The Good Neighbors Programs

Good Neighbors provides summer enrichment programs at no cost to families. Children attend day camps lasting four weeks from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., five days per week. Carefully selected college interns are the primary facilitators. 

The curriculum focuses on reading, writing and enhancement of communication skills. Additionally, daily enrichment programs include: Nature Education, Peace Education, Cultural Diversity and Global Education. And the children receive nutritious breakfasts, lunches and snacks. Children in this program are rising 1st through 6th graders. 

In addition to the four-week enrichment camps, Good Neighbors provides sack lunches to summer school students in three Bedford County schools, and weekend backpacks to summer school students in three Franklin and three Bedford County schools. Backpacks contain food for the weekend plus a new book. Children in the day camps also receive weekend backpacks. 

We also provide volunteer mentors in two elementary schools during the school year. 

The children served by the Good Neighbors programs are students at Dudley, Burnt Chimney and Windy Gap schools in Franklin County. In Bedford County the schools are Moneta, Body Camp and Huddleston Elementary. In 2011, 161 children attended the enrichment day camps and 240 children in summer school programs were served. The Day Camp enrollment increased from 65 in 2008 to 161 in 2011. Although the number of children served is large, there are many more children in these schools who would benefit from the Good Neighbors program. Currently, there are nearly 750 children qualified for the free or reduced-cost meal program in the six schools served by Good Neighbors. 

  The 2012 program content is described below. The program retains the central objectives for the enrichment programs originally developed by the founders of the Good Neighbors program.  

Five (5) major objectives guide the daily and weekly activities. 

• Providing breakfast, lunch and snacks each day
• Reading, writing and speaking (theater) activities and mentoring
• Modeling and teaching problem solving using nonviolent methods - Peace Education
• Understanding cultural diversity through programs about other cultures and countries
• Nature and Environmental Education

       Weekly Themes & Afternoon Enrichments for the    Summer Enrichment Camps 

• Breakfast and time with interns (8 - 9)
• Interns have songs and settling time with the children (9 9:30)
• Writers Workshop children work in small groups, telling and writing their stories, guided by their interns (9:30 10)
• Between 10 and 12 noon, every child has:

          1.  30 minutes with their Reading Buddy

          2.  30 minutes of arts & crafts (daily theme)

          3.  30 minutes of planned games/recreation (daily themes)

          4.  30 minutes FAB (Flexible Activity Block).These activities are planned to include a new activity or enlarge an activity begun earlier. Generally, this time is keyed to support the daily theme.

• At 12 noon lunch is served

 Every Afternoon: 

• Supervised play time (12:30 - 1)
• Afternoon Enrichment (1 to 2:15)

          Week 1 Nature/Environment

          Week 2 Peace Education

          Week 3 Cultural Diversity/Global Education

          Week 4 Roanoke Childrens Theatre- the kids will be part of a play The theme of the play will fit our objectives. Possible subjects for 2012 are: bullying, honesty, compassion or ???   NOTE: Staff from the Roanoke Childrens Theatre also use the enrichment time every Friday. This is part of our goal to enhance communication skills through reading, writing and speaking. 

• Story Time with the interns (2:15 2:45) - Interns select stories to read to the kids in their small groups. Topics generally support the weekly themes. Children are engaged in discussions about the story. This also serves to end the day with a quieter activity,
• (2:45 3) - Snacks and closing time with friends, interns and volunteers