Sticks and Stones

Sticks and stones may break your bones, and words WILL hurt you! Or they will lift you up and make you feel good about yourself. The difference is in the intent behind the words. If we can incite young people to be more intentional about using language that builds people up instead of tearing them down; if we can illustrate how kindness and empathy and love lead to a power greater than that resulting from intimidating others; if we can help them to be more accepting of others who are different from themselves; if we commit to the ruination of the adage, ‘kids will be kids’, and unsubscribe from the idea that meanness is a rite of passage; if we can do these things, then we can quite possibly change a culture in a generation. We realize, however, that with all of the demands put on educators these days, finding time to integrate curriculum about social issues such as bullying and victimization can be difficult.
That’s where we can help. STICKS AND STONES is designed to get the kindness ball rolling. It is an imaginative program for grades K – 8 that uses performance art, music and language arts to tackle the problem of bullying. By engaging participants in fun, meaningful, and self-reflective activities, STICKS AND STONES aims to outfit our young people with tools and strategies to productively interact with individuals who demonstrate bullying behaviors while offering bullies compelling reasons to change their own behavior. Moreover, STICKS AND STONES makes a strong case for the idea that KINDNESS and ACCEPTANCE are immensely more powerful and rewarding than the stature one may gain from intentionally hurting, intimidating or isolating others. The culminating performance for a STICKS AND STONES residency is a MULTIMEDIA EXTRAVAGANZA that highlights what participants have learned during the program and wish to apply to their everyday lives.