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Puppets of Prevention Perform at KLS

UPPER KEYS, FL (434 words) – If you have a message and you want to know it’s heard, this team of six volunteers knows how to get it out to elementary students – using puppets. Started as a joint project with Project H.O.P.E. after hurricanes Katrina and Wilma last year, a group of home-educated students formed “Puppets of Prevention” using an original script by Pat Parrish of Layton. Sponsored by Monroe Youth Challenge Program (MYCP), the team has made four hurricane safety and preparedness presentations to elementary classes in the Upper Keys and plans to perform for Key Largo School Thursday, January 18. Key Largo School Assistant Principal Darren Pais said, “MYCP always sends great programs. We look forward to our students learning from this puppet program.”

Students on the Puppets of Prevention (POP) team are near master level in puppetry skills because of the four years of experience they have from being involved with another puppet team. “They know what they’re doing and the kids love to see puppets,” said POP Director Michele Sutter. The team is sponsored by Monroe Youth Challenge Program in a partnership with the American Red Cross and University of Florida Extension Service. Sutter is the MYCP District Prevention Coordinator.

The mission of the POP team is to promote safety and to help prevent undue loss, damage, or psychological trauma from hurricanes, natural disasters, violence and drugs, alcohol, or tobacco. Their current hurricane presentation is a 20-minute assembly program available to all elementary and pre-school classes by request. It centers on “Tippy the Seagull” and her frantic questions as answered by her wise friends and demonstrated by an audience favorite, the Red Cross Ranger.

POP team members are siblings Dannon, T.J. and Keiran Magrane, Rachel Timmerman, Leah Sutter, and Jonathon Bogue. All team members live in Tavernier or Islamorada and are home educated at the middle or high school level which gives them the flexibility to perform in schools or at public venues.

POP is in rehearsal for a new safety program available early March. Other plans for the team include: a community puppet workshop POP designs and operates themselves; new puppet shows with a safety dance, “Stop, Drop & Roll,” and how to be “Home Alone Carefully”; public service announcement videos they produce and make available for in-school or public television use; complete “Becoming a Puppeteer Workbook” as part of their service learning requirement; and an informational visual display board to show at presentations.

Monroe Youth Challenge Program is a project of the Monroe County Education Foundation to foster acceptance, respect, and success in the youth of Monroe County. For more information or to request a performance, call Michele Sutter at (305) 852-1664 or go to www.monroe.k12.fl.us/mycp.