Delivering Zippy and Apple in the Cayman Islands

Cayman Islands teachers share their experiences of delivering Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends for the first time.

“I was very excited to implement the Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends programmes at our after-school programme. We recognized various social and emotional challenges amongst our kids that varied from making friends, solving problems, and general coping skills. Within a few weeks of delivering the programme, I began to see how excited kids and staff were to attend these sessions, as well as the positive growth in our participants. Our kids were better able and equipped to label and recognize their emotions, problem-solve, and self-regulate. They applied what was learned during sessions in other areas and with their peers, which resulted in the nurturing of many friendships. The results are incredible!”
 
Youth Development Coordinator, YMCA, Cayman Islands
 
 
“The biggest benefit I noticed straight away in my Apple’s Friends students was their response to the creation of a very open and safe space. From the very first lesson, many students wanted to share a variety of personal experiences related to the programme content, stories, and characters. Many experiences were shared that I may have not otherwise been privy to, which strengthened my relationships and allowed me to build stronger connections with the students. Throughout the week, both Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends students expressed much excitement about when our next lesson would be. It became something my students and I looked very forward to, every week.”
 
Inclusion Specialist, The Special Needs Foundation of Cayman
 
 
"I have been implementing the Zippy’s Friends for SEND programme with a nurture group of children with moderate learning difficulties. The students responded excellently to a combination of the mainstream and SEND resources. Students learnt to explore feelings such as jealousy and anxiety in themselves for the first time. Through the programme, students have learnt to self-regulate and understand what they are feeling and how to help themselves when feeling angry, anxious, or sad. They now return to class settled and ready to learn and they have learnt to empathize with others and support students that may not be part of the programme."
 
Zippy’s Friends for SEND Teacher, Lighthouse School, Cayman Islands