Andy Roddick Foundation Releases Whatchamafeelit
Social and emotional learning curriculum helps youth process emotions through 16 lessons.
AUSTIN, Texas – July 12, 2021 – Today, the Andy Roddick Foundation (ARF) announces the launch of Whatchamafeelit, a curriculum aimed at helping parents, youth and educators understand, process and express emotions. The curriculum includes 16 lessons and access to activities and videos to work on stress management and foster communication around mental health. Through Whatchamafeelit, ARF is prioritizing mental and emotional health by providing families with an effective way to process jumbled thoughts into clear emotions.
“It’s no secret that the past year has been challenging for students, educators and parents. Virtual learning, seeing our friends less and general anxiety about the future have brought up so many different feelings and we want to help our families safely process those emotions,” says Andy Roddick, ARF Founder and Chair.
“Whatchamafeelit is a special place dedicated to the social and emotional growth of families, providing them fun and effective ways to explore their feelings in a healthy way,” adds Richard Tagle, ARF CEO. “The curriculum is set up to allow children to work through lessons alongside their parents and educators with prompts and activities throughout each step of the process. Each lesson is set up so that families can customize them to suit their child’s needs.”
Whatchamafeelit’s lessons and activities have been developed using the proven SAFE framework, meaning they are sequenced, active, focused and explicit, as well as the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) core competencies. This results in the marriage of dance, art and reading with positive self-talk and reflection that fosters personal growth and encourages healthy stress management. While Whatchamafeelit provides prompts, activities and learning materials to guide families through these emotions and expressions, the program emphasizes that there is no right or wrong way to navigate these lessons.
One order of Whatchamafeelit includes the 16 lessons, activities, instructional videos, a guide for parents and guardians, backpack, T-shirt, pencils and pencil case, A-to-Z emotion cards, stickers, pins and a wristband. The cost for one Whatchamafeelit is $325, and with the purchase of each Whatchamafeelit, ARF will provide social and emotional learning to a family in need, meaning 100 percent of the proceeds benefit the students, families and programs of ARF.
The launch of Whatchamafeelit corresponds with National Summer Learning Week, which runs July 12 - 16 and is dedicated to ensuring students return to school in the fall ready to succeed by keeping them safe, healthy and learning throughout the summer. In 2020, ARF contributed to this endeavor and provided 170 children with tablets, materials and synchronous instruction during the 8-week ARF Summer at Home virtual program. This year’s virtual program runs from June 14 - July 23 and is accessible at https://www.arfoundation.org/summercamp.
“Last summer, the ARF Summer at Home virtual program helped participating children make statistically significant gains in social emotional skills, such as motivation, problem solving, persistence, and asking for help. This year, we’re extending these efforts through our virtual summer camp and Whatchamafeelit, which work well together or separately,” said Mary Riggs, ARF Chief Program Officer. “We want to ensure our families are able to navigate each aspect of education, from academics to emotional expression, and our hope is that Whatchamafeelit builds a foundation for students to do well in and out of the classroom.”
Over the last 20 years, ARF efforts have raised $30 million that contributed to grants, direct services and programs, and the Learn All the Time initiative. In 2020 alone, ARF produced more than 800,000 high-quality educational opportunities that impacted over 79,000 youth and over 50 families in Central Texas. In 2021, ARF continued to meet the moment by aiding families affected by February’s winter storms and providing a mobile Covid-19 vaccine clinic.
To learn more about Whatchamafeelit and place an order, visit https://whatchamafeelit.org/.
For additional information on the services provided by the Andy Roddick Foundation and how they give back to our community, visit their website: https://www.arfoundation.org/.
