FAQs about the Summer Program

  1. Where is Wediko located?  Wediko’s beautiful 450 acre, lakeside campus is situated in southern New Hampshire about 2 hours northwest of Boston, Massachusetts.

  2. How many children come to Wediko each summer?  Typically, 145 boys and girls attend the program.  There are usually fifteen groups of children with an average of 10 children per group.

  3. Where do children live?  Children sleep on bunk beds in cabins with indoor bathrooms including showers and flush toilets.

  4. How are groups formed?  Tremendous attention is given to group composition.  Children are grouped according to chronological age, developmental levels, strengths, weaknesses, and interests. Groups are composed to ensure that children can practice social skills.

  5. How would you describe the children who attend Wediko?  Wediko offers a comprehensive therapeutic environment for children struggling with difficulties including: attention deficits, learning differences, impulse control problems, negativity, academic under-achievement, low self-esteem, and poor social skills.  Wediko also has expertise with adoption, attachment disorders and mood disorders.  Additionally, specialized programming is provided for children with atypical developmental disorders.  The guiding objective is to jump-start stalled development in key areas.

  6. How do you define your program?  Wediko is a comprehensive, highly structured therapeutic environment which kindles interests, stimulates excitement for learning, encourages appropriate risk-taking, nurtures self-confidence and builds self-control.  The program is designed to be intrinsically motivating while establishing a myriad of essential coping skills.

  7. What is a typical day like?  The basic daily structure consists of wake-up routines, mealtimes, group-based activities, individually selected activities, school, daily group therapy, swim time, evening games, earned rewards, cabin chores and bedtime preparations.

  8. How would you describe the activities program?  Wediko offers a range of fun, attractive, and stimulating activities which easily engage children in curriculum based projects.  These activities are success-oriented, offering multiple opportunities for children to experience mastery.  Activities are scheduled in three day rotations allowing for saturated exposure which builds specific skills.  Activities include: swimming, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, archery, athletics, dance, theater, art, arcade, playground, mountain biking, brain games, and cooking.

  9. Do you have a summer school?  Learning, the heart of the Wediko experience, is supported in every program component.  Five days a week, students attend academic classes for one hour and 45 minutes.   Small classes of students focus on language arts, math, and science to improve and/or maintain current achievement levels.  Wediko emphasizes a hands-on, multi-modal teaching approach to reach students who have struggled in their academic environments.  The school is interwoven with 4 hours of daily curriculum-based activities designed to expand interests, develop confidence in learning and build new areas of mastery.  Group therapy and numerous corrective emotional/social exchanges throughout each day further build each child’s learning capacity.

  10. Do you offer family therapy?  Family therapy is an essential part of the program for all families.  Wediko understands that the family knows the child best.  The family’s input and participation is critical to the child’s success.  Family therapy sessions are a time for the family to discuss the growth, struggles, and feelings that arise as treatment plans are implemented.  Clinicians tailor intervention strategies for success both at Wediko and at home. 

  11. When and where does family therapy take place?  Families who live near our Boston office or the New Hampshire setting meet with a family therapist at either location for an hour each week.  For families traveling from further away, two to three longer meetings will be scheduled in New Hampshire.

  12. How many staff are there?  Wediko maintains a 1:2 staff to child ratio with 7-8 staff assigned per group plus a clinical supervisor.  Each staff team is assigned to a specific group of children and remains constant for the summer.  Program directors, program coordinators, school personnel, nurses, kitchen and physical plant staff make up the remaining staff.

  13. What are the qualifications of the counseling staff?  Wediko draws its staff from colleges and universities nationwide.  Staff complete an extensive application and are thoroughly screened and interviewed.  Most have experience working with children and course work in the field.  Once accepted, staff participate in a week-long training prior to the children’s arrival, as well as ongoing training and supervision during the summer.
  14. How are staff supervised?  Staff are supervised by a clinical supervisor who works with staff and children on a daily basis modeling appropriate interventions and providing on-the-spot supervision.  Twice a week, supervisors provide group supervision for their staff team.

  15. What are the qualifications of the supervisors?  Supervisors come from the fields of education, psychology, nursing, therapeutic recreation, and social work.  Supervisors are supervised by senior licensed practitioners with extensive clinical and educational experience.

  16. How will Wediko take care of my child?  Wediko is organized to provide a safe, nurturing, and facilitating environment.  Children are supported by safe and caring relationships.  When children know that they will be encouraged by their staff, they take age-appropriate risks in areas that have been historically difficult.  For example, if a child hates math, but knows that a member of his staff will be in the classroom to encourage him, he is more willing to confront and work through his fear.  Facilitating relationships directed toward helping children accomplish their goals supports growth in powerful ways.

  17. How do you let children know how they are doing?  Throughout the day children are encouraged by their staff to observe their own functioning and make positive choices.  Additionally, three times a day children receive formal feedback based on a behavioral checklist.  The checklist documents children’s participation, communication, and safety.  If children earn sufficient points on their checklists then they receive an incentive.  Incentives are selected to be developmentally appropriate and motivating.  For example, older children earn time with students from other groups at an on-campus video game arcade.  Younger children might earn sports cards.  Midway through the summer, children begin work on individualized behavioral contracts.  Attached to these contracts are incentives such as spending time with a favorite peer and staff member, cooking dinner for the group, building a model plane, or having extra time at a prized activity.

