Be Yourself

Social Emotional Learning Foundations

Be YourSELF is a multi-modal workshop series using theatre games and mindfulness activities to enhance social-emotional skills including self-awareness, self-management, relationship building, and conflict resolution. 100% of surveyed teachers agreed that the workshops offered them useful tools to help their students with social and emotional skills.  

Educational Goals

Through this workshop series students will learn:

  • Qualities that help them achieve personal and academic goals

  • How to manage stress and difficult emotions

  • How to make friends and build a strong community

  • Healthy ways to resolve conflicts

About the Workshops

  • There are many factors that cause stress in people’s lives: new experiences, difficult tasks, even fun and exciting activities! In this workshop students will explore what causes stress and how it affects their bodies. They will also learn the power of having a positive mindset when learning new skills or exploring new situations. Lastly, they will learn simple mindfulness tools that help reduce stress and promote calmness and focus.

  • Students will practice being supportive to each other. They will learn how empathy can strengthen their relationships and build strong communities, as well as how to resolve conflict in constructive ways.

  • When dealing with difficult interpersonal issues, having skills to view the situation objectively and understand different perspectives can be helpful in building a strong community. Through games and drama activities, students will develop the abilities to recognize the feelings and perspectives of others.

  • Students will learn how emotions can affect their actions, and why it is important to be able to stop and think before acting impulsively. They will explore situations in which strong emotions may occur, and how to use mindfulness techniques to manage their behaviors.

More Information

  • Be YourSELF is recommended for grades 2–5.

  • Four one-hour sessions: ideally, once per week at the same time each week. (Ex: every Monday from 9:00-10:00am for four weeks)

  • The cost for the Be YourSELF program is $998 for the first classroom and $604 for each additional classroom. Because we believe that theatre skills are life skills and all children deserve access to arts education, in-school programming now offers a tiered pricing structure for schools with a financial need. Please complete this form to request a booking. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact our Education Programs Coordinator, Nick Condon. 

  • To request Be YourSELF at your school please click here or the button below. Upon completing a booking request our Education Programs Coordinator will be in contact to schedule your sessions.

    A one-hour planning meeting will be scheduled in advance of the first session with a school representative (ideally the homeroom teacher) and the OCT Teaching Artist to discuss unique classroom goals and determine the theme for any source/creative material that OCT will provide. Once a schedule has been confirmed you will be invoiced. Please call 503-228-9571 with any questions! 

  • Refunds for in-school programming will be provided with 2 weeks notice prior to the first classroom session. Refunds will not be provided with less than 2 weeks notice. Full payment is required prior to the first planning meeting or no later than 2 weeks prior to the start of the program. In the event a payment has not been made at least 2 weeks prior to the first class start or a planning meeting has not been scheduled, OCT reserves the right to cancel the booking request.

    In the event OCT needs to cancel a full classroom residency, full refunds will be provided. If an individual class session needs to be cancelled by OCT or the school, OCT will make an effort alongside the school to re-schedule the class session. If re-scheduling a class session is not possible, OCT will provide a refund for the value of the class session(s) that were missed. Any changes to residencies made by the school must be requested at least 2 weeks prior to the first class date.

We believe that theatre skills are life skills, and all children deserve access to arts education. If costs are a barrier please complete this form to apply for assistance.