{"id":1096,"date":"2021-10-05T13:32:33","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T13:32:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/?p=1096"},"modified":"2021-10-05T13:32:33","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T13:32:33","slug":"uvi-inclusive-childcare-lab-summer-campers-have-an-out-of-this-world-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/uvi-inclusive-childcare-lab-summer-campers-have-an-out-of-this-world-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"UVI Inclusive Childcare Lab Summer Campers Have an \u2018Out of This World Experience\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Parents Delighted with Fun Enrichment Activities<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  Entering a new space can be daunting. Add new Covid-19 protocols to the mix and it can all be overwhelming, especially if you are a young child. \u201cI was a little scared,\u201d admits\u202feight-year-old Harrison Brown, not knowing what to expect when he came\u202fto the center. Harrison was one of the first children to participate in the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) School of Education\u2019s Inclusive Childcare Lab and Diagnostic Center Summer Camp introduced this summer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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       Approaching the center, what first catches your eye are the vibrant colors painted on the walls. Above, like clouds, large geometric shapes invite the wandering eyes of a child. Dancing all along the walls are science images \u2013 an atom, a lightbulb, parts of a cell, and a DNA structure. Math symbols \u2013 pi constant, square root, plus sign, a right angle hanging out in the corner of a triangle, and the neighboring circle with an unknown radius also decorate the walls. Already it is clear, this is not an average childcare center. After taking it all in you will notice the hand sanitizer mounted near the door. A cheery staff member takes your temperature before you are led further in. Downstairs, rooms are decorated with the names of campers and staff along with brightly colored posters that identify the reading nook and writing station. Upstairs are classrooms where the older campers conduct science experiments, learn computer coding, build robots, and create lava lamps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really want to see the children\u202fof the Virgin Islands exposed to as much as possible.\u202fWhat we give you cannot get that anywhere else \u2013 quality experience at a very low cost.\u201d <\/p>Director Sherryl\u202fTonge-George<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        Located on the Orville E. Kean Campus on St. Thomas, the Inclusive Childcare Lab and Diagnostic Center was converted from a residence to provide solutions for several needs. It offers afterschool and childcare services for the UVI community and general public, training facilities for UVI School of Education students, and screening services for students with developmental delays or learning disabilities. The newest endeavor was a seven-week summer camp\u202ffor children\u202fages\u202ftwo to eleven years old,\u202fconcentrating on\u202fscience,\u202ftechnology, engineering,\u202fand\u202fmath, (STEM) as well as\u202fthe\u202fbasics of\u202ftennis and soccer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Funding for the\u202fsummer\u202fcamp was secured with a\u202f$25,000 grant\u202fthat Sherryl\u202fTonge-George, director of\u202fthe UVI Inclusive Childcare Lab and Diagnostic Center\u202facquired from\u202fthe Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands. With those funds, the center was able to hire\u202fSTEM teachers. The Virgin Islands Department of Education also\u202fprovided the workers who facilitated with smaller learning groups.\u202f\u201cAll the students come together to do group activities, but they also split into smaller groups to focus on the science and math activities for the day, and when a child is missing a certain skill, we will work one-on-one to help develop that skill,\u201d says Tonge-George.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cOn the first day we made homemade\u202fsnow,\u201d exclaims Harrison. \u201cI hope we are making robots this week because I am leaving for vacation and don\u2019t want to miss it.\u201d Safe to say all his first-day jitters melted away. His teachers Ms. Cherchaela Spellen and Mr. Isaiah Jarvis, impressed director Tonge-George in their interviews. Spellen, a UVI\u202falumna, earned a\u202fBachelor of Science\u202fin Biology,\u202fa master’s in social work from Boston College\u202f, and is currently working on her\u202fmaster’s in divinity at Oral Roberts University.\u202f\u201cAfter my interview with Mrs. George, I found out that I would be teaching math and science, which are two of my favorite subjects,\u201d\u202fshares\u202fSpellen.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      \u202fSpellen\u202ffinds teaching children rewarding.\u202fAs someone\u202fwho\u202floves to learn, the challenge of catering to each\u202fchild’s learning style\u202fis welcomed.\u202fSpellen\u202ftaught children to play steel pan and drums as a youth instructor at Trinity Music Academy.\u202f\u201cIt was similar to working here at UVI in terms of having to come up with creative and innovative ways to teach things to the youth understanding that not everyone learns the same way,\u201d she said.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

