Camp MakeBelieve Kids

A Social and Emotional Learning Program that Builds Emotional Competence in Children. The place where youth learn to believe in themselves.

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Reading Literacy and Camp MakeBelieve 03/23/12 | 11:57 The national estimate of the percentage of adults lacking basic reading literacy is 14.5% and there is an estimated 16 million high school dropouts (ed.gov). Reading skills begin to develop before children ever set foot in a classroom. For kids that are exposed to books from birth, reading comes easier than for children that do not have that experience. Camp MakeBelieve offers reading, writing, thinking, and imaginative lessons throughout the entire program. Not only do these lessons benefit social and emotional skills, they develop reading skills that at-risk children may not have been exposed to in the home environment. In the United States, the average academic achiever enters school having spent 1,350 hours of story time with an adult, whereas low achievers come to school with only 25 hours (Children's Literacy Initiative, 1999). Incorporate our program into your after-school program to see great improvements in reading skill and comprehension. You can purchase the Camp MakeBelieve Kids program here! Read full version | Post comment

Preventing Youth Suicide through SEL 03/21/12 | 01:02 Preventing Youth Suicide through SEL: A Collaborative Approach National School Social Worker Conference - Boston, MA - March 27 - 30 Thursday, March 29 from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. in the Stuart Room.   Presenters Pamela M. Goldberg, BSN, LMFT Brianna Kolhoss, MS, MFT Int Abstract Girls are quickly catching up in successful suicide endeavors-- hanging becoming the weapon of choice. Already vulnerable from hormone overload and peer pressure, girls often become hypersensitive to what may appear as innocent female behavior, and can create the perfect storm leading to suicide. This interactive presentation will demonstrate how mental health professionals can train and support educators, support staff and police officers so they may implement Social and Emotional Learning to our youth in the prevention of suicide. Post comment

Social and Emotional Learning in Schools 03/09/12 | 18:24 Social and Emotional Learning programs benefit not only students, but the school community as a whole. More and more schools across the country are exploring the SEL process, and studies are being conducted on the effectiveness of character education. There have been several recently published studies indicating great improvements at schools that have been utilizing a weekly character/social skills building study. Fox Chicago News conducted an interview on the topic recently- here is an excerpt (available in entirety here): “We call this social and emotional learning because we believe that these skills can be learned, they can be taught and learned, and that is a big difference,” said UIC psychology professor Roger Weissberg. Weissberg is one of the world’s leading experts on social and emotional learning (SEL). New research shows your academic IQ is not enough. You must also have emotional intelligence. It's a concept FOX Chicago News did a story on nearly 20-years-ago. We put several young children of FOX staffers through the grueling cookie test where a child was left alone with a cookie and told they could eat it but, if they waited, they would be rewarded with two cookies. The idea was to test the child’s ability to resist their impulses. “That was based on a correlational study, that kids who could delay gratification, do better. The big question is, can you teach them to delay gratification, can you teach them to manage themselves better,” Weissberg said. Weissberg says the answer now is, yes we can. A study conducted by Oregon State University concluded that after implementing an SEL program, suspensions decreased by 72 percent at one school, with teachers praising the results. Here is an excerpt of that article (available in entirety here): The latest study, being published by researchers from Oregon State University in the Journal of School Health, found for the first time that teachers believed this approach improved “overall school quality” by 21 percent, with parents and students agreeing in slightly smaller numbers. It was based on findings from racially and ethnically diverse schools, half using the program and half that did not. “Improved social and character skills leave more time for teachers to teach, and students to learn and be more motivated,” said Brian Flay, an OSU professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences. “What we’re finding now is that we can really address some of the concerns in our schools by focusing more on character in the classroom. We encourage you to learn more about social and emotional learning! Our program is easy to follow, fun, and so beneficial. Read full version | Post comment

Camp MakeBelieve Kids and Sport-Social 02/27/12 | 14:48 Sport-Social is an adaptive sports and social interaction center in Las Vegas offering therapeutic lessons for children with autism and special needs. Sport-Social is currently offering our program, and is a wonderful example of how our program can be used in a variety of educational, social, emotional, and physical settings! At Sport-Social, the Camp MakeBelieve Kids program is a class that meets once per week for 1.5 hours. Half of that time is spent on the program- discussion, role-playing, and classroom activities. The other half of that time is spent in the “warehouse” where kids participate in a group sport. Sport-Social is utilizing our great program in a way that is fun, beneficial, and challenging. Sport-Social offers our program at two levels- Level 1 is for students who have a hard time listening to instruction. This level offers one instructor for every two students. Level 2 is for students who have some conversational, physical, and social abilities. It is perfect for kids that have a difficult time making and keeping friends. You can find out more about Sport-Social and how they utilize our program in conjunction with theirs on their website. If you are interested in learning more about how our program can benefit your after-school or supplemental program, contact us today! The Camp MakeBelieve Kids program is available for purchase on our website. Read full version | Post comment

National PTA Take Your Family to School Week 02/16/12 | 11:51 Each February, Take Your Family to School Week is held to pay tribute to PTA’s legacy of building family-school partnerships.  Parent involvement in student’s lives and the school community is very important, and PTA is important at every level. There are early childhood PTAs, special education PTAs, elementary/middle school PTAs, etc. We would like to encourage you this month to check out your local PTA and find out what they are currently doing in your community. If your child’s school is hosting an event this week, make every effort to attend! If you missed an event, talk with your child’s teacher and find out how you can help out one day this spring. Maybe there is a field trip you can chaperone, or an after-school event looking for volunteers. Being present at school not only allows you to witness a small slice of your child’s daily life, but also shows your child that what he or she is up to is important. Just as parent involvement is important in school life, it is also important for parents to be involved when it comes to after school programs. Our Camp MakeBelieve Kids program believes in the importance of parent involvement, and we have developed a “Parent Memo” to help bridge the gap between lessons and home. Each guidebook includes Parent Memos (found at the end of each lesson plan) allowing you to learn along with your children. Learn more about our program and the Parent Memo portion here! Read full version | Post comment

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