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Jack, of course, is a puppet — designed to raise awareness about living with epilepsy — and Kamiel brings him to life as a volunteer with , a non-profit that has been operating for over 40 years.

Through puppet performances, TAP teaches school-aged children across the GTA about inclusion, diversity and disability, with support from local organizations like Epilepsy Toronto. The group also runs virtual workshops for schools outside the city.

Kamiel, a retired social worker, has been with TAP since 2013, volunteering two days a week. She also volunteers at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. “It’s like a last piece of a jigsaw puzzle,” she said, describing how TAP combines her passion for acting, puppetry, social work and working with children.

At the St. Eugene workshop, Kamiel voiced Jack in a conversation with Simon, another puppet voiced by Nathan Rossi, a newer TAP performer. The two puppets walked the students through what it means to live with epilepsy, while Kirsten Sixt, TAP’s co-director, facilitated the discussion.

“I always swim with a friend or a buddy, and there’s usually a lifeguard there, too,” Jack told the crowd. “But hey...wait a minute, doesn’t everybody need to swim with a buddy?”

“They do, that’s right,” said Sixt, drawing smiles and nods from the students. “Jack can do anything Jack wants to do. Just because he’s a person living with epilepsy — that doesn’t define him. He’s a person first.”

Kamiel and Rossi wore all black and performed in the school gym for dozens of attentive elementary students. During the Q&A session, hands shot up as the kids shared what they’d learned.

For Rossi, a Niagara native who joined TAP just over a year ago, it was his first time performing with Kamiel.

“Children’s theatre is the way to change the world,” Rossi said. “This stuff that we’re talking about ... like kids with ADHD or autism or in a wheelchair, is truly important.”

Rossi, 26, has since started making his own puppets and hopes to continue his work as a puppeteer.

Kamiel and Rossi wore all-black and performed at the school’s gymnasium in front of dozens of attentive elementary students eager to answer questions during the Q&A period. Hands shot up when the students were asked what they learned about the workshop.

TAP volunteers don’t need previous puppeteering experience — training covers everything from lip-syncing to performance basics. While new volunteers are always welcome, Sixt says the organization, currently a team of nine, looks for those who are genuinely passionate and committed. Each volunteer is assigned a puppet, which they keep at home between workshops.

Kamiel, reflecting on her work with TAP, says it’s the preparation and rehearsals sometimes weeks or months of them — that make the job so fulfilling.

“When you see the kids who are so engaged, so inquisitive, curious and asking amazing questions, and we have those rich conversations during our Q&A — I know that we’ve reached these kids. They’re understanding. And that’s the important thing whether it’s one child or 100,” Kamiel said. “That’s why I do this.”

“I feel like crying at the end of the day. I feel like we’ve done a really good job.”