Described as a 21st-century Schoolhouse Rock, Rocketoons are an award-winning online cartoon series from Wheeler Creative Studios designed to guide teachers in conversations about adverse childhood events with their students. In collaboration with psychologists, educators, and health care organizations, Rocketoons start the Cartoonversation™ to get kids talking about challenges that impact their day: cyber bullying, truancy, moving to a new school, resilience, and more.
Thanks to the support of Mercy Health, Rocketoons is currently available to 21 Michigan counties, whose residents have unlimited access to this program that addresses adverse childhood experiences by engaging kids in fun and relevant conversations. The counties include: Kent, Ottawa, Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Mecosta, Montcalm, Osceola, Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana and more.
Already aligned with the Common Core State Standards, which serve to outline learning expectations for Michigan’s students and are intended to guide local curriculum development, according to the Michigan Department of Education, Rocketoons facilitate in helping children talk without added work and added time in the classroom.
Studies from Kaiser-Permanente and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that kids with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have more health problems as adults. These cartoons help guide simple classroom conversations to help teachers and kids talk through important topics — and assist kids in getting the help they need to deal with stressors in their lives early on.
Learn more online at rocketoons.com. Watch them at home and let your school know they are available.
To view the cartoons, simply log in with the county you live in, followed by MI (e.g., KentMI or MuskegonMI).
