What does an inclusive learning environment look like to you?

Neurodiverse relationships are intentionally fostered.
Students with different learning styles can access universally designed lessons.
All learners enjoy improved academic and social outcomes.

A welcoming, respectful, positive and inclusive learning environment is key to both academic and social success.

That's why we created Good Friend Academy!

Facilitate Good Friend, Inc. autism awareness-acceptance-empathy youth services without needing to bring in outside presenters! Good Friend Academy, which was made possible by the generosity of Catholic Community Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Association of REALTORS Youth Foundation, and the Waukesha Rotary Club Charitable Fund, offers package options to build your internal capacity through discussion guides (segmented for early elementary, intermediate elementary, and middle school) that accompany our 20-minute long short films, along with other valuable resources.

Be sure to review the entire "course" catalog you see below to determine which combination best suits your needs. For example, if you're a 2nd grade classroom teacher, you might want to purchase the Early Elementary School Course. But if you're the social worker at a K*-8th grade school, you might need access to the Elementary & Middle School Bundle. And if you're a parent trying to help extended family members better understand your autistic child, you may only need streaming access to the film for a week. (Courses and Bundles offer the account holder film access as indicated in the course for one year from date of purchase.)

If you're an administrator with several staff members interested in various courses, click here for value pricing!

Not sure you'll be able to play the videos from your computer? While you're on your school's network and/or computer you'll be using to display, check out the trailers in the Video Only courses below. If you can display the audio and video there, that's a great start! You may want to connect external speakers for a larger audience, or cast your screen to a larger display.

* Good Friend, Inc.'s early elementary school curriculum is intended for kindergarteners as young as 5 years of age. Contact us for ideas to use with pre-school or early childhood learners.

Our courses provide your students with the foundation they need to build ongoing awareness, understanding, and empathy. When we start with inclusion in the classroom, it paves the way for classmates to understand what it means to be a part of a community. When neurodivergent individuals are grouped with neurotypically developing peers, it facilitates positive social interactions, acceptance of differences, and lays a foundation for better awareness and acceptance as they continue through their educational journey together.

The Early Elementary School Course includes everything a teacher, social worker, school counselor, or child service provider would need to facilitate a Good Friend autism awareness, acceptance, and empathy building service for K - 2nd grade learners:

20-minute "We ALL Fit" film in English and Spanish
Developmentally-specific film discussion guide
Supplemental activity printouts
Customizable templates for family engagement
Supportive resources to deepen understanding

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The Intermediate Elementary School Course includes everything a teacher, social worker, school counselor, or child service provider would need to facilitate a Good Friend autism awareness, acceptance, and empathy building service for 3rd - 5th grade learners:

20-minute "We ALL Fit" film in English and Spanish
Developmentally-specific film discussion guide
Interactive Kahoot! game for students
Supplemental activity printouts
Customizable templates for family engagement
Supportive resources to deepen understanding

BUY NOW

The Middle School Course includes everything a teacher, social worker, school counselor, or child service provider would need to facilitate a Good Friend autism awareness, acceptance, and empathy building service for 6th - 8th grade learners:

20-minute "Choosing to Be a Good Friend" film in English
Developmentally-specific film discussion guide
Interactive Kahoot! game for students
Supplemental activity printouts
Customizable letter for family engagement

BUY NOW

Good Friend, Inc.'s early elementary school curriculum is intended for kindergarteners as young as 5 years of age. Contact us for ideas to use with pre-school or early childhood learners.

Good Friend, Inc. knows there is beauty in diversity, there is strength in community and there is magic in inclusion.

We ALL Fit Trailer

Choosing To Be A Good Friend Trailer

We're here to provide social emotional tools to establish a culture of acceptance in schools and beyond.

