Our Therapeutic Farm School Program is an innovative therapeutic support system where students engage in experiential learning experiences on the land, guided by a First Nations perspective. We offer a wide range of supports including Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Play Therapy, ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), Music Therapy, all while creating meaningful animal human connections.. The program caters to kindergarten to Grade 12 students with neurodiversities such as Autism, ADHD, and other cognitive challenges.
Through our holistic approach, students develop and practice self-regulation strategies that can be applied in a typical classroom setting. By honing these skills, students are better equipped to form meaningful connections with others. This in turn leads to positive mental health outcomes and more successful learning experiences.
Our program has the capacity to provide programming for up to 100+ students throughout the 2024/25 school year. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays each week has been allotted for 18 students to attend intensive programming (3 cohorts of up to 6 students each day). This schedule is designed to provide a consistent routine for the students, ensuring that holidays do not disrupt their programming.
It is expected that each of the 18 students selected for the intensive programming will be accompanied by their 1:1 Educational Assistant, which will be provided by their school each week. The selection of the students attending the intensive programming will be determined through our referral process, which was developed with input from multiple stakeholders.
One day each week on (Mondays) will be available for resource rooms such as the HOPE program at Porter Creek Secondary, the STEP program at FH Collins, PASS at Jack Hulland Elementary or any similar programs in Whitehorse or community schools to visit and engage in programming for their students. This would also provide an opportunity for students that are homeschooled to attended programming at the farm. Another day each week (Fridays) will be set aside for students from community schools to participate in the farm's programming.
On Fridays, students from community schools will be offered the opportunity to also participate in programming. We have set aside 12 spots for students from rural schools to participate in our program. Travel costs and accommodation will be supported in a number of ways by the Therapeutic Farm School Program so as to reduce barriers to access for those families travelling from communities to attend our program.