AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS
We offer two after-school programs. Literacy and Leadership and Community and Communication. The main objective of these programs is to provide support and guidance to children and pre-teens in effectively recognizing, understanding, and handling their emotions in different environments. By equipping them with the necessary tools and strategies, we aim to empower them to navigate their daily lives, including familiar routines and unfamiliar situations. This program also extends its assistance to the families of these children, fostering a collaborative approach to promoting emotional well-being and growth.
Literacy And Leadership:
A Social-Emotional Learning Experience
For Students Ages 5-12
As part of E.L.E.V.A.T.E., we host an after-school program called The Literacy and Leadership program, a Social and Emotional Learning Experience for students ages 5-12 (Kindergarten to 5th grade). This after-school program lasts three months from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (3 hours per week). It is $20.00 per week per student, billed at $260.
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Monday and Wednesday, 3:30-5:00, ages 5-8
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Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30-5:00, ages 9-12
Each session is limited to 8 students:
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Session 1: October 2nd - December 28th, 2023
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Session 2: January 1st – March 28th, 2024
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Session 3: April 1st – June 27th, 2024
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Session: 4 July 1st – September 26th, 2024
Communication and Community:
A Social-Emotional Experience Program for ages 13+ with 504 Plans, IEPs, and ISPs
The Communication and Community program is a Social and Emotional Education Experience for anyone with a 504 plan, I.E.P., and I.S.P. over 13 (5th grade to unlimited). The program lasts three months (3 hours per week). It is $20.00 per week per individual, billed at $260. A parent, care provider, or guardian must accompany any individual with additional care needs (such as incontinence, negative behavioral tendencies, etc.).
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Meetings for individuals 13-21 (anyone over 18 must still be enrolled in school) 8:30 am -11:30 am (Saturday)
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Meetings for individuals 18 (not enrolled in school) and over is from 2 pm to 5 pm (Saturday)
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Meetings for a mixed age range of students 13-21 and adults over 21 from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Wednesdays). Wednesday Meetings are only 2 hours weekly for those with difficulty concentrating or focusing on group tasks.
Each session is limited to 4 Individuals.
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Session 1: September 30 - December 23rd, 2023
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Session 2: January 1st – March 28th, 2024
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Session 3: April 1st – June 27th, 2024
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Session: 4 July 1st – September 26th, 2024
The Benefits of Small Group Learning:
Enhancing Reading Skills and Self-Confidence Through Emotion-Based Story Reading
Benefits of having small group sessions:
Enhanced Peer Learning:
With a smaller group, students can benefit from peer learning and collaboration. They can share their perspectives, exchange ideas, and learn from each other's experiences, promoting a deeper understanding of the subject.
Greater Accountability:
In a small group, it is easier for the instructor to track each student's progress and hold them accountable for their learning. Greater accountability can motivate students to stay focused, complete assignments on time, and actively participate in the program.
Improved Feedback and Assessment:
The instructor can provide more detailed and timely feedback on assignments, projects, and assessments with fewer students. Improved feedback allows students to understand their strengths and areas for improvement, facilitating their overall growth and development.
Increased Participation:
Each student has more opportunities in a small group to actively participate in discussions, ask questions, and engage in collaborative activities. Increased participation fosters a more interactive and engaging learning environment.
Personalized Attention:
With only eight students, the instructor can provide individualized attention to each student, understanding their unique learning needs and tailoring the program accordingly. Personalized attention ensures a more effective and personalized learning experience.
Cultivating Emotional Intelligence:
Empowering Young Students for Leadership and Well-Being
Emotional Intelligence, often called E.I., is a powerful tool that young students can cultivate to enhance their leadership qualities and overall well-being. By developing Emotional Intelligence, students gain many benefits that positively impact their personal growth and interactions with others. These benefits include:
Better Decision-Making:
Emotional Intelligence enables students to consider their emotions and the emotions of others when making decisions, leading to more thoughtful and empathetic choices.
Better Leadership Skills:
Emotional Intelligence provides the foundation for effective leadership, including inspiring and motivating others.
Better Self-Regulation:
Students can learn to control impulsive reactions and make more thoughtful choices by managing their emotions.
Better Stress Management:
Emotional Intelligence teaches students how to cope with stress and anxiety, promoting overall well-being.
Conflict Resolution Skills:
Emotional Intelligence prepares students to resolve conflicts peacefully and find win-win solutions.
Effective Communication:
Students with Emotional Intelligence can express their thoughts and feelings clearly, leading to better communication and collaboration with peers and adults.
Enhanced Adaptability:
Emotional Intelligence can help students embrace change and quickly adapt to new situations.
Enhanced Empathy:
Emotional Intelligence fosters the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, promoting kindness and compassion.
Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills:
Emotional Intelligence encourages students to think creatively and find innovative solutions to problems.
Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills:
Emotional Intelligence helps students approach problems calmly and rationally, leading to more effective solutions.
