In this months news: ADVENTURE ACADEMY is OPENING SOON! Looking for an educational childcare option or ideas for developing one? Adventure Academy is going to be a unique program for 2-12 year olds…their families…the parents…their other providers… Adventure Academy is being designed by Mi Families for our local families!
Mi Families mission is “reaching out with resources for families and those who work with families.” Parents and providers have reached out to us with what types of resources they are looking for: more frugal family fun activities and more parent/provider workshops… but mostly families are searching for new options to meet their children’s daycare and educational needs.
I have been a director and teacher at other centers, and when we bought this house I got it licensed for providing childcare, so when the need was voiced I figured I would just reopen. A flood tried to change my plans, but just delayed the opening. I could have looked at this as a door shutting, but instead I found open windows of opportunity for rebuilding and making this program beyond “another daycare.” After all parents were requesting “a new option.”
This home-based center option will provide the perfect mix of a loving home environment with above center standards for safety and academics. Our one-room-school-house style program will offer kindergarten readiness curriculums, as well as services for tutoring (making this a great option for homeschool families when parents work or traditional students during breaks). Lessons will be taught through play-based learning activities, which may include messy crafts or outdoor adventures, so we encourage students to dress appropriately!
Believing education should about encouraging a love for learning, our lessons are not lecture based. We work through our senses during the day and send home resources so parents and providers can be a part of our program. Too often families separate themselves by programs. My son does this sport, my daughter plays this instrument, the dad does this job, the mom enjoys this craft… what if we shared more of our activities with each other, cheered each other on and helped each other learn through our experiences?! What if extended family members, guardians, therapists, coaches … what if all our networks communicated with the parents on a level of partnership? Mi Families provides resources through all of our programs for that purpose. Daycares, schools, extra curricular activities … we don’t just want our children to simply survive in these programs – we want them to thrive – families can thrive and become closer (FUNctional) units when such activities encourage partnerships.
Even through social media, programs can encourage partnerships. I encourage parents / providers to ask questions and network through our Facebook page, use the tips and tools on our Pinterest boards, enjoy our videos on YouTube, learn more about the director on LinkedIn, tweet about our programs, etc… Social media can be an asset for sharing information and keeping in touch. Technology tells us the world is changing and programs should consider these changes accordingly. Technology offers another avenue for teaching and research has taught us that each child learns in a unique manner from his peers. Adventure Academy uses the latest research in best practices for teaching and models programs that are exceeding all others. Individuals such as Kristine Barnett are teaching us different ways to teach children… Finland is showing us how far behind our country is in more ways than academically… We need to expect more from programs for our families – for our children who will be parenting and providing programs for the next generations.
My own children are excited to be helping provide the program here at Adventure Academy. These boys are perfect examples of how traditional teachings are not one-size-fits-all. Watching them pass milestones others said they wouldn’t has taught us to never give up on goals. Watching their past labels disappear as they show others how resilient, respectful and responsible they are has help me define what this program is all about. Although our curriculums are helping my children and others exceed academically, Adventure Academy is not about about passing a test today, but rather passing through life by being resilient and never giving up on goals, being respectful towards others, and being responsible for oneself. The being responsible part leads into work ethic and study skills … and passing the test later. If you want your child to pass that test or reach other goals mentioned contact me about enrollment. Also feel free to contact me if you’d like information on how to develop such a program. Thanks for reading this babbling blog and please comment or email: Christi@MiFamilies.com.
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