Enrichment Programs
We’ve been delivering high quality After School Enrichment Programs for more than 30 years in the US and overseas, to the following schools and institutions:
- St. Isidore school
- Rancho Romero school
- Acalanes adult education
- Valley View school
- Walnut Grove school
- The Quarry Lane school
- The Alamo school
- Hidden Hill school
- Monte Vista school
- Almond school
- Donlon school
- Fountainhead Montessori
- Livermore Charter school
- Bollinger Canyon school
- St Philips Lutheran school
- Lafayette Elementary school
- Centerville preschool
- Scribbles school
- Shining Stars preschool
- Berkeley Children's Museum (Habitot)
- Carden West school
- The Valley Christian School
- The Dayspring Preschool
- Happy Talkers
- Happy Feet
- IES
- Art & Soul
- Viva el Español
- St. Mary’s church
- St. Francis church
- Queen of all Saints church
- St. Bonaventure church
- Cornerstone Fellowship
- Vineyard Church
- The diocese of Oakland
Working together with these schools and organizations we had touch many students and their families with our following programs:
Music:
Piano, Keyboard, Guitar (electric, acoustic), Violin, Saxophone, Clarinet, Recorder, Bass, Drums, Music for Pre K, and Music for new born with their parents.
Languages:
Spanish, French, and English (ESL).
Computers:
Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Paintbrush, Moviemaker.
Dancing:
Salsa and ballroom.
Visual Arts:
Drawing, painting sculpting.
Performing Arts:
Acting class for children
Yoga for children
Motivation and Personal Development (positive psychology) for children or for adults
Feel free to contact us if you would like your school or organization to incorporate one of these enrichment programs. You can use our contact form.
Why We Provide Enrichment Programs
A new study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Policy Studies Associates, Inc. finds that regular participation in high-quality afterschool programs is linked to significant gains in standardized test scores and work habits as well as reductions in behavior problems among disadvantaged students. These gains help offset the negative impact of a lack of supervision after school.
Academic Outcomes
Students who regularly attended afterschool programs (alone or in combination with other activities) across two years demonstrated significant gains in standardized math test scores, compared to their peers who were routinely unsupervised during afterschool hours. Regular participation in the programs was associated with gains of 20 percentiles in math achievement test scores over the two-year period for the Program Plus group relative to the Low Supervision group (effect size = .73) and 12 percentiles for the Program Only group relative to the Low Supervision group (effect size = .52.)
Program Only and Program Plus students also posted gains in teacher reports of work habits (effect sizes of .31 and .35, respectively) and task persistence (.23 and .30, respectively) over the two-year period. The students also reported gains in their work habits (effect sizes = .24 to .41). These gains in work habits and task persistence may have provided important support that contributed to the gains in math achievement.
Social Outcomes
Program Only and Program Plus students posted significant gains in teachers’ reports of students’ social skills with peers (effect sizes = .21 to .30) and prosocial behaviors (effect sizes = .21 to .23). Program Only and Program Plus students also posted significant reductions in aggressive behaviors with peers (effect sizes = .29 to .34).
Problematic Behaviors
Reductions in elementary students’ reports of misconduct (e.g., skipping school, getting into fights) over the two-year period were reported by the Program Only and Program Plus groups, relative to unsupervised students (effect sizes of .66 and .51, respectively).
MUSIC PROGRAMS
Music programs are the foundation of many students’ introduction to the world of music. In their music classes, students are exposed to instruments, music, and concepts that can spark their interests for a lifetime. An introduction to one song or instrument has the potential to inspire children. Effective music programs can make a difference in their students’ lives.
Music programs introduce children to instruments and help to foster an appreciation for them. In basic music classes, children learn about percussion, woodwind, string, and brass instruments. They get to experiment with these instruments. With their early introduction to these instruments, some children make the decision that they want to learn to play the drums, violin, cello, or flute, for instance. Because of their early introduction to instruments, some children even become professional musicians or conductors.
Additionally, children’s exposure to instruments helps them to develop music appreciation skills. Students are able to go to a symphony and hear an instrument’s sound and can learn to identify it because of the groundwork established in an elementary school classroom. Beyond being able to identify the instruments, they can go to a symphony and simply enjoy the music.
In an music program, children learn to use their bodies as instruments. They learn the value of snapping their fingers, clapping their hands, stomping their feet, tapping on their thighs, and other body parts to establish a rhythm or beat. Also, when using their bodies to follow or understand musical notes, rhythm, time, and tempo, children’s appreciation of their abilities and music continues to increase.
Not only do children learn to appreciate instruments in music programs, but they learn to appreciate the music made by instruments and voices. Children can be more open to listening and learning about various music types. Whereas a child may be resistant to listening to opera with his parents, he or she may be more interested in listening to it and enjoying it in an academic setting surrounded by his or her peers.