  18. When my child misbehaves how will Wediko respond?  First and foremost, Wediko is structured to be a physically and psychologically safe environment.  When inappropriate behavior breaks this safety, Wediko staff draw on well established behavior management policies and practices.  These therapeutic approaches include labeling behavior, reminding students of choice points, giving time outs, processing chains of events leading to upsets and discussing alternative behavioral options.  If behavior is extreme, students leave the group, under supervision, until they are able to return by agreeing to uphold group expectations.

  19. What is the food like at Wediko?  Cooks prepare tasty meals which comply with USDA nutrition guidelines.  Wediko serves three meals and two snacks daily. Typical meals include hamburgers with fixings, tomato soup and toasted cheese sandwiches, baked chicken, and lasagna.  A well-stocked fruit and salad bar is available at lunch and dinner.  Milk, peanut butter, jelly and bread are available at every meal.  Meals are served family style at each group’s table.  Food is never withheld from children as a negative consequence for misbehavior.
  20. What is Wediko’s safety record?  Wediko emphasizes the health and safety of children and staff.  Children’s safety over the years has been exemplary.  Wediko maintains this track record through clear policy, staff training, and careful monitoring by supervisors, nursing staff, and administrators.

  21. My child takes medication--How is this handled at Wediko?  All medications and health issues are monitored by Wediko’s health supervisor, a registered nurse.  Medications are given by registered nurses or senior staff specially trained in medication distribution.  A psychiatric consultant is available to review medication problems or changes.  No medications are changed until parents are informed and give permission.
  22. Who pays for my child’s medication?  You or your insurance.  Tuition does not cover your child’s medications.  The exact procedure for getting your child’s medications depends on your insurance and will be discussed during your interview.

  23. What if my child gets sick during the summer?  Wediko has a full nursing staff, including health specialists, who will attend to your child’s health needs.  Wediko will call you if your child gets sick.  These services are covered by tuition.  For services that are not routine, such as medication blood levels, lab work, or emergencies, children will be referred to local health facilities.  These outside services and co-pays are not covered by tuition.

  24. My child has never been away from home--what if s/he gets homesick?  We expect children to be homesick at times and make sure that staff are available to provide comfort.  Families and children are encouraged to write letters as often as they like.  Regular phone calls home are also scheduled.  If needed, a check-in visit can be arranged.  Usually when a parent can tell a child that s/he is loved and missed, but that Wediko is the best place for him/her right now, the child then feels reassured and is able to freely engage in the program.
  25. If my child is accepted, how can I stay in touch during the summer?  Can I come visit him/her?  Parents and children are encouraged to maintain contact through active letter writing.  Phone calls home are arranged for all children.  Supervisors call families on a regular basis to give updates.  There is one Visitor’s Day in the middle of the summer when parents, friends and relatives are welcomed to the setting.  Other visits can be arranged on an as needed basis after discussion with the supervisor.

  26. Does my child need spending money while at Wediko?  No.  Please do not send money.  There is nothing for children to buy at Wediko.  If your child does arrive with money, s/he will be asked to give it to the supervisor for safekeeping until the end of the summer.
  27. What clothing and supplies do I need to send with my child?  When a child is accepted to the program, Wediko sends a packing list of recommended items.  Children should come with a 10 day supply of clothing, labeled with their name on each item.  Wediko is a rugged, outdoor setting in the woods.  Except for one dress-up outfit, clothing should be comfortable and durable.  As in any outdoor program, children are prone to misplace clothing and belongings.  Please pack with this in mind.

  28. What is the laundry situation at Wediko?  A professional laundry service picks up laundry and returns it once a week

  29. I would like to apply to Wediko for two of my children.  Is this okay?  Each application is considered independently.  Sometimes one sibling will attend and the other will not.  Sometimes neither child attends, other times both children attend.

  30. My family has planned a week long vacation for the end of July.  I would like to take my child on this trip.  Can s/he leave the Wediko program and then return?  Once a child agrees to attend the program, s/he needs to be there the entire time.  Program interruptions disrupt the individual and group treatment progress.
  31. Does Wediko offer any scholarships?  Although we would like to, Wediko is a non-profit organization and does not have the funds to offer scholarships.

  32. How do children describe their Wediko experience?  Children talk about themselves as more confident, more in control, more capable, and with increased capacity to talk about their concerns and negotiate their way through problems.  Almost all the children describe themselves as more skilled and more able to build and maintain friendships.  Children also say that Wediko is demanding, hard, fun-filled, and rewarding.

  33. How is tuition paid?

    Payment Options:

    Option I: Tuition can be paid privately.   

    Option II: If your child is 1) coded, 2) receives special education services and 3) the need for Extended School Year programming is written into his/her Individual Education Plan (IEP) with Wediko named as the provider of services, then the school district is responsible for paying the tuition.  

    Option III: If your child receives mental health or social services from a public or private agency, the agency may pay the tuition or may cost share the tuition with you and/or the home school district.