An innovative Fredericton program that teaches kids to develop their self-esteem and promotes mental wellness is striving to reach a whole new audience.
“It’s OK to be Awesome!” uses puppets to engage kids and encourage empowerment, and after starting out as an after-school program, it has blossomed into a TV series — whose pilot episode was filmed in Saint John.
“We really teach children that compassion towards themselves is so important and it’s a tool that they will carry throughout their lives, and when a child has compassion for themselves they naturally have compassion for others as well,” says Rebecca Tremblay, the program’s co-founder.
Two Fredericton women — a life coach and a teacher — joined forces to create the program for parents and kids.
It’s OK to be Awesome! handles issues such as the power of beliefs, self-awareness, positive self-talk, healthy boundaries and consent.
“We’re working with kids to give them tools, so that when the time comes that a big stress event happens or something that they need to cope with, they’ll have the tools to be able to work through anything,” said Tremblay.
The program has been endorsed by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and offers a six-week online parent coaching program, as well as a summer camps for kids of all ages.
“We recognize that children really model behaviour of their parents, so when parents do the work themselves and understand these concepts and are able to evolve, their kids will naturally follow in those footsteps,” said Tremblay.
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Meanwhile, It’s OK to be Awesome! hopes to complete its full eight-segment series of episodes to create a mental wellness revolution for children.
“We need funding, we need to be able to create this project, so any way that anyone can contribute or help, we are open for any help financially,” said co-founder Anne Lebans.
For more information and to assist with funding you can visit: www.itsoktobeawesome.ca