Students are exposed to various music genres participating in a music program. By interacting with various types of music and music from different cultures, music programs offer students a multicultural music experience. Since they hear and sing songs from various cultures, their exposure to other cultures’ music can cause students to be more receptive and better prepared to learn more about these cultures in their social studies, history, and language arts classes.
Learning about music is fun. Children get to sing, play instruments, and sometimes even dance, too. The subject matter is creative, compelling, inspiring, and interactive. Students enrolled in music programs benefit from the information they learn, as well as the music they hear and create.
OUR AFTER SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAMS
We provide the following programs to cultivate child’s appreciation of music at early ages:
First Steps: (Ages 2-3) Students will develop corporal position to play instruments, learn basics of theory, and play basic songs. Main instrument: Piano.
First Songs: (Ages 4-5) Students will learn to play with both hands and learn more advanced music theory, and understanding of musical elements such us pulse, meter, rhythm pattern, phrasing and form. Main instrument: Piano.
Dynamic Music: (Ages 6-12) Students will learn theory, sight reading, study major and minor chords, intervals, chord progressions, rhythmic design and phrasing, and will start building their repertoire. Main instruments: Piano and Guitar.
Programs are available at schools in the area. Contact us for more information.
SPANISH PROGRAMS
Our Program of total or partial immersion involve the handling of Spanish language by means of an educational strategy integrating grammar courses with artistic and cultural activities involving Hispanic communication. Thus, in the course of the school year, we combine formal language teaching with formation of different activities that involve music, dances, theater of puppets, and manual arts.
With our program of immersion offers children who only speak English the opportunity to learn a second language with an efficient educational strategy. Our objective is that graduates of this program be able to speak, read and write in two languages, taking advantage of the fact that the children are learning a new language before adolescence.
Pedagogical investigation has shown that advantages of learning a second language represent more than simply the ability to speak an additional tongue. According to these studies, studying a second language enlarges the intellectual potential, the academic achievements, and improves the abilities in the native language. Given the growing economic integration between the US and Latin America, an efficient and fluent management of Spanish better prepares children for their professional future. Participating in our Spanish program is an investment in the future of your children.
Children who become bilingual with our program acquire a sense of respect and appreciation for their own culture as well as others, which prepares young people to contribute to a more competitive, complex, diverse, and democratic society. This program also permits children to improve their levels of respect and tolerance, having a sense of identity and pride toward their cultural inheritance. Numerous studies document the benefits of learning a second language at early age; academic investigations have shown that bilingual students perform better than monolingual students in jobs of divergent thought, in the recognition of diverse patterns and in the troubleshooting of mathematical logic.
Our program also represents a personal academic challenge, helping improve the self-esteem of students. Our premise is that there will be many great benefits, social and otherwise with the developing greater linguistic skills.
OUR AFTER SCHOOL SPANISH PROGRAMS
Mis Primeras Palabras (My First Words): (Ages 2-5) Students will learn basic vocabulary by the means of music and other fun activities.
Spanish for Kids: (Ages 6-12) Students will learn to express themselves in Spanish in different real life situations.
Spanish for Adults: Perfect for travelers, professional that need to deal with Spanish speakers (police officer, social workers, doctors, nurses), and for business people doing businesses with Hispanic speaking communities in the US or overseas.
OUR AFTER SCHOOL COMPUTER PROGRAM
Training on
- Excel
- Word
- PowerPoint
- Outlook
Also
- Movie Maker
- Website creation
- Blog Creation
- Internet Marketing Tools
Students will learn how to use Excel to create and edit spreadsheets to produce inventory reports, invoices, budgets, customer databases, and more. Topics covered will include a walk through of the Excel interface, creating and editing various types of spreadsheets, using different formulas, and creating charts.
Week 1 An overview of Excel's interface, menus, and toolbars and what is included in the software. Excel's different mouse pointers and what
they do. Understanding the different "modes" in Excel. How to save files, open templates, and open existing files.
Week 2 Creating your first spreadsheet. Adding graphics and colors to your spreadsheet. Using simple formulas and Excel's automatic features.
Week 3 Formatting cells. Formatting workbooks and worksheets. Protecting workbooks and worksheets.
Week 4 Creating Charts. Customizing the data in the chart. Customizing the Chart.
Week 5 More formulas. Using formulas to pull information across sheets and workbooks.
Week 6 Sorting data. Filtering data. Splitting data across multiple columns. Creating templates.
Students will also learn all the basics of using Microsoft Word to create letters and stationery, newsletters, flyers, business cards, term papers, and more. Topics covered will include a walk through of all the features in the interface, word and paragraph formatting, using tables and columns, inserting and formatting clipart, mail merges, wordart and other graphics, creating tables of contents and indexes, and making your own templates and default styles.