       \u201cBeing around this group of students for these few weeks has allowed me to notice that for the most part, they are visual and hands-on learners,\u201d says Mr. Isaiah Jarvis, a\u202fself-described\u202fhands-on learner. Jarvis is an 18-year-old sophomore attending Lynn University in Florida,\u202fpursuing a major in entrepreneurship and a\u202fminor in marketing.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        Jarvis also comes to the center with previous summer camp experience,\u202fleading\u202fathletics and outdoor activities at Vacation Bible School\u202fas well as volunteering at soccer camps.\u202fHe\u202fis\u202fas\u202fagile in the classroom leading science activities as he is on the tennis court, a sport he has played\u202fsince he was\u202fthe campers\u2019\u202fage.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u201cIn comparison to other camps that I have been a part of, this camp is well-structured and organized, a perfect balance between academics, athletics, and leisure time allows the students to remain involved throughout the day,\u201d\u202fsays Jarvis.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Tonge-George is on a mission to hire more young\u202fmen. \u201cWe don\u2019t see young men in early education, we don\u2019t see\u202fyoung men in childcare and our boys need\u202fgood\u202frole models,\u201d she says.\u202fCoach Burt and Mr. Jarvis fit that bill.\u202f\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        On days that the weather restricts the campers indoors,\u202fthe teachers rely on technology.\u202f\u201cWorking with the iPads and Promethean board has been helpful because the technology allows us to reinforce concepts that are presented in class in a different form,\u201d says Spellen. \u201cThere are many games, videos, and visual resources that are provided to the youth which they enjoy,\u201d she concludes.\u202f\u201cThe iPads and Promethean board allow the students to remain engaged for a longer period of time,\u201d adds\u202fJarvis.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The\u202fiPads\u202fare lent out from the UVI library, with science and math programs downloaded for the campers.\u202f\u201cWe have enough that each group of ten children can be working on the\u202fiPad\u202fat the same time,\u201d says Director Tonge-George.\u202f\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When asked to describe a typical day Harrison shared, \u201cWhen we get\u202fhere,\u202fwe do tennis, if it\u202frains,\u202fwe watch people rally\u202f[on the Promethean board].\u201d\u202f Weather permitting, the day starts on the tennis courts with Mr. Burt and Mr. Jarvis for the older campers. Once they return to the center, it is time for a math lesson. After lunch, there is a half-hour of quiet reading and then a science lesson. The remainder of the afternoon is spent learning robotics and soccer.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

     For the younger campers, the day starts with\u202fgroup circle time before math, then a special activity followed by tennis. After returning from the courts, it\u2019s storytime, before lunch, then some quiet time followed by some time outside on the outdoor playground, and other activities before the parents arrive for pick-up. \u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

     \u201cWe just want the kids to have an experience that is out of this world\u202fand at the same time\u202fwe want to have satisfied parents and so\u202ffar,\u202fthe parents\u202fare really happy with what the students are getting,\u201d Tonge-George says.\u202f\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u202fOne such parent is\u202fAndrew Joseph\u202fwho\u202fwrote\u202fto\u202fdirector Tonge-George\u202fduring\u202fthe\u202flast week of camp.\u202f\u201cI just wanted to express my pleasure of having my children enrolled in the summer program at UVI.\u202fMy children had a great time. The staff were caring and professional. I appreciate the fact that my kids were exposed to so many different things, they got a chance to do\u202fSTEM\u202fprojects, play tennis, and learn things that will be valuable for this upcoming school year. Thank you for providing such an enriching program and I look forward to sending my children next year.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u202f    There has been little need to advertise for the center, calls have already been\u202fcoming in for the upcoming school year due to word of mouth according to Tonge-George.\u202fThe preference is given to UVI students first, then UVI employees, followed by the greater community. \u201cWe are\u202falways going to have space for the UVI family,\u201d\u202fpromises\u202fTonge-George.\u202fEspecially if the child\u202fhas\u202fneeds\u202fother facilities are unable to accommodate. \u202f 
    \u202f\u201cOne student we referred was diagnosed with a developmental disability and\u202fis now\u202freceiving\u202ftherapy here at the center,\u201d shares Tonge-George.\u202f\u202fThe center\u202foffers families access to\u202fspeech and\u202fbehavioral\u202ftherapy three times a week.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u202f\u201cI really want to see the children\u202fof the Virgin Islands exposed to as much as possible.\u202fWhat we give you cannot get that anywhere else \u2013 quality experience at a very low cost,\u201d pledges\u202fTong-George.\u202f\u201cOur goal is to have this as the model center for the Virgin Islands, we want to have people from other centers come in and see what we do.\u201d\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

 Tonge-George is committed to building an environment where, \u201cfrom small, children learn that this person can be blind and still do what I\u202fcan do and be my friend. I just want them to get that type of experience.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The concept of inclusivity is not limited to the campers. \u201cAnd it is the same for the pre-service teachers.\u202fThey can come in and see all the things happening here,\u201d says Tonge-George. The center serves as a centralized location for aspiring teachers and current educational professionals as the upstairs classroom will be utilized as a site for aspiring teachers to teach while being observed by their instructors and for completing their practicums. Furthermore, these future teachers have the opportunity to observe ongoing therapy sessions and teaching provided to students with autism, down\u202fsyndrome\u202fand the visually impaired.\u202f\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u202f During the August State of the University address, President Hall\u202fspoke of\u202fthe\u202fsoon to be opened\u202fchild center on the Albert A. Sheen-St. Croix campus,\u202f\u201cI encourage those on that campus to take a look at that\u202ffacility\u202fand how impressive it is.\u201d Both\u202fcenters are funded by a Title III federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Parents Delighted with Fun Enrichment Activities    Entering a new space can be daunting. Add new Covid-19 protocols to the mix and it can all be overwhelming, especially if you are a young child. \u201cI was a little scared,\u201d admits\u202feight-year-old Harrison Brown, not knowing what to expect when he came\u202fto the center. Harrison was one of the first children to participate in the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) School of Education\u2019s Inclusive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1097,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1096"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1096"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1096\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1096"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1096"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1096"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}