CosmoKidzTM
The CosmoKidzTM program consists of sets of conversational activities for adults to use with children and teens to help them develop constructive social and emotional intelligences. The CosmoKidzTM activities fit in with a new move in educational thinking: a shift from training students for cleverness and competition to helping them become fulfilled individuals and active, caring, compassionate people.
The conversational activities are developed for different age groups—from children, to tweens and teens—based on something we call a cosmopolitan sensibility. It’s a different way of looking at how we relate with children and how we’d like them to relate with others. It also helps us focus on important things that most people don’t pay attention to that happens in our communicating with others.
CosmoKidzTM—for children ages 4-8
The CosmoKidzTM initiative began as a series of conversational activities based on 31 scenarios exploring issues identified by parents, teachers and other caretakers, as well as by children themselves, as important to their social development at home, at school, and at play. The number of scenarios continues to grow as new topics and new social issues arise. This conversational set is freely available at http://cosmokidz.org. in English, Norsk, Romanian, Farsi/Dari, and Pashto.
CosmoTweenz—for older children ages 8-11
1.Three Choices…and then what happens…? explores topics around social issues frequently encountered by older children, ages 8-11, asking tweens to imagine 3 productive choices for resolving or responding to a problematic social scenario and asking them to identify what they like, what they don’t like, and what they might be giving up for each option. These scenarios are also now freely available online at https://cosmokidz.org/three-choices-and-then-what-happens/.
2.Environmental Awareness activities encourage older children’s spirit of exploration and investigation in their own communities by initiating discussion about how they can notice surroundings, make change, and connect to others. Investigate Environmental Awareness activities at https://cosmokidz.org/environmental-activities
CosmoTeenz—for ages 12-18
An international team of CMMI Teen Fellows is currently developing an interactive comic book addressing mental health concerns that frequently emerge in the fluid social worlds of youths ages 12-18. Watch this space for news.
CosmoKidzTM news
CosmoTeenz comic book
CosmoTeenz comic book
Navigating mental health as a teen is hard, so we asked our teen Fellows for their help in figuring out the mess. They’ve led us to better understand mental health by sharing their heartfelt stories and we hope to pass their stories along in an entertaining medium. Find their stories of vulnerability, growth, perseverance and more in our upcoming (as yet untitled) CosmoTeenz comic book.
The Sisanda FunDaytion: Connecting and building resilience through play in Cape Town, South Africa
The Sisanda FunDaytion: Connecting and building resilience through play in Cape Town, South Africa
The CMM Institute is honored to partner with Sisanda. We have donated CosmoKidz activities for their use and we recently learned about some of the specific ways in Sisanda have been using CosmoKidz to help children and families thrive in South Africa.
Cosmoghan: A research-based education project
CosmoAfghan: A research-based education project
The CosmoKidz educational package developed by the CMM Institute has been translated and adapted for use with Afghanistan children. Dr. Hossein Kaviani describes how the package was adapted and how he and his research team see this as contributing to a pluralistic, politically tolerant society in the Middle East.
Partnering with the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation
Partnering with the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation
We recently formed a partnership with the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation in Cape Town, South Africa. They will be using our CosmoKidz educational resource sets for strengthening the social and relational skills of the young people they serve.
CosmoKidz program: New developments
CosmoKidz program: New developments
The CosmoKidz program grows and changes and is being recognized as a valuable program for helping to raise caring kids. In our recent news we can report on a significant review of the program, a new website for all our CosmoKidz resources, finalizing our research database with strong supportive data from a schoolwide program, and with more CosmoTeenz developments to come.
Making CosmoKidz history in Louisiana
Making CosmoKidz history in Louisiana
The CosmoKidz program at the Independence Leadership Academy in Louisiana is making news. We were recently sent a newspaper clipping of developments under the header of “Cosmic Character” and have reproduced the photos and text to share, with permission, with all of you.
CosmoTeenz fellowships announced
CosmoTeenz fellowships announced
We are excited to announce the appointment of five inspiring young women as CosmoTeenz Fellows. These new Fellows will be working together over the next year, using their talents, skills, and creativity to bring into being something they think will make a difference to our social worlds.
CosmoTeenz Fellows: Call for proposals
CosmoTeenz Fellows: Call for proposals
Do you know a teen or young adult, ages 15-21, who wants to make a difference in the lives of younger people? We are offering junior fellowship to 7-10 teens or young adults from different countries to work together to develop products, projects, and activities as part of the Institute’s CosmoTeenz program for 2022/2023.