The Elementary School Bundle includes everything a teacher, social worker, school counselor, or child service provider would need to facilitate a Good Friend autism awareness, acceptance, and empathy building service for K - 5th grade learners:

20-minute "We ALL Fit" film in English and Spanish
2 developmentally-specific film discussion guides
Interactive Kahoot! game for 3rd-5th grade students
Supplemental activity printouts
Customizable templates for family engagement
Supportive resources to deepen understanding

BUY NOW

The Elementary & Middle School Bundle includes everything a teacher, social worker, school counselor, or child service provider would need to facilitate a Good Friend autism awareness, acceptance, and empathy building service for K - 8th grade learners:

20-minute "We ALL Fit" film in English and Spanish for 5-11 year-olds
20-minute "Choosing to Be a Good Friend" film in English for 11-14 year-olds
3 developmentally-specific film discussion guides
2 developmentally-specific interactive Kahoot! games
Supplemental activity printouts
Customizable templates for family engagement
Supportive resources to deepen understanding

BUY NOW

If you're an administrator with several staff members interested in various courses, click here for value pricing!

We ALL Fit

Release Date: 2014

Run Time: 20 Minutes

We ALL Fit, an award-winning peer education documentary short film for K - 5th grade audiences, in both English and Spanish. Purchasing this film for screening does not include Elementary School course materials.

Click here for the trailer

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Choosing to Be a

Good Friend

Release Date: 2019

Run Time: 20 Minutes

Choosing to Be a Good Friend, an award-winning peer education documentary short film for 6th through 8th grade audiences in English. Purchasing this film for screening does not include Middle School course materials.

Click here for the trailer

LEARN MORE

Check out this amazing feedback from educators who have already completed our course!

FAQ

What course is best for me?

Be sure to review the entire "course" catalog you see below to determine which combination best suits your needs. For example, if you're a 2nd grade classroom teacher, you might want to purchase the Early Elementary School Course. But if you're the social worker at a K*-8th grade school, you might need access to the Elementary & Middle School Bundle.

How long do I have access?

Courses and Bundles offer the account holder film access as indicated in the course for one year from date of purchase.

What happens if I can’t access the course through the school’s computer?

Not sure you'll be able to play the videos from your computer? While you're on your school's network and/or computer you'll be using to display, check out the trailers in the Video Only courses below. If you can display the audio and video there, that's a great start! You may want to connect external speakers for a larger audience or cast your screen to a larger display.

Is the course shareable? Can it be transferred?

Your unique login information cannot be shared. During the checkout process, we'll ask you to agree with a statement regarding the acceptable use of these materials.

Will I need to print any material?

While you don’t need to, we think it would probably be helpful to at least print the discussion guide to have handy as you lead students through the curriculum. There are some supplemental materials for students, such as coloring sheets, a word search, and an interactive writing exercise, that you have the option to print.

I want to present this to a group other than a school. Will that work?

Absolutely! You might be the coach of a sports team, or a Girl Scouts Troop leader, or a children’s ministry leader. Your neurodivergent participants deserve good friends, too! (And by neurodivergent, we mean any aspect of different brain wiring. This message of acceptance and inclusion covers them all!)

Are the films closed captioned? Do the films have subtitles?

The voices in We ALL Fit have been recorded in English and Spanish language versions. (The Spanish language version of Choosing to Be a Good Friend is currently in production and should be available in the spring of 2023.) Through the embedded media player, you can click on Enable captions (CC icon) and select the language you’d like to see subtitles in. We hope this maximizes accessibility to a variety of audiences. Note that there is no audio descriptive services available at this time.

For more Frequently Asked Questions, please visit our full FAQ page.

Good Friend Academy Supporting Partners

Good Friend Academy, launched in January 2023, was made possible by the following organizations:

Make it Better Foundation, Inc. - Waukesha Service Club, Inc. - Dorothy Inbusch Foundation, Inc. - AptarGroup, Inc. - NAILBA Foundation - Catholic Community Foundation - Waukesha Rotary Club - GMAR Youth Foundation - Harri Hoffman Family Foundation, Inc. - The Gardner Foundation - Emory T Clark Foundation - WeEnergies Foundation