Jens Grothe Hjort

We had the great pleasure of collaborating with Kidz Academy during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. We participated with our 4th and 5th grades, and the program brought tremendous value to our school.

Ødsted School has mixed-age classes, where 4th and 5th graders are in the same class. Each year, about half of the students in the classes are replaced with new students who “roll in.” This means that new communities and a shared class culture must be established quickly. Kidz Academy’s approach has great potential in this regard.

The core idea of Kidz Academy’s peer-to-peer learning makes so much sense and adds real value. The students who are in 4th grade one year and are mentored by 5th graders are, the following year, tasked with passing on what they have learned to the new students moving up. This creates a situation where the classes settle quickly, and healthy, strong communities emerge.

In both years we participated, we faced challenges due to COVID-19 restrictions, requiring us to constantly adapt to the situation at hand. Here, the collaboration with Peter and Heidi from Kidz Academy was truly exceptional, showcasing their high level of dedication. Through a strong partnership between the teachers and pedagogues from Ødsted School and Peter and Heidi, we were able to both make the program our own and adapt it to the restrictions we faced.

In the first year, Peter and Heidi visited the school approximately every two weeks, presenting various exercises, stories, and techniques. This was incredibly rewarding, and both the children and adults were captivated by their contributions. Between visits, the work continued in the classrooms, which is a vital component for making a lasting impact.

In the second year, extended periods of restrictions meant that external guests were not allowed at the school due to COVID-19. During this time, the program continued with Peter and Heidi supporting us remotely, holding online meetings with the teachers and pedagogues. These meetings provided inspiration, energy, and motivation for the staff to work with the children in the classrooms. The professional and joyful collaboration with Peter and Heidi remained consistent throughout.

As vice principal, I followed the entire process—both in terms of the activities with the children and the meetings with teachers, pedagogues, and Peter and Heidi. This has been incredibly valuable for me as it gave me a clear understanding of what was happening and how we needed to adjust along the way.

If you truly want to make a difference in children’s well-being and their relationships with one another, I highly recommend Kidz Academy. It’s absolutely true when they say, “Individually we are unique, together we make a difference.” This applies to both the children participating and the adults working with the program.