Week 1 An overview of Word's interface, menus, and toolbars and what is included in the software. How to do basic text formatting. How to
save files, open templates, and open existing files.
Week 2 Writing a business letter Doing a Mail Merge with this letter. Creating Envelopes and Labels
Week 3 Understanding the uses of Tables. Creating tables. Converting existing data to a table.
Week 4 Formatting documents. Paragraph formatting. Using Themes, Backgrounds, and Auto Formatting. Font formatting, including Change
Case and Drop Caps. Bullets and Numbering.
Week 5 Headers and Footers. Page breaks and Section breaks.
Week 6 Inserting Objects (Excel spreadsheets, Maps, etc.) and Graphics (photos, ClipArt, WordArt) into a document. Using the Drawing Toolbar
to add effects and shapes. Creating, using, and editing templates.
Students will also learn how to create captivating slide show presentations. Topics will include a walkthrough of the PowerPoint Interface, creating slides with bulleted lists, charts, graphics, sounds, tables, organizational charts, and flow charts. We will also learn how to effectively transition slides and animate objects.
Week 1 An overview of PowerPoint's interface, menus, and toolbars and what is included in the software. Understanding the preformatted slide
layouts and placeholders. Using Design Templates, Color Schemes, and Backgrounds.
Week 2 Creating a Title Slide. Creating various Bulleted List slides. Creating ClipArt slides.
Week 3 Creating Chart slides. Creating an Organizational Chart Slide. Creating a Table Slide. Creating a Media Clip Slide.
Week 4 Customizing graphics in slides. Adding Sounds to slides. Using Slide Sorter view to remove slides, add slides from one presentation to
another, change the order of slides, and hide slides.
Week 5 Using the Slide Master to create a template for all slides within the show. Adding Transitions and Animations to the show.
Week 6 Rehearsing timings. Adding notes and handouts to presentations. Understanding the various printing options. Exploring the different
saving techniques.
Students will also learn how to use Microsoft Outlook for email, scheduling, and contact management. Understand the features included in Outlook that are not included in the email-only programs like Outlook Express. (This class does NOT cover the features included in the Corporate version which requires the Exchange Server.)
Week 1 An overview of Outlook's interface, menus, and toolbars and what is included in the software. Creating new mail, replying, replying to all,
and forwarding mail. Understanding the CC and BCC fields and how to use them. Adding attachments to mail and opening attachments
from mail.
Week 2 Creating folders to organize mail. Organizing mail by creating rules, filters, and views. Using folder properties. Using Tools>Options to
correctly configure how your mail and other features are handled.
Week 3 Setting up default fonts and mail formats. Using Stationery. Creating Stationery and Templates. Creating and setting up templates as
autoresponders.
Week 4 Archiving mail and creating backups. Understanding your .pst files and using them to keep your mail and folders safe. The Inbox Repair
Tool. Importing and Exporting your address book and other folders. Setting up multiple email accounts.
Week 5 Using the calendar and tasks features to create effective schedules. Creating reminders. Setting up recurring events and inviting others.
Moving events in email to your calendar.
Week 6 Managing your Contacts. Creating multiple address books. Creating groups. Using the Journal. Using Notes.
Plus, students will create their own short movie suing MovieMaker and PowerPoint, and then, they will learn how to create a blog and how to use some of the Internet marketing tools. This is an extensive program that give students the tools to present their project for school, for work, or to start the journey as entrepreneurs.
OUR AFTER SCHOOL DANCING PROGRAM
Kids Salsa! and Ballroom Dancing is an introductory course in salsa music and the dance that expresses its rhythms. The program includes the basics of this musical style, movement and rhythm, foot patterns and steps, combinations, and timing: the perfect learning-relaxing environment.
When we practice Dancing, a brain chemical called Dopamine is stimulated. Dopamine gives us motivation, a sense of purpose, and a sense of happiness.
Dancing is also a powerful way of stimulating the brain chemical Serotonin, responsible for making you feel happy and relaxed. It also balances emotions, and mood.
Kids will perform better at school (i.e. Mathematics), will be more focused, more fulfilled, and far more self confidents!
Dancing is a wonderful workout, where kids will get in great shape, increasing their coordination and flexibility.
OUR AFTER SCHOOL VISUAL ARTS PROGRAM
Drawing: The Art of Drawing applied to portraits, illustrations, cartoons, comics, ads and stories in general.
Students will learn to illustrate own stories, draw portraits, and create ads.
Painting: Students will learn to illustrate own stories, paint portraits, and create ads. Focus on working with watercolors, acrylic, and oil, on paper and canvas.
Sculpturing: The art of creating 3D figures using different materials, specially clay.
