Schools & Youth Programs
Kids Need to Learn That Messiness is Healthy.
One 2-hour experience changes how they see failure, vulnerability, and belonging forever. Welcome to Wicked Rae's - the SEL intervention schools are talking about.
Remember when kids could just play? No performance. No filters. No one judging. Just pure, unfiltered joy and creativity. Somewhere along the way, we taught them to be perfect. To control the mess. To fear failure. To hide vulnerability.
And now we're wondering why they're anxious. Why they won't take risks. Why they don't feel like they belong.
At Wicked Rae's, we bring that back. We teach kids that messiness is healthy. That vulnerability is strength. That they belong exactly as they are.
One 2-hour experience in our studio changes how they see failure, vulnerability, and belonging for months. Teachers report increased confidence in the classroom. Kids come home talking about how they felt brave enough to be messy. Parents see their kids more willing to take creative risks.
Because creativity isn't just about making art. It's a way of learning how to navigate the world.
This isn't entertainment. This is SEL done right.
Why Schools Need Us
Your Students Are Anxious. They're Not Taking Risks. They Don't Feel Like They Belong.
You see it every day. Kids who are afraid to make mistakes. Who won't try new things. Who feel like they don't fit in.
It's not because something is wrong with them. It's because they learned somewhere along the way:
-
Mistakes are failures (not learning opportunities)
-
Vulnerability is weakness (not strength)
-
Perfection is the goal (not growth)
-
They need to perform to belong (not just be themselves)
The result? Anxiety. Low confidence. Disconnection from peers. Unwillingness to take creative or academic risks.
You're already trying. But something's missing.
What's missing is embodied learning. Sensory integration. Permission to be messy. Permission to be fully human.
That's where Wicked Rae's comes in.
Wicked Rae's isn't built around a single art medium or a finished product. We use different creative modalities to give young people different ways to engage.
SENSORY ART
Texture • Tactile Materials • Color • Mixed Media • 3D Builds
MOVEMENT
Creative Movement • Physical Expression • Games • Play
RHYTHM
Music • Percussion • Drum Circles • Collective Rhythm
IMMERSIVE ART
Splatter • Large-Scale Making • Sensory Environments
COLLABORATION
Individual Creations • Group Projects • Community Art
Every experience is designed to give young people opportunities to make choices, explore unfamiliar things, and discover their own way of doing it.
School assemblies. Youth workshops. Field trip alternatives. Mobile nationwide. Seattle-based. Fully customizable. Let's build the belonging your students need.
What We Deliver
We Rewire How Kids See Failure, Vulnerability, & Belonging
In one 2-hour experience, we create the conditions for transformation:
Permission to Be Messy
The curtains close. The door locks. No one's watching. For the first time in a long time, kids get permission to be fully, messily, unapologetically themselves. They throw paint. They laugh. They dance. They create without fear of judgment.
Sensory Integration
Paint on skin. Plaster in hands. Wire manipulation. Splatter games. All designed to activate sensory pathways and rewire how the nervous system responds to stress and uncertainty. Kids literally feel calmer, more confident, more present.
Collaborative Creation
They're not creating alone. They're creating together. On mixed mediums that become permanent installations in your school. This teaches them that their contribution matters. That they belong. That their creativity is valued.
Lasting Impact
Teachers report increased confidence in the classroom for months after. Kids are more willing to take risks. More willing to try new things. More willing to be vulnerable with peers. The permanent canvases serve as ongoing reminders: "I belong here. My creativity matters."
The Science Behind It
This Isn't Just Fun. It's Neuroscience.
Sensory Integration Rewires the Brain
Messy play isn't entertainment. It's medicine. Sensory input activates neural pathways associated with learning, memory, and emotional regulation. One 2-hour experience literally changes how the brain processes stress, failure, and social connection.
Embodied Learning Sticks
Kids don't just think about vulnerability. They experience it. They feel it. They survive it. And when they survive being messy and imperfect in a safe space, their nervous system learns: "It's safe to be vulnerable. It's safe to fail. It's safe to belong."
Peer Connection Prevents Bullying
When kids create together, when they get messy together, when they laugh together without performance or judgment, they form genuine bonds. These bonds are the antidote to bullying, isolation, and social anxiety.
Confidence Transfers to the Classroom
Kids who learn that messiness is healthy, that imperfection is beautiful, that they belong - they take more risks in the classroom. They participate more. They try harder. They believe in themselves.
Choose the Experience that Fits Your School
*Packages can be customized.
