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Media
Kit: Resist Media
Kit: Research Media
Kit: Software |
PAST RELEASE
San Francisco, CA - April 15, 2002 - Educators across the country are finding that software can help them address kids' mental health and behavior problems-sometimes better than they can. A new breed of software is getting kids to prompt disclosure of abuse, handle peer pressure, and reduce aggression. One from newcomer Ripple Effects (www.rippleeffects.com), was shown to increase teens prosocial behavior by 77%. "This software can reach kids in ways I can't," says Nora Dean, School Social Worker at Mann Elementary in Washington D.C., about Ripple Effects' program. Now in hundreds of U.S. schools, it's giving kids a private way to explore sensitive issues, learn key skills, and take steps to get help. "Software-if it's done right-is the best means we have to help kids on a scale that can make a difference," says Ripple Effects CEO, Alice Ray. Ray is a national expert in social learning, Emmy-winner, and presidential appointee to a national youth violence prevention initiative. The trauma after 9/11 makes the need for a scaleable way to address kids mental health concerns even more pressing. In many schools, there simply aren't enough counselors or mental health specialists to turn to--300 to 1 in a good situation. "Even where help is available, many kids-and adults-won't ask for help. Often they have trouble even naming the problem. That's where the software comes in," Ray says. "They're not afraid to talk to the computer," says Al Latchut, a mental health specialist at the El Dorado Public Schools in Arkansas. Latchut uses the software, called Relate, in his office and waiting room. "If they're dealing with difficult issues, they'll get on Relate. By working through the program and talking with me, I'm seeing kids solve their problems, and turn themselves around. This product has the potential to change lives."
During in-school suspension, Alex's counselor directed him to the empathy topics in the software. "After using it, I started acting differently," says Alex. "I used to always have to get in the last word with my teachers. I thought they were being unfair and not listening to me," Alex explains. "Now I realize teachers have a lot going on in a classroom, and they're not being unfair, they're just trying to take care of things." "It works like a springboard, helping me make a connection," says Jennifer Ayres, Alex's counselor at Aki Kurose. From the Navajo Nation to New York City, this software is helping a growing number of educators make the connection. If the critical response is any indication--18 major national software awards and counting--it looks like Ripple Effects is on the right track. EDITOR'S NOTE: Alice Ray available for interviews. Photos, product samples available. CONTACT: Sarah Berg, Ripple Effects, sberg@rippleeffects.com, 415-227-1669 x307. |
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Educators discover a better way to tackle kids mental health and behavior problems-software.
"It's like talking to a friend," explains Alex, a student at Aki Kurose Middle School Academy in Seattle, Washington. "Teachers tend to talk back at you, tell you what you should be doing, instead of listening to you. Relate listens."