OUR AFTER SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM
Programs Overview
Enthusiastic students who learn to speak out clearly and relate confidently with others will have an inside track to lifetime success. Our Acting Programs develops confidence. We're a place where all children, from the shy to the outgoing can develop at their own pace, with plenty of positive encouragement.
Our specialty is using a wide range of unique drama activities to focus the bold, outspoken child and to draw out the quiet child or the inarticulate child and help them reach into themselves to discover their full potential.
Lessons are carefully planned so that students can enroll at any time and will never repeat a lesson regardless of when they enroll.
Preschool (3-4 years)
This program take children on imaginary trips to fascinating destinations where children use their imagination to act and explore. Early participation in drama develops confidence, and speaking skills, and serves as a wonderful introduction to acting and begins a life-long enjoyment of creative arts. Imagination takes center stage in our classes. This program is a great introductory drama experience that allows children to develop speaking skills and creative expression. Drama activities and scenes allow children to gain confidence while having loads of fun.
Kinder (4-5 years)
Our Kinder program is an excellent way to introduce the long-term benefits of dramatic arts participation to children attending Pre-K, or Kindergarten. Each student is highly involved in creative drama activities that develops speaking skills, builds confidence, and enhances early social skills and creative learning. Our instructors make sure all students feel comfortable and recognized so they will stretch and grow in a very positive environment.
Elementary (5-8 years)
This program provides young children ages 5 to 8 with unique opportunities to develop clear speech, fluent delivery and pleasing social skills. Our program helps to give them the confidence to be participants in all aspects of their lives, able to ask questions, seek answers and share information with others. Children who mix well with others find it easier to make friends and adjust to new situations. Instructors motivate and inspire the students to become articulate communicators through enthusiastic participation in a wide range of creative activities including speech, creative movement, improvisation, and a special year-end performance.
Confident, articulate child finds it easier to make friends, accept new challenges and explore new directions, and these programs are designed to help each child achieve these invaluable life skills. Students will also participate in a wide range of creative activities including speech, dramatic movement, improvisation, snippets and scene starters. By the end of each year they will utilize all the skills acquired during the year to create a short, scripted production, which is performed, for parents and friends.
In a fun-filled atmosphere, our classes aim to give your child ongoing confidence, self-esteem and skill in verbal communication.
OUR AFTER SCHOOL YOGA PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN
The health-giving qualities of Yoga have been pronounced by the ancients for thousands of years. However, our Western society likes proof. Now more than ever, science and medicine are providing empirical data confirming what Eastern cultures have intuitively known for ages.
Many people from various professions are working to quantify just what the practice of Yoga can do for people – children and adults. The first Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research (SYTAR) was held in January 2007 to begin to accumulate and disseminate some of these research findings. Indications are that children who practice Yoga may not only be better able to regulate their emotions, manage stress and calm themselves, they may also choose better foods to eat and get more physical activity than children who do not.
Body image issues resulting in conditions from anorexia to obesity plague our children today. Studies shared at SYTAR suggest Yoga may help. The movement, focus on breath awareness and relaxation inherent in a Yoga practice can help children develop better body awareness and improved self-esteem – both powerful components of a healthy body image.
The International Association of Yoga Therapists is an excellent source for current research on the benefits of Yoga and the emerging field of "Yoga Therapy."
OUR AFTER SCHOOL MOTIVATION AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS
Many adults reach a point in their life where they realize they are not the way they want to be. We believe with the correct guide at their early stages, children will face their lives with a clear information about their gifts and how to apply them. For adults is never too late, so we made this program available to them as well start work on one personal growth to discover the original self.
This program contains a wealth of information that will benefit your personal development and motivate you to achieve your goals.
When you change the attitude you have about yourself and begin to think in a more positive constructive way, you will begin to change your inner thought pattern.
We base the entire program on Positive Psychology.
Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. This field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play.
Positive Psychology has three central concerns: positive emotions, positive individual traits, and positive institutions. Understanding positive emotions entails the study of contentment with the past, happiness in the present, and hope for the future. Understanding positive individual traits consists of the study of the strengths and virtues, such as the capacity for love and work, courage, compassion, resilience, creativity, curiosity, integrity, self-knowledge, moderation, self-control, and wisdom. Understanding positive institutions entails the study of the strengths that foster better communities, such as justice, responsibility, civility, parenting, nurturance, work ethic, leadership, teamwork, purpose, and tolerance.
The goals of our program is to support:
- Families and schools that allow children to flourish
- Workplaces that foster satisfaction and high productivity
- Communities that encourage civic engagement
- Therapists who identify and nurture their patients' strengths
- The teaching of Positive Psychology
- Dissemination of Positive Psychology interventions in organizations & communities
All our enrichment programs have been designed to bring the best of our community, specially the little ones that are preparing themselves to face the challenges and appreciate the beauty of life.
Contact us for more information on any of these programs.
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