The mornings begin around 6:30am. Our kids get ready for the day, eat breakfast at home, and walk to school as a group.
Lighthouse Academy at Ashmun School begins at 8:00am. All of the houses go to school together, switch classes, take tests, and earn credits that will transfer to other schools after they leave Eagle Village. Classes include chemistry, history, English, art, physical education, and more.
While the girls go to the gym for some physical activity, the boys head to lunch at the Holbrook Café. A typical school lunch, the menu follows the dietary guidelines that are nationally mandated to all schools.
Each house has at least one therapist, and sometimes two, dedicated to helping its kids. Therapists meet with each kid individually during the week and for a group therapy session.
Therapists can utilize the Sensory Room, nature, our experiential equipment, games, and other resources on our campus to reach each kid in an individualized way. They teach kids coping skills, help them learn to self-regulate, and encourage them in goal setting practices, in addition to working through past trauma and difficulties.
We believe that helping others grows our empathy, helps us see our own value, and makes us better members of our communities. We want our kids to experience all of that! Eagle Village looks for opportunities for kids to serve and provides the transportation for them to be able to participate.
Group building activities, led by a specialist, can take place in numerous places on campus. Or the kids might burn off some energy playing around in the gym or at the park.
Dinners are made at home and are a group effort. Many of the kids that come from abuse/neglect situations have very limited knowledge in household tasks. Living in a home, taking responsibility for chores, and interacting with others teaches kids how to function in situations after they leave Eagle Village.
The only kids getting out of dinner at home are the kids paired with mentors. Mentors, adults that are volunteering their time to serve Eagle Village kids, often take their mentees out for a special treat at local restaurants.
Each Eagle Village resident gets a journal when they begin their program. They are required to complete reflection time to help them self-regulate, see how far they have come, and to continue mentally and emotionally working through the therapies they participated in earlier in the day.
When kids initially come to Eagle Village they are also offered a Bible, if they would like, and a homemade quilt for their room. These items are often used during reflection time as well.
Each house has its own entertainment options including a little library, board games, video game system, and movies to help the kids unwind and relax.
Bed times vary depending on the program, the behavior challenges, and medical needs of each individual. Kids are paired with a roommate and share a small room with bunkbeds. The houses are staffed 24/7 and checks are completed throughout the night, every 10-15 minutes.
