Today, Wear the Cape’s “How to Be a Hero” assembly circuit took flight! The team visited Gill St. Bernard’s school in Gladstone, NJ to show approximately 200 students in the Lower School how they can embody heroic character and tactics they can use to stand up against bullying effectively. Fun was flying high, and Wear the Cape could not have asked for a more respectful, attentive, COOL audience.
Wear the Cape’s teacher facilitators Christina Mancino and Colleen Grundfest led the interactive presentation to equip the heroes-in-training with strategies and skills to be positive forces within their communities and to be BETTER THAN THAT™ – better than bad choices including bullying. In addition to live facilitation and student participation, the assembly showcased a relatable sequence of videos demonstrating anti-bullying tactics in practice.
In the assembly video, real kids share their unique perspectives on tough social situations often faced by the younger generation. With the help of their stories, children in the assembly audience were able to identify and make connections to challenges that they face with their own peers. “Do what’s right, not what’s easy” was one of the takeaway lessons.
Today’s assembly was a particularly noteworthy presentation, in part because many of the actors in the film are also Gill St. Bernard’s students. Campbell and Regan Macak, as well as Samantha, Thomas, Charlotte, and Nicolas Errico, are Gill Knights who poured their hearts into filming and sacrificed summer days to help spread the message, near and far, that it’s cool to be kind.
Leigh Ann Errico, the founder and CEO of kidkind foundation and Wear the Cape, is also a proud Gill St. Bernard’s mom. She donated all fees and expenses associated with hosting the assembly to the school where her children are being educated. Errico, an experienced leadership coach, built Wear the Cape and established the kidkind foundation in 2013 when she identified the need for resources on kindness and character-building that would appeal to her own four children. The idea for the brand was sparked when she observed that the chance to wear a cape – the organization’s logo – motivates children to act like heroes, or “Cape Kids,” in order to live up to the symbol of honor.
“Gill is home to a special group of students who are passionate about life and care about others,” Errico commented. “These young people are strong vessels, capable of carrying kindness into their communities. It is my hope that the assembly shows kids new ways to help those who need it most, when they need it most.”
The kidkind foundation will also be donating the assembly to five underprivileged elementary schools in New Jersey for free.
Coming later in 2016: Wear the Cape’s picture book for children! Stay tuned.
To inquire about bringing Wear the Cape’s “How to Be a Hero” assembly to a school near you and/or to help us spread the word, please send an email to leighann@wearthecapekids.com. Below, watch the video trailer for a sneak peek at what Wear the Cape’s assembly offers the elementary school age group:
