The Sage doll avatar can change the world of education! That is the philosophy behind We Are All the Same Inside®, an award-winning books and grass-roots educational initiative created to help learners embrace our common humanity, explore the various aspects of diversity and even enhance part of a five-year reseach study hightlighting the importance of STEAM.

The fact that a school or community might have diversity policies does not necessarily engender acceptance or tear down walls of prejudice. As a society, we aspire to valuing and respecting people of different cultural backgrounds yet intolerance, scapegoating, and lack of acceptance are still widespread. According to a 2021 Boston Globe interview with renowned Harvard University psychologist Mahzarin Banaji, children as young as three-years-old have the ability to accept and embrace racism. Therefore, it is critical that children learn how to understand and respect individuals who might appear different from them, and for children's parents and older siblings to reinforce those values beyond the classroom or playground.

Timothy Bellavia
Founder
N/A,  We Are All The Same Inside - Sage doll-making workshop

Beyond grateful that several non-profit organizations have previously supported my work, including the Sesame Workshop, Mattie J P Stepanek Foundation, Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, We Are Family Foundation, Anti-Defamation League, and the New York City Department of Education, who awarded me a contract to bring We Are All the Same Inside to schools throughout all five boroughs of New York City. Recently, I received a Smithsonian Artist in residence space grant while the Harvard Club of New York named me "Outstanding Educator of the Year." Sage dolls / avatar have also accompanied me on presentations I've given at the United Nations and have been used as educational tools everywhere from Sierra Leone to Sydney, Australia. They were recently highlighted at the 36th Annual Black Doll Show in Greater Los Angeles and are a integral part of a research study through 2024 teaching mathematics, music and computational thinking.