STAG Program

Stag

The four components of the STAG program are: “Structure, Talents, Animals and Gardens”. STAG is designed to help train children in the “way that they should go” – to help give them tools to do well in life and in their relationships – to help make them whole and healed before they leave the nest.

This pilot program seeks to help transform children’s and their families’ lives as a unit. It is a “whole-child” intervention. We seek to develop new, healthy habits in the child by coaching structure in the home and developing life skills. We help children identify and develop their talents, develop skills of being kind to others through nurturing animals and, finally provide therapy through gardening and learning about excellent nutrition.

S – Structure

7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens:        

This workshop helps guide students to understand how to take responsibility for their lives – to have personal victory – and then understand how to relate to others effectively for success – their public victory.   We help them become independent and self-sufficient through our coaching. 

Love and Logic:

There is a parenting how-to for defiant children or for parents who need guidance in the critically important job of parenting a child.  Parenting the Love and Logic Way is a skills-based parenting class founded on the nationally acclaimed book, Becoming a Love and Logic Parent.

Literacy: 

In many cases, trouble for children academically and emotionally is related to insecurities surrounding the inability to read, spell or write.  The Wilson Reading program addresses the need for phonics instruction and greater fluency.  Tutoring for Excellence has a program for building reading skills for children and adults that also serves to build closeness between parent and child through shared reading experiences.

T – Talents

In all our programs, we encourage children to develop their God-given talents!  Keys to their ultimate success lie in using what God gave them to serve the world – not living someone else’s dreams but their own – based on giving of themselves from their unique treasure chest.  We help parents appreciate their own child’s talents and steer their children towards their own bend in life. It is CRITICAL for parents to provide all the support necessary for their children to develop themselves – to have enough experiences while they are young – to help them understand who they are and their place in this world.

A – Animals

Children need to learn the nurturing and loving “skills” necessary to interact with people – to build great relationships at home and in the workplace.  Animals can teach children how to love and nurture others by interacting, engaging and building trusting relationships with them.  Children display love as they learn how to adjust their behavior to the animals’ needs.   This skill can be transferred from animal to human relationships.

“Shelter Buddies” Program

This program is a win-win-win for shelter animals, children, their families and the community.  There is a problem in society of unwanted shelter animals living lives of neglect, being alone and sometimes scared of people.  Many have experienced trauma and are not getting adopted.  These animals need love just like anyone else. By reading books to dogs and even cats, though the interaction is limited, there is enough contact to develop these bonds of trust between human and animal and for children to learn some important lessons of how to nurture and have empathy for all creatures. 

The basic idea is that children form a club at schools and go out to animal shelters together to read to animals.  The children will be in a safe environment.  They will sit on pillows and open their books to read one-on-one to dogs and cats.  Eventually, the sound of the child’s voice and mannerisms will encourage the animal to “open up” emotionally to them and begin to trust.  Hopefully, in the end, the animal will develop a warmer presence towards visitors and thereby increase their chances of getting adopted!!  The program itself and the personal touches that children will bring to the community by sharing their stories will help bring a positive light to shelters and promote the truth that ALL dogs and cats – not just those selected from breeders or purchased elsewhere – are worthy of love and just as amazing as any other animals in the world!! 

G – Gardens

Gardening

Tower Gardens and Horticultural therapy – container, plot, and community  gardens.

A child with ADHD learns to slow down and understand the process of investing, hard work and waiting for the fruit of their labors.  They tend towards the instant gratification mindset but when they plan a garden, get their hands in the dirt, take care to grow a seedling and watch it grow – one day at a time – they begin to understand that things don’t just “appear” – just because you want it doesn’t mean you are entitled to it and can have it immediately. 

You must pay the price of “work” and nurture something to get something of value. You must invest yourself.   They can enjoy how it feels to have the plant that they brought into existence with their own hands through time and daily attention appear and then grow to maturity.  This skill of patience and nurture can transfer into the other areas of their lives.

Healthy Eating

Taste of Wellness:

Nutrition affects us all.  Poor nutrition has adverse effects on everyone and especially growing children in numerous ways that keep them from performing well in school and from developing positive self-image.  By learning, talking, cooking, eating and building healthy habits, we develop a highly-effective way to improve lives with healthy eating.