By Carlissa Dennis & Patience Waller

Did you hear that Beyoncé came to Oyler School (AKA the blonde curly haired tarantula)? Kristie Reddick and Jess Honaker (The Bug Chicks) are small business owners who use and study arthropods to teach social emotional learning all around the world.

Kristie says, “we use bugs to help people feel that they are capable of anything.”

The Bug Chicks are going to be here at Oyler School June 10, June 16 as well as June 30 to conduct social emotional learning workshops with Oylers 7th & 8th graders using arthropods. When asked why bugs, Kristie explains, “If you learn about the things you are afraid of, that fear will turn into fascination.” Turning your fears into fascination helps have that feeling of being able to overcome anything. Giving people that feeling is The Bugs Chick’s main goal, it’s what fuels them to do what they do.

Kristie says that they “leave every workshop feeling like we’ve made the right choice.” 

When The Bugs Chicks first introduced the animals to the students they were afraid and  resistant to interact with them. By the end of the workshop, students were more open to the animals, asking questions, and seemed more comfortable. Lamont Sargent, a student at Oyler says, “When they first brought the bugs in I was petrified but near the end Kristie encouraged me to hold a bug and now I feel more comfortable doing it.” 

For more information on bugs and The Bug Chicks, visit their website at https://thebugchicks.com/ and their instagram page @Thebugchicks.