Superhero Kid (Courtesy of Pexels photos)Youth for Tomorrow in Bristow is holding a superhero-themed Spring Therapeutic Music & Art Camp next week for students in first to fifth grade who have behavioral and/or emotional issues. The school will hold a similar extended therapeutic camp over the summer.
During the camp students will participate in art therapy: fine arts, drama, writing, puppet theatre, sports and STEAM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math] activities as a way to channel their emotions.
Wonhee Kang Director of Music and Art Services for Youth for Tomorrow explains that the programs are designed to help students emotionally, keep them engaged and help them learn how to positively channel their emotions.
“Kids are playing; kids are doing more hands on work. It’s not lecture; it’s a non-traditional class setting. It’s a small group setting 5-6 ratio - physical activities as well dance and sport,” she said
Behavioral therapists work with students coaching them in identifying their emotions and finding a positive way to channel them.
“We’re constantly talking about different emotions that they are encountering,” said Kang. “How you can channel these negative emotions and deal with them positively?”
The camp models positive ways for people to express emotions such as expression through art, music or theater. Kang said the awareness helps the children “appreciate their emotions, and how they can make the shift.”
Students will be sorted by age and participate in small group classes. Behavioral therapists encourage the children to interact in a positive way in an atmosphere designed to specially address their needs.
This year’s theme is superheroes. Therapists will use the superhero as a model for positive behavior. When students manage their emotions and act positively, they earn superhero credit, and they can watch that credit rise on a superhero chart. At the end of camp, students can cash in their superhero cred to purchase goodies.
The camp teaches students skills they can use to regulate their own emotions in a way they are probably not learning in the classroom.
“They need to feel okay to express their emotions,” she said. “They have a choice to go one way or another.”
When they better understand their emotions, they can learn to exert more control.
“It’s not that they want to be bad,” Kang explains. Sometimes children respond to stresses in their lives which they do not know how to address otherwise.
While the spring break camp will begin next week, parents may be interested in the longer summer camp YFT offers for several weeks over the summer. The camp will work on the same skills and will also have a small student to teacher ratio. Medicaid may pay for students who are therapy day treatment to attend.
The spring break camp costs $375 per week and that includes breakfasts and lunches. No transportation is provided.
While Wednesday is the last day for applications, parents can watch for more information to come on the therapeutic summer camp.
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