Our Philosophy
Collaborative Problem Solving
Circle of Courage
We also borrow from the Circle of Courage model developed by Dr. Larry Brendtro and others. This program looks at four areas: Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity. Other similar programs may call these attributes Acceptance, Achievement, Autonomy, and Altruism. To assist in helping students develop competencies in these areas, we foster a sense of community in our setting where all are welcome. We perform baseline assessments and provide instruction at each child's level, then provide opportunities for appropriate sense of personal power to impact their lives in a positive manner. Finally, we help children realize that they are part of a society where they can feel empowered about giving back to the greater good.
Our philosophy is strengths-based and we have worked with Dr. Ross Greene who developed Collaborative and Proactive Solutions. He proposes that "Kids do well if they can.” If students are not doing well, there is a mismatch between their needs and the demands of the environment. This is a problem solving program that involves active participation of our students. The focus is working with our students, not doing things for them or to them. This naturally allows for the development of an internal locus of control. While behaviorally based programs work wonderfully for some students, we found that it was not the appropriate intervention for our population.
