The UBU Project is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization EIN: 84-2251623

contact us: info@ubuproject.org

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    • Home
    • UBU Residencies
      • UBU Overview
      • Residency Outline
      • Social-Emotional (SEL)
      • DEI
      • STEM to STEAM
      • Curriculum-Pedagogy
      • Schools and Conferences
    • DONATE NOW
    • Testimonials
    • About Us
      • Staff Bios
      • UBU Board
      • Professional Advisors
      • Legal Assistance
      • Affiliations
      • David Simmons ON STAGE
    • Fees and Funding
    • Videos
    • UBU Media
    • DONATE HERE

contact us: info@ubuproject.org

  • Home
  • UBU Residencies
    • UBU Overview
    • Residency Outline
    • Social-Emotional (SEL)
    • DEI
    • STEM to STEAM
    • Curriculum-Pedagogy
    • Schools and Conferences
  • DONATE NOW
  • Testimonials
  • About Us
    • Staff Bios
    • UBU Board
    • Professional Advisors
    • Legal Assistance
    • Affiliations
    • David Simmons ON STAGE
  • Fees and Funding
  • Videos
  • UBU Media
  • DONATE HERE

Social-Emotional Arts Integration (SEL-ARTS)

UBU SEL Curriculum: Hope | Resilience | Self-Compassion | Empathy

LINK: UBU Residency Outline

Thoughts on SEL-ARTS from The Experts

Kathy Hoffman,  Superintendent of Public Instruction, 

AZ Department of Education

Dr. Helen Easterling-Williams, Dean of Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology

UBU SEL-ARTS: How It Works

The UBU SEL-ARTS Treasure Chest

Find Your Voice | Tell Your Story | Share Your Hope

UBU SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL Curriculum 

(The UBU Treasure Chest) is built upon a solid foundation of: 


 Hope | Esperanza

Resilience | Resistencia

Self-Compassion | Auto-Compasion

Empathy | Empatia 


Much like the Saturday morning cartoon Schoolhouse Rock™, UBU Project Arts Integration Social Emotional Residencies utilize performing arts skills and curricula to support and enhance the work already being done within your SEL/PBIS curriculum. The exciting difference with UBU Project Arts Integration Residencies: All lyrics and scripts are created by your students!


The perfect addition to any organization's 

*Social-Emotional Curriculum

*Positive Behavior & Supports Intervention

*Safe & Healthy Students Programming


UBU SEL-ARTS Residencies follow the model of all UBU Project Arts Integration Curriculum (as based upon the principles of Socratic Seminar) increasing student meta-cognition and application of the subject matter at hand through a guided, interactive process which is,

Student-led

Project-based

Goal-oriented

Arts-infused


Likewise, with our UBU SEL-ARTS Residencies, we explore the neuro-plasticity of the human brain by creating the foundational steps of encouraging healthy, new neuro-pathways in all participants.  This process is achieved through UBU's hope-filled, creative, interactive classroom techniques, methods and materials. Every UBU SEL-Arts residency is a celebration of life based upon positive self-discovery, making healthy choices and advancing the life-narrative of all involved towards an affirming sense of wholeness and self-compassion. 


As teaching artists, we fully recognize the need to maintain a full and informed awareness of this highly delicate subject matter.  Therefore, we engage in ongoing communication with, and support from, mental health care, childhood trauma and education professionals. The facts we deal with on a daily basis are truly sobering, humbling and, inspire us to action:

 

Youth Suicide Statistics:

  • Suicide is the leading cause of death for children ages 10-14 in Arizona alone (NPR)
  • Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for youth nationwide ages 14-24 (CDC)
  • There are suicide statistics for children as young as 5 years old. Kindergartners are choosing to end their own lives. (CDC)


Youth Substance Abuse Statistics

  • Drug overdose deaths among teenagers rose sharply over a one-year period according to federal data. “This is a public health crisis,” said Dr. Wilson Compton, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. (NIDA)
  • Numerous youth report beginning their journey of substance abuse as early as 4th grade or sooner (UBU/Student interviews).
  • Between 2006-2015 there were over 36,000 drug-related deaths among adolescents and young adults in the united states (Recovery Research Institute)


Youth Bullying Statistics

  • Bullying is a form of youth violence. Almost all children will at some time experience bullying behavior as bully, victim, and/or observer of others being bullied.  "Bullying is a major public health problem.  Nearly 30% of American adolescents reported bullying experiences as the bully, the victim, or both." (CDC)
  • Bullying is widespread in the United States. In 2013, 20% of U.S. high school students reported being bullied on school property and 15% reported that they were bullied electronically within the past 12 months
    • Youths who are bullied are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, and poor school adjustment 
    • Youths who bully others are at increased risk for substance use, academic problems, and violence later in life  (CDC)


Our Kids Need:

Hope | Esperanza

Resilience | Resistencia

Self-Compassion | Auto-Compasion

Empathy | Empatia 



Read the words of UBU Residency Students:


  • "Hey Mr. David, thanks for telling me about this. The depression I used to have is slowly going away. I'm still trying to love myself but at least I love myself at least a little bit."
  • "I like making music and making songs. My treasure chest is in my heart."
  • "Mr. David, I understand resilience better. Thank you!"
  • "I love the UBU Project because it teaches me that I have to treat myself with love and respect and it teaches me how to write music."
  • "Mr. David, your lessons were amazing. They taught me a lot about hope, resilience, self-compassion and empathy."


