As part of its Beads of Courage program, the Calais School recognized its student representatives with their first Beads of Courage and Courage Clips.

The Calais School is the first Beads of Program pilot for emotional support in an educational setting.

Calais Animal Assisted Interventions Program Coordinator Tiffany Shevchik, who is administering the program at the school through its Animal Assisted Interventions Program, said that each volunteer student representative received a Courage Clip to display the beads along with a Beads of Courage logo bead and the School Spirit Bead as well as a bead to display his/her name. The School Spirit Bead recognizes and honors their courage volunteering as class representations during the 2021-2022 school year, Mrs. Shevchik said. The presentation by Mrs. Shevchik and Calais Licensed Professional Counselor Marjane Vitaletti took place on September 28.

These students will be a part of the Courage Clip pilot program taking part at the school this year in partnership with Beads of Courage. They strung their beads, read the bead intentions, and then shared their clips with one another. Some even displayed the Courage Clips on their backpacks or wore them as a bracelet.

The BEADS OF COURAGE® programs use beads as visible and tangible art forms that carry intention. Beads of Courage believes that every time a bead is given courage is honored, suffering is alleviated, resilience is strengthened, and the experience of human caring is affirmed.

The inspirational program will be implemented through the Calais School’s Animal Assisted Interventions program. As students at Calais work with the school’s Animal Assisted Interventions dogs and handlers in various related service areas, the beads will be used to help the children share their stories of courage. The school’s counselors, therapists and teachers will play an integral role in the program.

This blog was originally published on the Calais Foundation website.

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