BLAST

BLAST!

"Building Lasting Success Together"

BLAST is a unique after school program for children who need assistance to experience success in classroom, playground or extracurricular youth activities. By providing successful experiences BLAST helps children to improve their social skills and to increase their ability to function in a variety of situations.

BLAST campers participate in structured activities followed by group discussions. During these positive play experiences and supportive discussions children learn how to articulate their feelings, make and keep friends, handle frustration, follow directions and control their impulses. And most of all, BLAST is fun!

“I notice a definite improvement in my child in how he handles situations at home.”

- Parent of BLAST camper

The Elementary program is held Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, the Middle School program is held Wednesday afternoons and the Mini Blast program (5-6 year olds) is held Monday and Friday afternoons. The programs run from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM. There are fall, winter, spring, and summer sessions of BLAST, each between six and eight weeks long.

The BLAST staff includes a licensed therapist, teachers, camping professionals and graduate students. Children love BLAST because it is fun and they experience success, especially in making friends. Teachers who have referred children to BLAST have reported significant improvement in classroom behavior and impulse control, and have been very pleased with the results for both the children and parents. Parents report increased confidence in making and keeping friends and better behavior in the home.

“BLAST is really fun! The best thing is that we get to make new friends!”

- BLAST camper

The program also includes Parent Education sessions. Two meetings specifically address parenting skills for challenging children. Additional workshops deal with topics such as "school success" and "sibling rivalry".

“I really like the meetings...they’re very informative...and I enjoy hearing what other parents say they do.”

- BLAST parent

BLAST is directed by Peter Gero, Ph.D., MFCC. Peter is a teacher, former Tom Sawyer Camps director, and therapist with the Descanso Medical Center for Development and Learning. If you have questions about the appropriateness of the program for your son or daughter, please call Dr. Gero directly at (323) 227-0748.

For information about session dates and start times, call the Tom Sawyer Camps office at (626) 794-1156 or email katie@tomsawyercamps.com.

Click here to receive a BLAST enrollment packet!