SCHOOL ASSEMBLY
(45-60 minutes)
Perfect for: Whole grade or school-wide experience
What happens: All students gather in our sealed studio. We guide them through splatter games, collaborative painting, and creative challenges. Everyone participates. Everyone leaves with confidence and belonging.
Deliverable: 2-3 permanent 24×36 canvases for your school to display
YOUTH WORKSHOP
(2 hours)
Perfect for: Specific grade level or classroom group
What happens: Smaller group. More time. Deeper experience. Students rotate through splatter painting, mosaic creation, and plaster/wire sculpture. More personalized. More transformative.
Deliverable: Individual take-home art + permanent art pieces for school display
FIELD TRIP ALTERNATIVE
(2 hours, mobile)
Perfect for: Schools wanting something different than the typical field trip
What happens: We come to you. Same transformative experience. No bus required. No travel time. Just pure, unfiltered creative play in a safe, sealed environment.
Deliverable: Individual take-home art + permanent canvases for school display
CUSTOM PROGRAM
Perfect for: Schools with specific needs (SEL focus, trauma-informed, specific grade level, etc.)
What happens: We work with you to design the perfect experience for your students. Want to add specific themes? Incorporate curriculum connections? Focus on specific SEL competencies? We'll make it happen.
Deliverable: Customized experience + permanent art installation
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I saw shy kids become confident. I saw anxious kids relax. I saw kids who usually don't participate take creative risks. One 2-hour experience changed how they see themselves. That's powerful.
Michelle, 4th Grade Teacher, Bellevue School
Teachers Report Real Changes in the Classroom
INCREASED CONFIDENCE:
Kids who participated in Wicked Rae's show increased willingness to participate in class, raise their hands, and share ideas. They're less afraid of being wrong.
CREATIVE RISK-TAKING:
Students are more willing to try new things in art, writing, and problem-solving. They've learned that mistakes are part of the process, not failures.
PEER CONNECTION:
Kids who created together show stronger friendships and better collaboration. Bullying decreases. Inclusion increases.
EMOTIONAL REGULATION:
Students who participated show better ability to manage big emotions, handle frustration, and bounce back from setbacks.
SENSE OF BELONGING:
The permanent canvases in your school serve as ongoing reminders: "I belong here. My creativity matters. I'm part of this community."
How to Work With Us
Consultation Form
FAQs
Every school is different. Every group of kids is different. We work with you to design the perfect experience for your students. Want to focus on specific competencies? Incorporate curriculum connections? We'll make it happen. Seattle-based. Mobile nationwide. We come to you. No bus required. No travel time. Just pure, unfiltered creative play.
Q: How is this different from other team-building or assembly programs?
A: We don't just create fun experiences. We activate all 7 critical neurological areas simultaneously while developing CASEL-aligned SEL competencies. Every experience is grounded in neuroscience and measured for impact. You get proof that it's learning, not just entertainment.
Q: How does this fit into our SEL curriculum?
A: Perfectly. We address all five SEL competencies: self-awareness (learning about yourself through creative expression), self-management (regulating emotions through sensory input), social awareness (connecting with peers through shared creation), relationship skills (collaborating and supporting each other), and responsible decision-making (making creative choices without fear of judgment).
Q: Can you work with our specific student population (e.g., anxiety, ADHD, trauma, sensory issues)?
A: Yes. We customize experiences for different student needs. We work with students with anxiety, ADHD, trauma, and other challenges. The sensory-rich, judgment-free environment is actually therapeutic for many students.
Q: How do you measure SEL outcomes?
A: We use pre/post assessments (student surveys, teacher observations, parent feedback) to measure changes in self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. We provide a one-page impact report after each event
Q: What if we only have budget for one event?
A: One event creates a temporary boost and gives you proof of concept. But we recommend at least 3 events per year (back-to-school, mid-year, end-of-year) to see sustained change. Many schools start with one event and then commit to an annual partnership after seeing the results.
Q: Can you work with our existing curriculum?
A: Yes. We can map our experiences to your existing SEL curriculum and help teachers integrate what students learn into classroom instruction. We also offer curriculum integration support as an add-on.
Q: How far do you travel?
A: We're based in Seattle and mobile nationwide. We've worked with schools in Washington, Oregon, California, and beyond. We can discuss travel logistics during your consultation.
Q: What if we're not sure if this is right for us?
A: That's exactly why we offer a consultation call. We'll discuss your goals, answer your questions, and help you determine if Wicked Rae's is the right fit. No pressure. No sales pitch. Just honest conversation.