Center for Life Enhancement

The Kids Course (TKC) is designed for any boy or girl age 8-12, who wants to be the best they can be and have fun learning new life skills. It is our goal to provide TKC kids with the tools to become the people they were designed to be—confident, assertive and excited about themselves as human beings.

Your course fee covers the entire weekend course, loads of fun, a course T-shirt (Shhh…it’s a secret for the kids), snacks and meals as well as a goody-bag of keepsakes.

TKC is NOT school. There is no sitting at tables, no reading, writing or math.

Every activity in The Kids Course is playful but deep in meaning. There will be games that challenge your child’s thinking, team-building exercises, Pillow Talk (where we sit on comfy pillows and discuss “feelings”), creative visualizations, music, interactive exercises, art projects and much more. Each exercise has been purposely chosen to teach basic lessons about life and to give your child a positive awareness of his/her place in the world.

• Building self-esteem and a positive self-awareness
• V.I.P.: How to use Voice, Eyes (I) and Posture to demonstrate confidence
• Feelings: They’re neither right nor wrong…They just are, and everyone experiences them
• Interacting positively with others
• Learning to communicate clearly and the importance of listening
• How to see the people behind the masks they wear
• Grudges and how they hurt me / Forgiveness is for me
• How to be a great leader—and the value of being a great follower
• Group decision-making based on consensus
• My impact in the world and how I can make a difference

All this while making new friends and feeling empowered, special and treasured.

The safety of your children is our number one concern. We do not take this responsibility lightly and have many safeguards in place for the weekend:

• When you arrive on Friday night to drop off your child, you are invited to attend a meet-and-greet with the Center owner and the hosting parents.
• Because this entire course is done in a group setting, the kids are together at all times.
• All sleepovers are hosted and/or chaperoned by adults well-known by the Center who are graduates of The Living Course.
• You will be given the name, address and phone number of where you child will be staying for their Friday night sleepover.
• A parental transportation permission slip is required for all attendees.
• When leaving the Center, adults will supervise very small groups so they can be watched over at all times.
• You can be assured that all drivers are licensed and at least 21 years old.
• We employ at least one volunteer Assistant per every two children. (see next question)

A number of individuals called Assistants volunteer their time to help with the weekend activities and supervise the kids. Exact numbers vary, but our goal is to have at least one Assistant (adult or teen) per two children. All Assistants are graduates of The Living Course, so they are wonderfully caring and attentive people with great listening and communication skills. Plus, they know how to play and have fun!

Actually, no you may not. This course is meant to be a growth experience for the kids. We want them to feel free to expand, try on new ideas, share openly and find out that others (not just their parents) see them as amazing gifts in this world.

All meals are included in the student course fee, as well as a couple of snacks daily. If weather permits, we’ll have a BBQ in the park for Saturday night dinner. If your child has special food requirements or allergies, please advise us at least one week in advance so we can accommodate their needs while planning the weekend menus.

SPECIAL NOTE: If necessary, we can provide a peanut-free weekend. Please notify us if your child has a severe nut allergy.

If your child has special medical needs, it is your responsibility to advise us. In your child’s registration materials, we will provide a medical and allergy form. When you arrive on Friday, please bring the completed form and all required medicines to the Center, after which time they will be placed in a separate resealable plastic bag and stored inaccessibly from all children. A special adult Assistant will be assigned to distribute all medicines to your child as per your instructions.

SPECIAL NOTE: If your child has ADD or ADHD and takes medicine when in school but not on weekends, please consider this a school environment and send the appropriate medication for your child. This will ensure that (s)he be able to get the most out of the weekend.

Our usual sleep arrangements are as follows:

Friday night: Your child will join two to four other students of the same gender for a sleepover hosted in a private home. This small group environment provides the children with an opportunity to get to know each other. So much so, that when they return Saturday morning, they are so comfortable and close with each other that it’s like spending the next two days with their best friends.

Saturday night: Your child will participate in a group sleepover hosted at the Center, which includes an age appropriate movie, popcorn and a delivery of special love letters provided by you and other family members. (Shhh…it’s another surprise!) Saturday night is usually a favorite for most of the kids.

SPECIAL NOTE: All sleepovers are hosted and/or chaperoned by adults well-known by the Center who are graduates of The Living Course.

Our goal is to give kids the opportunity to gain valuable life skills while having FUN, FUN, FUN! It is never to traumatize them by forcing them to do anything they are afraid to do. If your child wants to go home each night, it’s totally okay, and we’ll provide you with the times for pickup each night and arrival each morning.

All that being said, we suggest that on Friday night you bring all the necessities for the child to sleep over. Most often, kids who are reticent to stay change their minds after having so much fun and making new friends in just the few short hours the first night. If they do decide to stay, they’ll already have their belongings with them, and we’ll notify you with all the details.

Our primary goals are for the students to connect with each other, learn new life skills and have some good ol’ fashioned fun while playing games, interacting with music, figuring out challenges, participating in group discussions and more. We find this is best done “unplugged,” so we ask that all electronics be left at home. We also don’t want to be responsible for any loss or damage of such items. Should your child bring a device, we will store it for him/her in the office, and it will be returned on Sunday at the end of the course.

Like other electronic devices, we ask that cell phones be left at home for the weekend. Should your child bring a phone, we will store it for him/her in the office, and it will be returned when leaving on Sunday. You will be provided with the personal cell phone number of the Center owner—whom will be present all weekend—should you urgently need to contact your child.

On some occasions—particularly at bedtime—a child might just wish hear a reassuring voice from home. Should that be the case with your child, (s)he only need ask and we will arrange for them to call home during a break.

On Sunday afternoon, we require at least one parent or care-giver to attend a one-hour debriefing session. During that time, one of the instructors will review all games, activities and exercises in which your child participated, as well as offer ways you can help your child continue his/her growth. You will also receive a Parent’s Guide to The Kids Course, which is loaded with innovative thoughts and ideas from the weekend.

It is a requirement that each student have at least one parent or care-giver in attendance for the Sunday session of the course. It is a very special time, and we expect you to make spending this quality time with your child a priority. For a detailed schedule of Sunday’s festivities, please visit the TKC Details page.

Yes you may! As a matter of fact, we ask that each child has some sort of parent involvement. Although you will not be able to be part of course time, there are many ways you can help, including:

• Baking cookies for desserts
• Staying for a short time after Friday drop-off to help organize snacks and food
• Be part of the Outside Team who prepares our Saturday dinner BBQ
• Set up, serve and clean up Sunday breakfast or lunch
• Serve as a driver…to the park, to the Friday sleepover, etc.

If you’d like more information or would like to speak personally with us to determine if The Kids Course is right for your child, please contact us and we will gladly get back to you.