Buddy Program
The Floris Buddy Program provides access to Kid Nation, XRoads, and Bright Life for children and students who need support. A Buddy can be requested by a parent or identified by Children and Student Ministry staff. Parents and staff then work together to create a support plan with appropriate spiritual and social goals. Finally, we pick two volunteers from our program to assist during children and student programming. We match Buddy volunteers with children and students based on need, compatibility, and personality.
The Floris Buddy Program gives access to programming for children and students of all abilities and needs. By carefully matching students with trained volunteers, we can provide the following accommodations:
• Learning supports
• Adapted environments
• Manipulatives
• Classroom behavior supports
• Physical supports
The level of support is a collaboration between the Buddy Ministry Coordinator and parents. The Individual Spiritual Plan is periodically re-evaluated to ensure that it meets the needs of the child or student.
The Buddy Ministry Coordinator keeps all health and educational diagnoses confidential. Only required accommodations and goals are shared with the Buddy.
Please contact Wendy Hilbert for more information about the Buddy Program.
Sensory Room
Children and students who need a “reset” or “break” from the classroom environment can use the Sensory Room. This safe space provides sensory stabilization and includes tactile, visual, and auditory tools. Students will return to the group as soon as possible to continue to participate and learn.
We also provide appropriate supports in the classroom, including the use of
• Visual cues
• Token boards
• Sensory tools
• One-on-one support