FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:

Amy Jones Anichini

Act Like You Matter, Inc.

amy@actlikeyoumatter.org

Just in Time for Back to School: Act Like You Matter Releases Video Version of Their Interactive, Anti-Bullying Program for  K-3rd

Baffle Away Bullying! Interactive Workshop for K-3rd will be available to rent starting  August 31, 2022.  Whether at home, school, an after-school program, camp, or any other educational or community setting, students across the world can now learn from this empowering and engaging program.

SAN DIEGO, July 26, 2022 – San Diego based Act Like You Matter, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides tools to help students build resilience and manage encounters with rude, mean, or bullying behaviors, is releasing the video version of their most popular student-led program:   Baffle Away Bullying! Interactive Workshop for K-3rd.  The educational video will be available to rent beginning on August 31st directly from the company’s website: actlikeyoumatter.org/baffle-away-bullying-video/ Act Like You Matter is run by Amy Jones Anichini.

An electronic press kit, including the trailer, show poster, synopsis, show images, and cast list can be found on the press page for the show: actlikeyoumatter.org/press/press-kit-for-baffle-away-bullying-video/

 The video launch marks the first time one of Act Like You Matter’s student-led, age-appropriate programs will be available to families and schools outside of Southern California. Up until now, Baffle Away Bullying! has been available only as a live assembly delivered on-site at elementary schools in Southern California, predominantly San Diego County and Los Angeles County, by youth actors ages 11-19 from Theatre of Peace (a division of Act Like You Matter).  With the release of the video, families can rent the program from home for the first time; they no longer have to wait for their school to offer the program. Schools across the country can experience the program for a fraction of the cost of bringing it live to campus. Title 1 schools will have access to discounted pricing, making it affordable for them to offer the program to their students. Businesses that work with children can also rent the video.

“There are so many things that excite me about this program being available on video,” said Amy Jones Anichini, Founder and President of Act Like You Matter and Executive Director of Theatre of Peace. “For the first time ever, a child can participate in the program from home! For years parents have been asking me how their child can participate in Baffle Away Bullying! My answer has always been, ‘Let’s talk to your school about bringing Theatre of Peace live to campus.’ Now, we can simply share the link to where they can rent it on our website. So many more students now have the opportunity to benefit from the life skills the program teaches. As we know, children love watching shows over and over; with the video medium, children – whether at home or at school – can watch the program multiple times to reinforce learning the skills and to get to know the characters. That’s something we can’t offer in a live assembly.”

Pricing for the video of Baffle Away Bullying! depends on the type of viewer and number of viewers. Individuals and families (up to 10 total viewers) can rent the program for as little as $4.99. Small schools, including Title 1 schools, (up to 100 total viewers) can rent for as little as $49.99; larger Title 1 schools can rent for as little as $74.99. Finally, larger non-Title 1 schools can rent for as little as $149.99.

“Releasing Baffle Away Bullying on video is both a professional and personal milestone for me: it’s the culmination of a project I started with my daughter Chase in 2011,” Anichini continued. “After being bullied by several classmates when she was in second grade, our family created a 3-step strategy for Chase to use to help her manage those encounters and interact in ways that deflected the bullying behavior yet were also kind. Her strategy worked so well that those students decided to stop bullying her. In 2013, Chase and I co-wrote the book Baffle That Bully! to help other children and families, with fictional character Scarlett Jones teaching the 3-step strategy. By the summer of 2017, I had adapted the book into the stage play Baffle Away Bullying!, and we workshopped it at Clear View Elementary in Chula Vista, CA, for students and teachers in K-2nd grade. Once the play became part of our assembly offerings in early 2018, it quickly became our most requested program. Because of its popularity, I knew we’d ultimately need to film it, so we could reach as many students as possible. That day is finally here!”

About Act Like You Matter

Through age-appropriate, student-led workshops, scripts, video, and social media presence, Act Like You Matter and its division Theatre of Peace: Youth Anti-Bullying Acting Troupe empower children and teens to believe in themselves, stand up for themselves and others, and change the way their generation treats each other. They teach tools and strategies students can use immediately to build resilience and manage encounters with rude, mean, or bullying behaviors, so schools and communities are places of acceptance and tolerance, where empathy and kindness are second nature and where each child can rise to their full potential, without fear of being bullied. Find your voice and be part of the solution.