Plus these powerful testimonials from UBU parents, teachers and school counselors who have experienced the life-affirming work of The UBU Project:


  • "Being  a student in David Simmons' Songwriting Class, has been a huge part of (my daughter's) finding strength and confidence within herself after her 2018 suicide attempt. I'm beyond thankful." -UBU Student's Mother 
  • "The students get to know the social emotional skills they need . . . they also have a new song writing skill that builds their self-esteem and helps them give voice to the struggles of their hearts in a hopeful, compassionate, and empathic way. I highly recommend “ The UBU Project” to other schools and students." -Elementary School Counselor
  • "Mr. Simmons provides such a wonderful example for all students. His workshops create a safe space for students to share their thoughts and feelings." - High School Prevention Coach


(Utilize Your UBU Project SEL/PBIS Residency To Create Peer-Led Support Groups & Outreach Programs Within Your School,  District, Community and other Youth-focused Organizations)


for details contact us directly:

David Simmons, Executive Director: info@ubuproject.org

Kim Zinevich, Director of Operations: ubuproject.ops@gmail.com

All UBU Project Residencies are Tailored to Your Needs, Goals and Guidelines

Click For More UBU Testimonials

UBU SEL-ARTS Curricula Supports AZ/CASEL SEL Competencies

The SEL, DEI and Arts Integration curricula of The UBU Project support, encourage, engage (and can even introduce) the Arizona State SEL Competencies, CASEL SEL Core Competencies as well as many of the ADE Performing Arts Standards and Processes. 


For more information, please visit the following links: 


ADE SEL: 

https://www.azed.gov/standards-practices/standards-and-competencies

CASEL SEL: 

https://casel.org/what-is-sel/

 ADE ARTS ANCHOR STANDARDS: 

https://www.azed.gov/standards-practices/k-12standards/arts-standards

UBU: Data Driven, Evidence Based SEL-ARTS Residencies

In addition to countless qualitative testimonials, The UBU Project's research date shows that in a cross section of over 1,000 students there is a 31.17% increase in student meta-cognition and application of our SEL "Treasure Chest" curricula of;


  Hope | Esperanza

Resilience | Resistencia

Self-Compassion | Auto-Compasion

Empathy | Empatia
 

As one of our partner school counselors said;

"...they also have a new song writing skill that also builds their self-esteem and helps them give voice to the struggles of their hearts in a hopeful, compassionate, and empathic way.  I highly recommend The UBU Project to other schools and students."

The True Story that inspired UBU SEL-ARTS Residencies

Notes from UBU Project Founder and Executive Director David Simmons:

In addition to being an honors graduate of the University of Montana School of Music with additional study in Vienna Austria, I am a thriving survivor of my own suicide attempt, a grateful recovering alcoholic with over 29 years sober and I was the big kid who got bullied in school and continued to bully myself well into adulthood. You see...


On March 31, 2009 I attempted to take my own life.  This was not a cry for help. This was my violent, final attempt to end myself. Had I not been found and saved when I was, I would not be alive right now. After seven and a half weeks on a locked psyche ward I was discharged with the following diagnosis; Major Depressive Disorder Recurrent. It was discovered that I had been living with this mental illness for over 40 years and it had never been properly discussed, diagnosed or treated. However, my recovery has been so remarkable that when I tell this story it’s as if I’m talking about a book I once read written by someone else about a completely different person. I have learned the difference between living with mental illness, and thriving with managed mental illness.


Rather than continue to morn and grieve the nearly life-ending events of March 31, 2009, it has been dubbed and celebrated as: LIFE DAY. The Day I Got a 2nd Chance at Life! I have not wasted this gift...


I then began a personal campaign to shine a light in the societal darkness of mental illness and its much-needed diagnosis and treatment. To normalize the conversation. Then recently I was deeply moved by the following statistics:

  • The leading cause of death for children ages 10 - 14 in Arizona is Suicide 
    • The 3rd leading cause of death for youth ages 10 - 24 nationwide is suicide as well
  • Over a recent ten year period there were over 1,300 reported suicides in children ages 5-14. 
    • Kindergartners are committing suicide
    • I personally know a young mother whose 7 year old child attempted suicide twice. 
  • Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death nationwide 
  • Nearly 20% of all children and adults in America are diagnosed with some form of mental illness or disorder. 
    • I recently spoke with a mother whose teen-aged son lived with suicidal depression for over two years because he was ashamed to admit it. Fortunately he found help before he ended his own life. He never gave up.


I am not a mental health care professional or therapist. I am a “wounded healer” working in partnership with mental health care and K-12 education professionals to create opportunities for these young people to be heard, not hurt. To celebrate, not destroy. To learn that it is OK to tell their story, find hope and share it with the world. 


In addition to my experience as a thriving survivor of my own suicide attempts, I am a grateful recovering alcoholic (29 years) and also experienced my fair share of bullying as a public school student. These experiences, in addition to decades of work in classrooms and performance venues, give me a unique perspective in leading The UBU Project's SEL-Arts residencies where students are encouraged to: 


"Find Your Voice. Tell Your Story. Share Your Hope."


"The UBU Project's suicide prevention program is much more than a suicide prevention program. It is a celebration of life!" -High School Student


"I got things to do

I ain't even half way through

Step aside, gimme room to move

Take a ride and lose your blues


Cause I ain't done yet (I ain't done yet)

I ain't done yet (I ain't done yet)

Don't you worry, and don't you fret

Cause I ain't done yet!"


From I Ain't Done Yet, music and lyrics by David Simmons  (on the UBU Records CD: HOPE)


To hear the entire song please scroll down and click the video link

David Simmons: "I Ain't Done Yet"

© 2018-2021 The UBU Project, 501c3   |  Contact us: info@ubuproject.org

 (all curriculum, pedagogy and graphics including, but not limited to "The UBU Treasure Chest" 

(c) copyright and trademarked (tm) by The UBU Project, 2018-2022, all rights, public and private, protected and reserved) 

 

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