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What is Y.E.S.S.?
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| Youth Education & Summer Socialization Program (Y.E.S.S.) is a 9 week summer program serving students ages 5-21 with developmental disabilities. The program offers a half day of education in classroom settings; half day of recreation in the community Monday through Thursdays; and Friday Day Trips throughout the state. The program is designed to help students retain what they have learned during the school year while developing improved communication and socialization skills. |
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Why Should I Choose Y.E.S.S.?
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| The Y.E.S.S. Program offers opportunities that no other program can. Through the unique collaboration between The Arc of Sedgwick County, Wichita's USD 259, The Wichita Department of Park and Recreation, The United Way of the Plains, and Sedgwick County, Y.E.S.S. can provide education, recreation, and socialization in a community setting. There is no other program like Y.E.S.S. in the nation. What Y.E.S.S. offers students, families, and the community is a chance to develop friendships, build self esteem, independence and personal growth. |
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Why Summer School?
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| Special Education Teachers spend approximately 85% of the fall quarter re-teaching what was lost over the summer. In Y.E.S.S., students can continue in an educational setting, maintaining what they learned while developing new social skills. The students are challenged through fun educational activities relating to a weekly theme. The themes provide a common goal to all the classes and make for an exciting learning environment. Past themes have included: Y.E.S.S. 2020, Wichita-Air Capitol of the World, Random Acts of Kindness, and Kansas History. With these themes the students and teachers creativity is unleashed and the results are always exciting. |
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Is Socialization Important?
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| Socialization is a key component of the Y.E.S.S. program. Every day we interact with people in a variety of social settings. Through these experiences we have developed social skills, the manner in which we communicate with and behave towards others. Social skills are learned over time through experience. Y.E.S.S. offers these experiences everyday in community settings. Each day the students will participate in many fun activities ranging from swimming, horseback riding, and movies; to trips to Exploration Place, World's of Fun and the Kansas Cosmosphere. These activities not only provide socialization, but make lasting memories. |
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Are Scholarships Available?
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| YES! Through the support of the United Way and USD 259 we are able to offer scholarships for two week blocks. You would only pay $10.00 to USD 259 which would cover two full weeks of Y.E.S.S.. Scholarships are given out according to need, but may be made available to all that apply if scholarships remain. |
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What Else Should I Know?
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Y.E.S.S. also offers overnight opportunities; a Sibling Week Program; Inclusion Day Activities; Family Nights & the Volunteers to Work Program.
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What Parents Have To Say About The Y.E.S.S. Program:
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| "The Program is greater than anything I could have ever dreamed of. He is a very lucky guy and I am a grateful parent." |
"Your program is wonderful and I wish I had known about it earlier, I can't say enough great things about you." |
"We could not survive without Y.E.S.S.. It is our favorite time of year. My student does not want to miss a day of it either. It is SO great that they get out and experience everything in the community. My child has been a lot more places than I have!"
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---Gretchen DiGiovanni
"It is the best of all worlds for our son! Learning, working on social skills, having something to look forward to that he most likely would not have the chance to otherwise, opportunities to try new things in a nurturing environment, FUN (as all kids should have in the summer), and the feeling of security for us as parents that he is having new experiences for a lifetime of memories! Thanks for all you do YESS team!"
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Weekly schedules are posted Friday afternoon prior to the week they are for.
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The YESS program is brought to you with the assistance of USD 259, Wichita Department of Park and Recreation, Sedgwick County, and United Way of the Plains. |
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