Aurora, Colo. (July 17, 2017) - The Betty Ford Center Children's Program, which educates and supports girls and boys ages 7-12 to be healthy and safe when a family member has a substance use disorder, has utilized a cartoon character named Beamer for 10 years to relate the message of safety, health, support and hope to children in the program.
"We learned early on that children readily identify with and care about Beamer," says Jerry Moe, National Director of the Betty Ford Center Children's Program, which is part of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, the nation's leading nonprofit provider of addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services. "Successful educational series on TV prove that a way of unlocking a child's mind and emotions is through a colorful character. That's how Beamer came to be an essential tool."
A leading expert on the shaping of children's minds through animation is Terry Thoren, CEO of Wonder Media, USA, a media company that specializes in producing content for children at risk. He concurs that the power of animated characters is unmatched.
"There is so much research available that proves the effectiveness of using animation to make complicated ideas simple for children," Thoren says. "It's no wonder that the Betty Ford Center Children's Program succeeds using the Beamer character as a means of developing coping skills in children."
Wonder Media produced six animated lessons featuring Beamer that are available to graduates of the Children's Program and further the core messages and skills taught during the in-person sessions.
"Animation is a universal language. It knows no race, religion, culture or creed." says Thoren. "Human beings are complex to understand, but characters are simple and instantly identifiable."
The Brighton Center for Recovery in Detroit, Mich., has used the Beamer books and character for six years now in its own children's program and has experienced great success at delivering the message of safety and coping skills to kids coming from homes where addiction is prevalent.
"Our CEO was searching for a children's curricula and found the Betty Ford Center Children's Program. We adopted it and Beamer for our own program," says Patricia Schafer, a licensed master social worker at the Brighton Center for Recovery. "The Beamer character is something the kids can easily relate to. Their own feelings and experiences are validated when they read about what it is like for Beamer living with addiction in his home."
"Sometimes kids grab hold of a character to gain meaning in their own lives," adds Moe. "Beamer is our mascot and ambassador that helps reinforce all of the skills we are teaching."
About the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation helps people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. It is the nation's leading nonprofit treatment provider, with a legacy that began in 1949 and includes the 1982 founding of the Betty Ford Center. With 17 sites in California, Minnesota, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Colorado and Texas, the Foundation offers prevention and recovery solutions nationwide and across the entire continuum of care for youth and adults. It includes the largest recovery publishing house in the country, a fully-accredited graduate school of addiction studies, an addiction research center, an education arm for medical professionals and a unique children's program, and is the nation's leader in advocacy and policy for treatment and recovery. Learn more at www.HazeldenBettyFord.org and on Twitter @hazldnbettyford.
About Rambeau Media LLC
Rambeau Media LLC, is a full-service media and communications agency. With offices in Denver, CO and in Austin, TX, www.RambeauMedia.com, offer strategic counsel, reputation management, media production and distribution in all format types.
About Wonder Media LLC
Wonder Media specializes in producing education content for children at risk. The company works with the Betty Ford Center Children's Program, the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center, the Hero in You Foundation, the Global Institute for Habits of Mind, the NALC Food Drive, the Festival of Children and the Wyland Foundation to name a few. CEO Terry Thoren was the former CEO of Klasky Csupo, Inc. the company that produced the first 65 episodes of the Simpsons, "Rugrats," "The Wild Thornberrys," and "Rocket Power. Thoren was also the creator of Animation Magazine, now in its 30th year of publication.