FAQs for the Uplifting After School Workshop™
Who created the workshop?
The workshop was created by Aimee Clark, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, and owner of AZ Growth and The Growth Vigilante. It utilizes the EQ it UP! curriculum and incorporates the core mission and values of the G.U.T.
Who will facilitate?
All facilitators will be in the counseling and/or educational field with a special interest in children and group work. They will have completed the G.U.T Facilitator training.
Why do you have a Pre-Workshop meeting for the parents/guardians?
Although we are excited to plant some self, social, and emotional wellness seeds and really give the girls tools they can implement daily - all that we are doing needs to be reinforced at home. The Pre-Workshop Meeting will give the parents/guardians an opportunity to understand and practice what their children will learn - and also help them to apply it when needed.
What if I cannot attend the Pre-Workshop meeting?
Although it is best for you to be there, we will provide written information as well as some demo videos to support you.
How will I know how to help my daughter while she's taking the workshop?
You will receive a weekly email, along with a text message alert, that gives an overview of that week's curriculum and how you can support and reinforce what they are learning. Practicing with your child is an awesomely effective way to really do that.
What are the "assessments" that will be conducted?
Our goal is to create the most effective workshop, so we are gathering as much insight and feedback as possible. Therefore, we will have short and sweet assessments we will do before, at the 5th group, and the last group with both the child and the parent/guardian!
What will be the demographics of this workshop?
This first ever workshop will include grades 1st through 5th. We are trying for a well-rounded group, so will attempt to get about 10 students from each grade level.
How will you support the different stages of development?
The curriculum will include activities with the entire group, as well as breaking up into smaller groups to support the different stages of development. Once in the smaller groups, the facilitator will provide direction based on that grade level.
What if I believe my child has some special needs?
There will be an information sheet to be filled out and brought with you to the Pre-Workshop Meeting that will allow you to share that information.
What is Emotional Intelligence and why is it important?
EQ is extremely important. Dare we say that it is more important than IQ? When we have a high EQ we have the ability to slow down, step back and assess what's happening when we feel a WAVE OF YUCK passing through. We self-regulate. We RESPOND versus REACT in a tough moment and, overall, practice emotional awareness, and then emotional self-care...which enables us to practice social awareness. We value EQ so much, that we dedicated a whole page to it. Read on.
How can we raise our child's EQ?
There are many ways to to this, but it all comes down to this: practice, reinforcement, repetition, modeling and engagement. Just like with their IQ, they need to have a "study" of emotions. This can be done in both Proactive and Reactive ways. Proactive is having a daily practice of emotional wellness. Reactive is knowing how to self-regulate and practice self-care during a challenging moment.
Will they raise their EQ at the Workshop™?
That is the goal! All of the curriculum is geared towards learning and practicing self-awareness and self-care through the different experiences that come with being a young girl in Elementary School.