Improved Conflict Management:
Emotional Intelligence can equip students with the skills to navigate conflicts and disagreements constructively and respectfully.
Improved Decision-Making:
By considering their emotions and the emotions of others, students can make more informed and thoughtful decisions.
Improved Emotional Regulation:
Students with Emotional Intelligence can manage their emotions healthily and constructively.
Improved Self-Awareness:
Emotional Intelligence helps students understand their emotions and how they impact their behavior and decision-making.
Improved Social Skills:
Emotional Intelligence helps students navigate social situations, build positive relationships, and work effectively in teams.
Increased Emotional Resilience:
Emotional Intelligence helps students develop the ability to bounce back from adversity and maintain a positive outlook.
Increased Daily Living Resilience:
Emotional Intelligence helps students recover from setbacks and challenges, fostering perseverance and determination.
Increased Self-Confidence:
Understanding and managing emotions can boost students' self-esteem and belief in their ability to process life as they age.
Increased Self-Motivation:
Emotional Intelligence fosters intrinsic motivation, helping students set and achieve goals.
Increased Self-Reflection:
Emotional Intelligence encourages students to reflect on their emotions and experiences, promoting personal growth and self-improvement.
The Power of Reading Aloud:
Enhancing Reading Skills and Self-Confidence Through
Emotion-Based Stories
Students will take turns each week reading a story based on the emotion we are focusing on. This will help them develop reading skills and self-confidence by reading out loud.
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Reading out loud enhances these five skills:
Reading Out Loud Builds Vocabulary:
When students read aloud, they encounter new words and phrases, expanding their vocabulary. They better understand their meanings and usage by practicing pronunciation and hearing spoken words.
Reading Out Loud Reduces Stress and Makes Us Happy:
Reading aloud can be a therapeutic activity that helps reduce stress and anxiety. It allows students to express emotions through their voices, providing a sense of release and emotional well-being. Additionally, reading stories with positive emotions can uplift their mood and bring joy.
Reading Out Loud Strengthens Fluency:
Regularly reading out loud helps students improve their fluency in reading. It enhances their reading ability with appropriate pacing, intonation, and expression. This fluency development contributes to better overall reading skills.
Reading Out Loud Can Improve Working Memory:
Reading aloud requires students to process information in real-time, remember what they have read, and articulate it effectively. This exercise can improve their working memory, crucial for various cognitive tasks, including comprehension, problem-solving, and critical Thinking.
Reading Out Loud Improves Comprehension and Active Listening:
Reading aloud requires students to pay attention to the text, comprehend the meaning, and convey it effectively. This enhances their comprehension skills and promotes active listening as they engage with the story and the emotions it presents.
By taking turns reading stories based on specific emotions, students develop their reading skills and build self-confidence in expressing themselves verbally. This activity promotes vocabulary growth, comprehension, active listening, stress reduction, fluency, and working memory improvement.
The Significance of Feelings and Emotions In Daily Life and Well-Being
The program focuses on these 15 Feelings and Emotions:
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Anger,
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Anxiety,
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Belonging,
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Boredom,
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Calm,
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Confidence,
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Empathy,
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Flexible Thinking,
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Frustration,
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Happiness,
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Love,
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Peaceful,
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Sadness,
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Worry,
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Scribble (Mixed Feelings of Multiple Emotions).
Feelings And Emotions Are Integral To The Human Experience, Influencing Our Daily Lives And Overall Well-Being
Dynamic Nature of Emotions:
Emotions are not static; they fluctuate throughout the day or even within moments. Understanding this dynamic nature is crucial for emotional regulation. Students can better manage their emotional responses and adapt to situations by acknowledging that emotions are fluid. This awareness promotes emotional resilience and flexibility.
Managing and Regulating Emotions:
While emotions can sometimes feel overwhelming, developing skills to manage and regulate them is possible. Recognizing and understanding these 15 emotions is the first step toward Emotional Intelligence. By cultivating healthy coping strategies, students can effectively navigate their emotional experiences. This, in turn, leads to improved mental well-being and overall life satisfaction.
The Interconnectedness of Emotions:
Emotions are not isolated experiences but are interconnected with one another. They can influence and impact each other, creating complex emotional states. Anxiety and worry often coexist, as worry stems from anxious thoughts. Similarly, love and happiness can intertwine, as love can bring immense joy and contentment. Recognizing these interconnections helps us navigate and understand our emotional landscape more effectively. (Think about the Disney Pixar movie "Inside Out" 2019).
Universal Nature of Emotions:
Regardless of cultural or background differences, these 15 emotions are universally experienced and accepted by people worldwide. They are fundamental to our emotional development and contribute to our understanding of ourselves and others. Recognizing this universality helps foster empathy and connection among students.
