Once students become fully immersed into the public education system, they are met with a host of new challenges. Developmentally, and behaviorally speaking, students are expected to perform at higher levels than were previously demanded of them. Towards that end, Just for Kids’ students begin to develop critical thinking skills while being challenged to expand their horizons beyond the basics, through problem solving exercises, goal development, and long-term planning sessions.  Students are encouraged to craft personal goal developmental plans, have their progress tracked, and are challenged to exceed their own expectations. An integral part of this process revolves around the outlet of our gardening program. Students begin planning for our yearly garden in February, as they craft the design and composition for that year’s crop, begin planting seeds indoors, and continue to be involved in every stage of the process through the end of the season, where they get to harvest, process and enjoy the fruits of their labor!  Students also receive essential mentoring throughout the school year as they benefit from our after-school homework and tutoring program.  Finally, students find hidden curriculum throughout the offseason while participating in our yearly summer camp, which gives students a wide range of unique experiences and memories that stick with them throughout their lives!

 

    Clients can expect our staff to provide assistance with:

 

  • After-School Homework & Tutoring Program

    • Mandatory homework sessions Monday - Thursday

    • Youngsters enjoy daily reading opportunities and/or worksheets that are provided by our center when school-assigned homework is not available

    • Literature Discussions

      • Group readings of classic novels

      • Post-reading discussions

      • Associative learning

        • This is the groundwork for forming strong connections and neuron creation in developing brains!  Children are encouraged to draw as many associations between the current curriculum and experiences they’ve had in their lives to solidify the content. During this process, students share their associations with their peers to help them draw a greater understanding of the presented material.

  • Conflict Resolution

    • Conflicts may occur between two parties without any witnesses, which is why it is important to teach children how to handle their own conflicts.  Often times in life, people are unable to turn to an authority figure to settle disputes, and so the parties must resolve issues on their own.

  • Peer Mediation

    • It is important to be able to use non-violent solutions to resolve conflicts.  Often times, a third party can help to facilitate a resolution where two parties normally would reach a gridlock.  Students are encouraged to help their friends through difficult arguments by learning basic mediation skills!

  • Self-Development Focus

    • Goal-Developmental Plans

      • Children are encouraged to set goals and then learn how to scale back, in an effort to find reasonable steps to take towards their goals.

    • Short-Term Goal Setting

      • Short-term goals are a key aspect of long-term goal realization.  Traditionally though, students are often asked to set goals, but are rarely given the necessary tools for understanding what that process looks like.  We break down these barriers by providing such tools!

    • Long-Term Goal Achievement

      • Long-term goals are only made possible by breaking down one’s intent into smaller steps that build up to the realization of said goal.  By providing students with the proper knowledge we set the stage for success throughout life!

  • Problem Solving

    • Future Problem Solving

      • By engaging in various exercises children are challenged to come up with multiple solutions for problems in an effort to reach a consensus on which solution may work best for particular problems.  

    • Critical Thinking Skill Development

      • By reading classic novels and having post-reading discussions, we are able to provide unique opportunities for students to engage in critical dialogues concerning past, present, and future problems.

    • Local Problem Management

      • Civic engagement is an underscored right of American citizens.  By learning various ways to get involved in their community, children begin a lifelong process of exercising this right.

    • Ecosystem Maintenance

      • Our gardening program provides segways into discussions of ecosystem maintenance, and the importance of keeping the environment clean and functional.

  • Health and Nutrition

    • Yoga

      • By teaching children basic yoga early on we instill practices that help them to age successfully by maintaining a healthy balance between the mind and body.

    • Department of Agriculture Programs

      • MyPlate

        • Children learn how to easily portion their meals by being able to visualize how much of each food group they should see on their plates at each meal.  By removing the complex science, the program simplifies nutrition for children of every age.

      • Garden Detective

        • This program takes gardening and creates fun adventures out of the process while helping students to make associations and connections with how food is brought to the dinner table, and what that process entails for most households, and what it could entail for them if they choose to grow their own food.

      • IdahoFit

        • This program emphasizes the need to help children stay active and as such we couple materials provided by the program with a host of activities that are designed to keep children physically fit, while maintaining a high level of fun.

 

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  • Gardening and Self-Sustainability

    • Seeding

    • Transplanting

      • Involves the process of moving plants from indoor planters into the ground outdoors!

    • Cloning

      • Students learn how to take apex stems from one plant, place it in water with the proper lighting, in order to cause new root structures to grow.  Genetic cloning is accessible even at the pre-k stage!

    • Harvesting

      • Knowing when to pick food, and how to pick it varies with every plant that makes it into our garden.  

    • Food Processing

      • Children get occasional cooking lessons to learn different ways to use the food we grow, while also getting unique opportunities to create practical household food stores such as ketchup and salsa, while also learning about the basics of the canning/pickling process.

    • Ecosystem Sustainability

      • Understanding the connection between human activities and the impact they have on the environment is critical if proper stewardship is to be achieved.  Students are encouraged to find a balance between their actions, and the rewards they reap from their local ecosystems.

    • Healthy Snacks

      • Food from the garden is offered as a healthy snack alternative.  Children are encouraged to try new foods through this activity and are rewarded with the fruits of their labor.

    • Permaculture

      • Students learn to focus on long-term solutions that help to maintain a healthy environment that can continue to provide for humanity, and other species, in an effort to help our planet provide for us.