Our Story
Cool Kind Kid® is proactive social skills activities and anti-bullying tools to help young children build healthy relationships and reject bullying. It supports current research advocating social skills, or social competence training, at young ages, as the missing link in bullying prevention. Our children are bombarded in school, their neighborhoods, and the media with the message that mean, rude, and disrespectful behaviors are cool, and that bullying is cool. As parents, educators, and the media, we have a responsibility to change that message; to give our children the tools they need to learn that kind, caring, and respectful behaviors are cool, and that bullying is the ultimate in uncool. As Cool Kind Kid® redefines “cool” for kids, the motivation for bullying is considerably weakened. Through award-winning music, fun characters and activities, kids are engaged as they learn life changing social skills. We have seen changed behavior as kids embrace the concept of being Cool Kind Kids.
Our Creator
Barbara Gilmour began her career as a writer late in life, and she would laugh while saying that. After graduating from Penn State University, she married, spent several years in retailing along with helping her husband in their family business. When her daughters were in school, she learned floral design and worked as a designer for many
years. When her younger daughter was a senior in college, she asked Barbara to come to her school and teach an etiquette class to her friends who were all graduating. “They are all setting up job interviews and are not confident in their interviewing and social skills,” her daughter explained. So, on a Sunday in the spring, she taught her first social skills class. A few years later, when the family business was sold, Barbara was looking for something different to do. It was suggested that she should teach social skills classes….Read More
Development Team
BARBARA GILMOUR
CEO & Creator
Ms. Gilmour has a BS from Penn State University where she majored in Retailing/Fashion Merchandising. She had her first etiquette instruction at home, then again at Penn State. In the mid-90’s she researched and wrote two courses, Manners for Kids 8-12 and Manners for Teens. She started a business teaching classes to kids in her local area. After several years of classes she expanded the content to focus on school and community programs for early grades.
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Dr. Mason’s Doctorate is in early childhood education, from Rutgers University. She has had an accomplished career in all aspects of the educational arena, in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. In addition to many high level jobs, she was for many years the Vice President of Professional Development for Vantage Learning, a national educational training company.
SYDELLE MASON, EDD
Co-Author and Educational Consultant
WENDY MCDERMOTT, PHD
Co-Author, Editor, and Educational Consultant
Dr. McDermott’s Doctorate is in Linguistics from Cornell University. She has had 25 years of teaching experience at the elementary, secondary, and university levels. She is currently the President of GoodSense English-test development and educational consulting services.
Cool Kind Kid Consultants
Each consultant would have a country/territory and be responsible for introducing our products and services to the schools, communities, parents and educators in their area. Essentially each would be an independent contractor/sales representative, teacher/trainer. Each would be able to hire individuals to cover other areas of their country/territory…Read More
Research
Children who do not acquire social skills at the proper time and therefore begin school with poorly developed social competence are at increased risk for difficulty in school. This can worsen during adolescence and contribute to social and emotional problems such as anxiety, depression, substance use, and delinquency…Read More