Our vision is of an inclusive and respectful society where everyone is valued. We promote diversity and challenge prejudice. We contribute to the transformation of schools and communities by addressing discrimination on the grounds of ‘race’, gender, class and ability.
The Persona Doll approach is:
Participatory
Children actively participate right from the start. They express their ideas, thoughts and feelings, and they become the problem-solvers.
Fun
A visit to your classroom by a Persona Doll is a special event the children look forward to. Initiate activities based around your doll’s persona.
Educational
Persona doll stories introduce and celebrate diversity, rich in true-to-life details which broaden horizons and unlearn prejudices.
Adaptable
Create stories for your Persona Doll to address a wide range of issues which cause exclusion such as racism and gender bias.
Empowering
Develop personas and stories which empower children to challenge stereotypes and speak up for themselves and others.
Rewarding
Watch how the children develop empathy, self confidence, a sense of fairness and critical thinking skills as they bond with the dolls.
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What some of our clients say:
Every time I see a session I am amazed at how absorbed and involved the children are and how enthusiastically they usually respond. The children participate from the start as they are encouraged to recall what had happened to the doll in the previous session, the problems they helped to solve and the solutions they suggested. As they do so we see their confidence as creative, critical thinkers and problem solvers grow.
Having Persona Doll makes it easier to discuss issues around inequality, unfairness and exclusion in the classroom. If I were just to sit down and do circle time then I think I would find it quite difficult. If I have one of the dolls as a prop and can say, “Jeb feels like this today” it makes it much easier. I can’t think of another way of doing it without mentioning actual children’s names and making them feel bad. I think these Dolls play a huge part in triggering and sustaining great discussions with the children.
Watching the children’s faces – they are completely there. Also, the amount of language, especially shy ones use and the way children empathise with the Dolls and are able to say, “that happened to me.”
The children’s responses to the Persona Doll stories are really articulate and thoughtful, and the stories managed to engage not only the more articulate children but also the quieter and the less attentive ones.