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Walk In My Shoes

Empathy Tools for Schools

Home: Welcome
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Who We Are

Walk In My Shoes is an empathy-building program designed to teach children how to be respectful and inclusive of all children, especially those with medical conditions, developmental challenges, or learning differences.


We do this by:

1) increasing knowledge

2) shifting perspectives

3) inspiring action--the action of being a good friend.

What We Offer

The Walk In My Shoes Program offers fun, interactive activities designed to provide schools with the tools to encourage and foster the inclusion of all students. Walk In My Shoes programs can be used as school assemblies or in small group/classrooms. The program cost for the 2021-2022 school year is $400. This includes the program implementation guide, a set of activity descriptions, scripts, and worksheets, a 30-minute virtual planning meeting with your school's event organizers, and a 60-minute virtual training for your school volunteers and teachers who will lead the activities.

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Current activity topics include:  

  • Accessible Buildings

  • ADHD  

  • Color Vision Deficiency  

  • Communication/Speech   

  • Dyslexia  

  • English Language Learners  

  • Fine Motor Delay  

  • Food Allergies

  • Inclusive Classroom Parties 

  • Movement Disorders  

  • Respecting names and labels

  • Sensory Processing   

  • Understanding Emotions  

  • Visual Impairment  

  • Visual Motor Integration

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Planning

A 30-minute technical assistance planning session is included with the purchase of the program.

Training

A 60-minute volunteer training is included with the purchase of the program.

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Why WIMS?

This is a unique, flexible, cost-effective, and creative program that empowers school counselors, teachers, PTAs, and  homeschool groups to:

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  • Demystify disabilities

  • Create a more welcoming school environment for all students 

  • Reduce bullying and promote inclusion.

  • Support Inclusive Schools Week  

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Who benefits from this program?

This program supports children with developmental and health conditions who are at an increased risk of bullying and isolation, as well as their parents, whose greatest hope is that their children will feel welcome and safe at school so they may thrive.

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Our Story

The Walk In My Shoes program was inspired by an Autism Awareness event and has evolved into a unique program that ran annually at Floris E.S. from 2015 through 2019. It has since spread to 16 other Fairfax County, VA schools, and is starting to reach other regions, including Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The program has been translated into Spanish and adapted for use with teachers in Mayan Guatemala, and it has been adapted for use with teachers on the Island of St. Maarten as part of a doctoral dissertation.

 

To learn more about bringing this program to your school, please contact us at margaret.behrns@gmail.com

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We must encourage kids to DO--help, console, reassure, comfort, aid, speak up, defend--not just feel & think.

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 ~Michele Borba, Unselfie

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