Educational Enrichment

Helping Hephzibah’s Children Achieve Their Full Potential

When a child’s life is disrupted by abuse or neglect, one of the many aftershocks can be a drop in academic performance.  In 1998, after examining the standardized test scores of the children living in our Diagnostic Treatment Center and Residence, we discovered that many were lagging far behind other children in their age groups.  Despite the fact that nearly all of these children were of average or above-average intelligence, their test scores placed them in the nation’s bottom 20th percentile.

Concerned about these scores, Hephzibah’s recruited some of the area’s most accomplished educators to serve on an Academic Advisory Board.  Composed of professionals from the local school district, the library system, Dominican University, and private educational agencies, the board began assessing the educational needs of the children living in Hephzibah’s group homes and developing programs to meet those needs.

In 1999, Hephzibah piloted its first educational enrichment program-the Summer Reading Academy at Dominican University-and launched a multifaceted, multi-year Educational Enrichment Initiative to help the children living in Hephzibah’s Group Homes achieve their full academic potential.

Today, through an intensive program of reading clinics, after-school tutoring, educational partnerships, and workshops in the arts, Hephzibah continues to expand the educational and cultural horizons of the children living in the Diagnostic Treatment Center and Residence - so that they can begin to see themselves as talented, accomplished individuals who have much to contribute to society.

The Reading Academy

Hephzibah began the Reading Academy with the partnership of Dominican University in 1999. The program design was developed by child educational specialists from throughout the community to specifically encourage traumatized children to develop reading and writing skills. The program serves to develop these skills while also helping the children to heal from their turbulent experiences.

Every August, the children living in Hephzibah’s Group Homes attend this intensive three week literacy program held at Dominican’s campus.  The mission of the program is to help the children improve their reading skills through small group work and one-on-one attention.  We believe that by increasing their reading skills, self-esteem is improved which will help them as they begin the school year.

Colorful Days Art Academy

Summer is synonymous with artistic expression at Hephzibah, thanks to the creative enrichment program called the Colorful Days Arts Academy. With local artists, Hephzibah’s Diagnostic Treatment Center and Residence spend five weeks painting murals, creating sculptures, learning to play the harmonica, singing gospel music, and mastering African drumming. At the end of the program, the children share their creative accomplishments with guests at Hephzibah’s Colorful days Arts Festival – a one-day event designed to showcase the children’s newly acquired artistic skills.

The After-School Academy

The academic struggles that many of the children living in Hephzibah’s Group Homes experience extend to their homework assignments as well. To ease the pressure and frustration that often accompany daily homework assignments – and to provide the motivation, tutoring, and encouragement that the children need to succeed academically, Hephzibah established its After School Academy.

Every day after school, the children living in Hephzibah's Group Homes spend an hour working on their homework and reading with Hephzibah’s Homework Helpers – a group of volunteer tutors. The low ratio of children to volunteers ensures that each child receives individual attention. For children who have experienced extreme disruptions in their lives, this one-on-one attention can be vital for healing and the development of confidence and self-esteem.