About |
Act Like You Matter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our Mission: To empower young people to find their voice, be part of the solution, and change the way their generation treats each other, so that 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.
Each of us plays a role in bullying behavior. Each of us can:
(1) Take action and DO SOMETHING about what’s happening and/or
(2) Choose to behave differently than we have in the past.
But HOW? Where do you start? What do you say?
That’s where we come in! Act Like You Matter’s programs, scripts, videos, and social media presence are designed to answer those questions and more: empowering students with tools & strategies they can use right away to build their resilience and deflect rude, mean, and bullying behaviors in kind and respectful ways.
Act Like You Matter’s empowering anti-bullying assemblies and workshops are available for K-12 schools and other organizations in San Diego County, LA County, and everywhere in between. Programs are custom-designed, age-appropriate, relevant, and led by students ages 12-20 from Theatre of Peace: Youth Anti-Bullying Acting Troupe, a division of Act Like You Matter.
To extend beyond Southern California and address social distancing, scripts and videos of our programs available for licensing, and we maintain a presence on multiple social media sites, including our YouTube channel, where students help each other brainstorm about how to deal with bullying behavior. These resources are available to anyone, anywhere, anytime!
No matter what role you play in the cycle of bullying, we can help:
Is someone bullying you? You don't have to be a victim of bullying just because you're a target of bullying. We can teach you coping skills and strategies that can help you take back control of your life and happiness.
Have you witnessed or heard about bullying behavior? We can show you many different ways to take action safely and make a difference: to move from being a bystander to being an upstander. Confronting the abuser is not the only option!
Do your friends bully people? Bullying can take hold when you follow along silently or laugh as your friends abuse other kids. If you don’t like the way your friends are treating others, you have more options than you realize. Let us show you what you can do.
What if you realize that you BULLY others? First, recognize that you are not a “bully.” Bullying is a behavior - sometimes learned at home - that you can decide to change. It doesn't have to be part of your permanent identity. Let us tell you more.
We Believe in the Power of Young People:
Real change in the way kids and teens treat each other has to come from them. They have immense capacity to reach each other and connect in ways that adults just can’t. It all starts with giving them the opportunity to talk, ask questions, and learn from each other’s experiences. It grows by making sure each person knows that they matter and that it’s important to be to be true to who they are no matter what anyone else says.
That’s what Act Like You Matter is all about.
Find your voice. Build your resilience. Be part of the solution. Make your world a better place.
YOU Matter!