CosmoKidz is growing up: Here comes CosmoTeenz
CosmoKidz is growing up: Here comes CosmoTeenz
Our Cosmo resources for children and youth continues to grow. We are now moving on to developing creative, relevant, fun and reflexive activities based on building awareness and capacity in relationships, and suited for various stages of being a teenager.
More exciting CosmoKidz developments
More exciting CosmoKidz developments
While CosmoKidz is growing up into CosmoTweenz and Teenz it is also continuing to expand its activities for younger children. We have a new set of activities under development on race, culture and identity and another grant to continue our longitudinal research on the impact of CosmoKidz
Cosmoteenz
Cosmoteenz
Are you in any way connected with teenagers (13-17)? Can you ask them to help us by completing a survey on communication issues important to them?
CosmoKidz in Romania: Small steps, large impact
CosmoKidz in Romania: Small steps, large impact
Iulia Georgescu and Carmen Greab have been working with teachers and students in Romania using CosmoKidz and have now translated the work into Romanian in order to make it even more accessible.
CosmoKidz in a Whole-of-School Trial
CosmoKidz in a Whole-of-School Trial
Independence Leadership Academy in Louisiana has whole-heartedly embraced the CosmoKidz ethos, implementing CosmoKidz and deliberation activities throughout the school from pre-kindergarten to 4th grade.
CosmoTweenz D’Club kids open their hands to help others
CosmoTweenz D’Club kids open their hands to help others
We are already starting to observe the positive impacts of using our latest educational resource kit for tweens. Read how tweens in the D’Club, an after-school deliberation club based on CosmoKidz and Tweenz practices, are putting their learning to good use by raising funds for others in need.
New CosmoTweenz resources
New CosmoTweenz resources
We have started developing our CosmoKIdz for Tweenz educational resources. The first activity set to be released is “Three choices…and then what happens”—a resource for helping 8-11 year-olds work through difficult social choices.
Developing cosmopolitan communication: The latest research on CosmoKidz
Developing cosmopolitan communication: The latest research on CosmoKidz
Our research into the effectiveness of CosmoKIdz activities for developing cosmopolitan communication skills in young school children continues. The latest findings further shore up the strong evidence-base in support of the program.
CosmoKidz stand in Louisianna
CosmoKidz stand in Louisianna
In April, Chipps Taylor and Nicole Wells, a 2nd grade teacher, spent the day at the Capital building in Louisiana to showcase CosmoKidz as part of the Louisiana Children’s Trust Fund. The woman who made the last set of puppets also made the table cloth for us. Big smile!!!
Cosmokidz in Romania—a new and exciting experience
Cosmokidz in Romania—a new and exciting experience
CosmoKidz was first introduced in Romania in 2016. Carmen Gabriela Greab and Iuliana Gabriela Georgescu describe this new and exciting experience for them. They have been so inspired by the effect of CosmoKidz, they are now exploring ways of expanding the program.
CosmoKidz: Teaching Children Response-Abilities in Their Relationships
CosmoKidz: Teaching Children Response-Abilities in Their Relationships
The goals of CosmoKidz are to help children develop skills and abilities that help nurture cosmopolitan ways of being. We have recently concluded a three-year research project with all kindergarten through second-grade classes (ages 4-7) in Oracle, Arizona with results showing that if these skills and abilities are practiced consistently, they become part of a child’s repertoire for acting into his/her social worlds.
Camp CosmoKidz: Bigger and better
Camp CosmoKidz: Bigger and better
Last year we were excited to tell you about our first ever CosmoKidz Camp. This year we have more good news to report. The Camp has continued and it has become bigger and better with the generous support of the Louisiana Governor’s Office.
CosmoKidz in Louisiana: An inspiring first year
CosmoKidz in Louisiana: An inspiring first year
We have just completed our first year of the CosmoKIdz program in Louisiana and it was truly inspiring. Our research data clearly show that the program is instrumental in cultivating invaluable social skills.
Beyond CosmoKidz: We need your help!
Beyond CosmoKidz: We need your help!
We created CosmoKidz to help young children develop relational awareness and related skills. We have more than four years’ worth of research to confirm it works. Now we want to go beyond CosmoKidz and we need your help. We invite all forms of collaboration in this new development.
CosmoKidz goes to Louisianna
CosmoKidz goes to Louisianna, October 31, 2017
We have sports camps, art camps, scholastic camps, but have you ever heard of a camp that focuses on helping kids develop better communicating skills? Well, this year there was one. We held our first ever Camp CosmoKidz this summer in Louisiana. The camp and its aftermath is such an extraordinary example of how one small thing can be so positively welcomed and then blossom into more, that we wanted to tell you the story.