Wonder Kids
Encyclopedia
Wonder Kids is a Therapeutic Equestrian training camp for handicap or disabled children located in Abingdon, Virginia
. This organization is non profit and all proceeds go to the daily upkeep of the facility. The Facility is equipped with a well trained staff made up of volunteers who go through procedures on safety, and horse
s that have many years of experience working with children whom are disabled. Wonder Kids has two different types of courses available to its participants; the first being held during the school semester in which the Washington County
school system regularly participates in allowing children to partake in these activities. The second is a summer camp
which consists of a one week camp three times over the summer break regularly held in the months of June and July. Parents can decide if their child should partake in one, two, or all three weeks.
The average day for a participant in this training go through a day that consists of helping build people skills
and motor skill
training. The day starts out with the staff preparing for the arrival of the students which means prepping the horses and the activities for the day. Next, the volunteers along with the student
s sit down and pair up in groups along with designating a horse to each of them. After this the students will either head to the arena in which they will learn to guide their horse, along with the help of the volunteers by their side the entire time, or will go to the arts and crafts
area to begin working on a project designed to help the student learn to stay focused on the task at hand. After all groups have done both sections have completed these steps all groups meet again to enjoy lunch and finish the day discussing what all they have learned.
Abingdon, Virginia
Abingdon is a town in Washington County, Virginia, USA, 133 miles southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,191 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Washington County and is a designated Virginia Historic Landmark...
. This organization is non profit and all proceeds go to the daily upkeep of the facility. The Facility is equipped with a well trained staff made up of volunteers who go through procedures on safety, and horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s that have many years of experience working with children whom are disabled. Wonder Kids has two different types of courses available to its participants; the first being held during the school semester in which the Washington County
Washington County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 51,103 people, 21,056 households, and 14,949 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile . There were 22,985 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...
school system regularly participates in allowing children to partake in these activities. The second is a summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
which consists of a one week camp three times over the summer break regularly held in the months of June and July. Parents can decide if their child should partake in one, two, or all three weeks.
The average day for a participant in this training go through a day that consists of helping build people skills
People skills
According to the Portland Business Journal, people skills are often described as:* understanding ourselves and moderating our responses* talking effectively and empathizing accurately* building relationships of trust, respect and productive interactions....
and motor skill
Motor skill
A motor skill is a learned sequence of movements that combine to produce a smooth, efficient action in order to master a particular task. The development of motor skill occurs in the motor cortex, the region of the cerebral cortex that controls voluntary muscle groups.- Development of motor skills...
training. The day starts out with the staff preparing for the arrival of the students which means prepping the horses and the activities for the day. Next, the volunteers along with the student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s sit down and pair up in groups along with designating a horse to each of them. After this the students will either head to the arena in which they will learn to guide their horse, along with the help of the volunteers by their side the entire time, or will go to the arts and crafts
Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with one's hands and skill. These can be sub-divided into handicrafts or "traditional crafts" and "the rest"...
area to begin working on a project designed to help the student learn to stay focused on the task at hand. After all groups have done both sections have completed these steps all groups meet again to enjoy lunch and finish the day discussing what all they have learned.