All kids are original
We believe that every child is born with an original potential to share with the world. Children are born spontaneous, they trust themselves, they express their creativity without fear of being judged, they follow their instincts and feelings. We want to preserve their spontaneity.
We won’t fit in
Our society's ideals of intelligence and success, sometimes may disconnect us from who we truly are. Still today we are missing from educational models opportunities to develop self-awareness: we learn a lot about the world around us but not enough about the world within us.
Critical ‘feeling’ skills
What it means to be intelligent is being redefined- skills such as creativity, emotional intelligence and resilience are today’s superpowers. As Prof. Harari from Oxford University says: Acquisition of Knowledge is experience + sensitivity (awareness of our sensations and thoughts, and allowing sensitivity to guide our lives and relational events).
Exploring the self through creativity and play.
Through the lenses of neuroscience, mindfulness, and the arts, we provide opportunities to develop the emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and resilience needed to thrive in the 21st-century.
We create learning experiences and tools that help kids and educators develop social emotional skills through fun, creative and playful activities. From after school programs, summer camps, and workshops for parents and kids together, we aim to nurture connection, self-knowledge and mental well-being.
Our programs are multidisciplinary and include participation from artists, musicians, photographers, activists and other special people who donate their time to work with kids.
Through our programs and tools we nurture:
Social emotional skills & Emotional intelligence
Mindfulness
Creativity
A growth mindset
Conscious living: awareness of our planet and how to protect it
Resilience
Communication and conflict management skills
Our Projects
Afterschool Programs
Once a week, primary and middle school children join our after school classes, starting a journey through 1) exploring the self 2) relationships with others 3) awareness of the world around me. Throughout this journey kids learn through creative expression - they dance, they sing, they write and they create art - freely and without fear of judgment.
Curriculum Enrichment
We visit schools and join teachers in their classrooms, enriching their lessons with our curriculum. Class topics include how the brain works, the brains ability to learn, the introduction of creative mindfulness tools, managing conflict, and design for change.
Summer Camps
During one week, kids aged 5-12 join our camps to experience a condensed version of our curriculum, focused on social emotional learning. Through games, art, theatre, music and group activities, kids explore their inner worlds (their emotions, their thoughts and feelings), their relationships with others and with the world.
Workshops
Our workshops are for kids and parents/caregivers: they aim to foster connection between families as they learn and co-create together. Families learn how the brain works, explore their inner worlds and build their relationships through play and lots of fun. Our workshops pop-up in art galleries, schools, family stores, kids parties and at home.
Toolkits
Our repertoire of social emotional learning activities form the Original Kids toolkit. We are in the process of creating these activities as individual tools that can be used when trying to develop or target a specific skill. We are currently developing our activity boxes so you can bring these tools to your home.
Events
We “takeover” kids and family spaces at events to create a magical space where we organize workshops and activities. Our last event at the Aniwa gathering in upstate New York was set in the forest, allowing kids to connect with nature. Our events also include participation from special guests.
