In everyday life and at all levels of our society, adults don't always model kindness and empathy. In a world full of divisiveness, name-calling, and worse, how can you encourage your students to build better habits?

For students in kindergarten through 8th grade, we recommend Someone Else's Shoes: Empathy Skills Development. This program, developed in collaboration with renowned school social worker Judy S. Freedman, MSW, LCSW, helps students recognize and identify a variety of feelings and make emotional connections with each other. With enough practice, anyone can become an "empathy superhero!"

Someone Else's Shoes acts as a bridge between two other programs that also focus on kindness. For students in kindergarten through 5th grade, there's Ease the Tease, which teaches how to respond to unkind verbal teasing. And for students in 6th through 12th grade, Take a Stand focuses on bullying and how students can act as "up-standers" who intervene on others' behalf.

Even in challenging times, you can help your students find a different, more positive path! Ready to get started? Contact Artistic Director Samie Jo Johnson at (773) 492-1966 x 1 or sam@imaginationtheater.org.