Valuable Information Conveyed by Emotions:
Each emotion serves a purpose and conveys essential information about our needs, desires, and reactions to various situations. For instance, anger can indicate a boundary violation, prompting us to assert ourselves. Empathy allows us to connect with others and understand their emotions, fostering meaningful relationships. Understanding the messages conveyed by these emotions enhances our self-awareness and interpersonal skills.
The 15 emotions discussed in our program significantly affect our daily lives and overall well-being. They are universal, provide valuable information, are interconnected, dynamic, and can be managed and regulated. Understanding and embracing these emotions allows students to develop Emotional Intelligence, foster healthier relationships, improve self-awareness, and enhance mental well-being. By acknowledging the importance of these emotions, we can navigate our emotional landscape more effectively and lead more fulfilling lives.
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The Benefits of Activities Based on Reading Books on Emotional Intelligence (E.I.):
A Comparative Analysis of Group and Individual Approaches.
Our program promotes literacy, Emotional Intelligence, and well-being among our participants. Each day, we prioritize exploring different emotions through the lens of literature. By focusing on at least 1-2 books daily related to one of our 15 core feelings and emotions, we aim to deepen our understanding and empathy towards ourselves and others.
In addition to our literary exploration, we engage in group and individual activities. These activities are carefully designed to foster personal growth and emotional development. While group activities encourage collaboration, teamwork, and sharing experiences, individual activities provide an opportunity for self-reflection and introspection.
We understand that time constraints may prevent the completion of individual activities during our sessions. Therefore, we encourage participants to continue their growth by finishing these activities at home. By doing so, they can further explore and process their emotions, ultimately enhancing their emotional well-being.
Our 15 core feelings and emotions are integral to our program, including anger, anxiety, belonging, boredom, calm, confidence, empathy, flexible thinking, frustration, happiness, love, peacefulness, sadness, worry, and the complex "scribble" mix. We strive to provide a comprehensive and holistic approach to Emotional Intelligence by addressing each of these emotions.
We aim to empower our participants with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate their emotions effectively through our daily focus on literature, group activities, and individual tasks. By fostering Emotional Intelligence, we believe students can lead more fulfilling and balanced lives, personally and within their communities.
10 Benefits of Doing Activities Based on Reading Books on Emotional Intelligence (E.I.):
​Better Conflict Resolution:
Learning about Emotional Intelligence through books can teach students to handle and resolve conflicts constructively.
Enhanced Empathy:
Reading about different characters and their emotions, students can develop a deeper understanding and empathy toward others.
Enhanced Leadership Skills:
Emotional Intelligence is a crucial trait for effective leadership, and reading books on the subject can help students develop and refine their leadership abilities.
Improved Communication Skills:
Books on Emotional Intelligence often provide insights into effective communication techniques, helping students enhance their communication skills.
Improved Decision-Making:
Students can make more informed and rational decisions by understanding emotions and their impact on themselves and others.
Increased Resilience:
Learning about Emotional Intelligence can help students develop resilience and recover from setbacks more quickly.
Increased Self-Awareness:
Reading books on Emotional Intelligence helps students understand their emotions better, leading to improved self-awareness.
Overall Personal Growth:
Engaging in activities based on reading books on Emotional Intelligence can contribute to personal growth and development, leading to a more fulfilling and balanced life.
Reduced Stress Levels:
Reading books on Emotional Intelligence can provide students with tools and techniques to manage stress and regulate their emotions effectively.
Strengthened Relationships:
Understanding Emotional Intelligence can lead to healthier and more fulfilling relationships as students become more attuned to the emotions and needs of others.
5 Benefits of Group Activities:
​Diverse Perspectives:
Group activities unite students with different backgrounds and experiences, encouraging broader perspectives and insights.
Enhanced Collaboration:
Group activities based on Emotional Intelligence books promote teamwork and collaboration, allowing participants to learn from each other's perspectives.
Increased Social Skills:
Group activities allow students to practice and improve their social skills, such as active listening and effective communication.
Shared Learning Experience:
Group activities allow participants to discuss and share their insights and feelings from the books, leading to a richer and more comprehensive learning experience.
Support And Encouragement:
Group activities provide a supportive environment where participants can encourage and motivate each other in their Emotional Intelligence journey.
5 Benefits for Individual Activities:
​Flexibility and Convenience:
Individual activities can be done at any time and in any location, providing flexibility and convenience for students with busy schedules.
Independence And Autonomy:
Individual activities allow students to take ownership of their Emotional Intelligence journey and develop a sense of independence and autonomy in their personal growth.
Personal Reflection:
Individual activities provide space for introspection and self-reflection, allowing students to delve deeper into their emotions and experiences.
Self-Paced Learning:
Individual activities allow students to learn independently, focusing on areas most relevant to their personal growth.
Tailored Learning Experience:
Individual activities can be customized to address specific areas of Emotional Intelligence that students want to focus on, providing a more personalized and meaningful learning experience.