in , /by

Imagination is something that is especially important in your children’s lives, and it is also something that we celebrate daily here at Drama Kids International!

You’re never too old to indulge your imagination, and creativity and imagination are things that most recognize as being just as important in life as knowledge. After all, Albert Einstein himself once said “the true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination!” Since imagination and creativity go hand-in-hand, we felt that sharing a few ways to inspire creativity in your kids would be especially beneficial as school gets back in session.

1. Encourage activities that spur their imagination. The possibilities here can seem endless, but you could pull out old photos, some craft supplies, such as glue, markers, construction paper or glitter (if you’re feeling brave), and let your kids decide ways to add to those photos. Perhaps they’ll design a new outfit or make it so the people in the photos are in a new location. Another idea is grabbing a bag and going for a walk, and during that walk have your kids pick up items (at least 10) and then once you return home, encourage them to create a story using those collected items.

2. Utilize technology. You may think that technology is making children less creative, but with the right usage and apps, it can help inspire their creativity and imagination. There are many apps out there that allow your kids to unlock their artistic side, you just have to select the one that is right for them!

3. Read aloud to them. It’s already known that reading with your children or encouraging them to read for 20 minutes a day can give them quite an educational boost, but reading aloud to them can also help bolster their creative side. Instead of having the pictures to look at themselves, your little ones will have the option to envision the story in their head, creating the characters and setting however their minds imagine it!

No matter how you decide to inspire that spark of creativity in your kids, you can rest assured that it will lead to great things for both their imagination and intelligence level. We can’t wait to hear about the methods your family elected to go with and would love to hear any new ideas you may have come up with!

Remember, Drama Kids International was designed to help your kids unlock their inner creativity, boost their self-esteem, and develop beneficial skills like public speaking, leadership and creative thinking!