WHAT IS WAO?
WE ARE ONE and TOGETHER we experience transformative moments that promote youngsters’ well-being.
THE WAO FORMULA
Mindful Movement
Wellness Snack Lab
Giving back Experience
Healthier lifestyle for young people
WAO SEL Social-Emotional Learning
SEL- Social Emotional Learning can help all young people thrive personally and academically, develop and maintain positive relationships, become lifelong learners, and contribute to a more caring, just world.
At WAO, we integrate evidence-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) tools to empower kids, teens, and young adults and help them develop critical life skills.
Mindful movement, combined with SEL, provides both physical and emotional benefits, helping students to connect with themselves and others in positive, empowering ways.
- Mindfulness Practices: We help our youth to be present, regulate emotions, and cope with stress
- Emotion Regulation Techniques: We introduce strategies for managing emotions in healthy ways
- Communication Skills: We experience activities designed to build effective interpersonal communication and active listening
- Empathy-Building Exercises: We help young people understand and relate to others’ feelings
- Goal Setting: We encourage participants to set personal and academic goals… and steps to achieve them
- Conflict Resolution: We model and guide our participants in resolving conflicts respectfully and constructively
WE apply SEL tools during our experiences
These tools are based on research-backed approaches to emotional intelligence and personal growth, promoting positive mental health and interpersonal relationships.
WAO Design and Delivery Framework
At WAO, our Design and Delivery Framework is rooted in a combination of powerful, research-backed approaches that guide our experiences for our youth. These methods help foster personal growth, emotional intelligence, and positive social skills.
Each approach ensures that our programs are engaging, effective, and transformative.
Here’s how we do it:
Constructivist Approach
We believe that learning happens best when young people discover and learn through personal inquiry and exploration. Our programs empower tweens and teens to ask questions, seek answers, and build knowledge from their own experiences, making the learning process deeply meaningful and personal.
Experimental Approach
At WAO, we take a “learn by doing” approach. Tweens and teens engage in hands-on experiences that challenge them to solve real-world problems, reflect on their actions, and connect theory to practice. This experiential learning helps solidify knowledge and encourages active participation.
Embodied Approach
Understanding that emotional and physical experiences are interconnected, we incorporate an embodied approach. Tweens and teens explore and become aware of their inner emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations, as well as their external environment. This awareness enhances emotional regulation, mindfulness, and self-awareness, helping them navigate challenges with greater resilience.
Context-Sensitive Approach
We recognize that each community has its unique values, challenges, and needs. Our experiences are context-sensitive, meaning they are designed to reflect and respect the specific community they serve. This ensures that our programs are culturally relevant and meaningful, allowing participants to feel connected to their environment and peers.
WAO Anatomy
We believe in the power of routines and rituals.
Our mission is to cultivate independent learners who flow in our experience.
Here are the steps our youth take on this journey together.
Sense of Community
Each WAO Experience begins with a community building moment to help young participants arrive, incline towards the present moment, and collaborate of course…
Exploration
While our youth explore mindful movements, they are guided on positive ways to interact. Through inspirational talk, they experience new ways to interact with themselves and others
Hands on
Young people are given more independence through opportunities to make their own choices—movements, games, teams, music, healthy snack options, art, and community service projects. They navigate these moments and apply tools and language recently explored
Reflection
Each session ends with a group reflection, where we share final comments to reinforce key concepts, practices, and tools. We encourage the next generation to continue practicing what we’ve experienced together in their daily lives to keep enjoying and spreading this magic!
WAO Whole Family Approach
At WAO, we believe in a whole family approach—our events and classes are designed to be inclusive, with parents always welcome to stay, participate, and be inspired by what we’re doing. We encourage families to take this energy home and continue enjoying it in their daily lives. We even celebrate and support parents by offering relaxing wellness experiences when they are with us, such as massages, healthy snacks, cold plunges, soothing music, and more! This way, everyone in the family has an opportunity to recharge, connect, and nurture their well-being together.
WAO Preventive & Curative Approach
During our transformational (and revolutionary) experiences, young people acquire SEL -Social and Emotional Learning tools that they can use whenever necessary to make healthy decisions and prevent issues such as emotional burnout, poor decision-making, unhealthy relationships, or mental health challenges. Additionally, these tools offer curative benefits by helping participants address and heal from past emotional or social struggles, build resilience, and recover from difficult experiences, empowering them to thrive in the present and future.
WAO Tech-Free Zone
Research shows that excessive screen time, particularly with phones and technology, can have negative effects on young people’s mental and physical well-being. With the rise of social media and constant digital distractions, young people are finding it harder to engage in deep, real-world interactions.
That’s where WAO comes in. We create mind, body, and soul experiences where young people can have fun, connect, and grow—without the need for screens. No phones, no distractions—just real, in-person interactions that inspire personal growth and meaningful connections.
We encourage our youth to embrace these screen-free moments, reflect on their positive impact, and continue exploring more experiences that focus on being present, engaging with others, and cultivating a balanced, tech-free life.
