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Calm, Focused, and Friendly

a documentary film about peer massage in the classroom

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Calm, Focused, and Friendly

Calm, Focused, and Friendly

Calm, Focused, and Friendly

Calm, Focused, and Friendly

Calm, Focused, and Friendly

a documentary film about peer massage in the classroom

a documentary film about peer massage in the classroom

a documentary film about peer massage in the classroom

a documentary film about peer massage in the classroom

Thea
Thea
Thea
Thea
2 Campaigns |
Nevada City, United States
$1,700 USD 36 backers
42% of $4,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Highlights
Mountain Filled 2 Projects Mountain Filled 2 Projects

This is phase two of fundraising for a documentary video about peer massage. (You will notice I changed the title. More about this further down.)  A BIG THANKS to everyone who contributed in phase one - it got us over the big pond to do the filming and, I have to say, it was mission accomplished! We filmed some incredible testimony about the benefits of peer massage (see trailer). Now it is time to complete the project and mail it off to schools and film festivals around the world. 

 About me and the project: 

My name is Thea Blair. As a teacher I witnessed the magic of comforting touch in resolving children's emotional difficulties. This led me to research peer massage, which is student-to-student. I used it in my teaching and found it to be a great way to settle the kids down and have more cooperation. This is such a great tool and yet almost no one has heard of it!

I met Jean Barlow online. Based near Manchester, England, her organization, Child 2 Child, has been training schools in peer massage for 12 years. She arranged all the school visits so that film maker Amanda Bontecou and I could document this amazing practice. We interviewed students, teachers, and heads of schools. 

Everyone we spoke to said, in their own way:

PEER MASSAGE BRINGS CALM, FOCUS, AND FRIENDLINESS 

So that is what I decided to name this short documentary film which I will distribute to schools and film festivals around the world for FREE.

THIS FILM WILL NOT BE SOLD. It will be freely distributed. It will carry the message: "After you have viewed this film feel free to burn a copy for yourself and then please pass the original on to someone else, immediately. Don't let this sit on your shelf!"

What we need and what it is for:

We need $4000 for post-production:

$1000 for editing

$2000 to make 1000 professionally packaged DVDs 

$1000 for postage

 The Impact

This film could change the world as we know it. Touch is a basic human need. Learning about friendly, healthy touch will transform classrooms and increase children's health and well-being, their sociability, and their readiness to learn.

Other Ways You Can Help

Some people just can’t contribute, but that doesn’t mean they can’t help:

Spread the word: tell your friends, use your email list, post on facebook, have a party and do peer massage!

My Advisory Board:

Cynthia Aldinger, Executive Director, LifeWays North America

Dr. Daniel M. Allen, D.O.

Jean Barlow, Director, A Child 2 Child 

Michelle Ebbin, massage/wellness expert, founder of Basic Knead, and C.I.M.I.

Dan Gartrell, Ed.D., NAEYC Author and Emeritus Professor, Early Childhood Education, Bemidji State University

Randall Grayson, Ph.D., Director, Camp Augusta, Nevada City, California

Una Kobrin, LMFT, Heartstone Integrative Psychotherapy

Lisa Boisvert Mackenzie, Editor, The Wonder of Childhood

Nancy Martinez, Director, Escuela Mi Mundo Magico, Aguascalientes, Mexico

Nancy Mellon, MA Expressive Therapies, therapeutic storyteller

Dr. Gabor Mate', M.D and author

Michael Mendizza, Director, Touch the Future

David Palmer, Touch Pro International, creator of the massage chair

Elisa J. Sobo, Professor of Anthropology, San Diego State University.

Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET, Bd Cert Educational Therapist & Learning Disabilities Specialist

 

 

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Choose your Perk

Count me in

$10 USD
Name in credits and documentary will be mailed to the school of your choosing.
0 claimed

Level One

$25 USD
Name in credits and documentary will be mailed to the school of your choosing plus a copy of my DVD, Playful Touch, 10 massage routines for your child.
18 claimed

Level Two

$50 USD
All of the above, plus a signed copy of the documentary.
8 claimed

Level Three

$100 USD
All of the above plus one telephone coaching consultation with Thea.
4 out of 10 of claimed

Level Four

$500 USD
All the above plus 3 telephone coaching consultations with Thea.
0 out of 10 of claimed

Level Five

$1,000 USD
All the above plus Thea will travel to anywhere in the US, Canada, or Mexico to show the film and give a live demonstration of peer massage to your community! Must be claimed by September 2014.
0 out of 4 of claimed
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