The Upper Valley Haven
Be Kind. Be Thoughtful. Be Helpful.
Education for Kids
School-age shelter guests are invited to join The Haven’s Homework Club, Monday Enrichment, as well as other activities and field trips. Other participants in these programs are school-age former shelter guests who have settled in the local area. In Homework Club, typically 10–12 children and young adults receive one-on-one help with their schoolwork by Dartmouth College undergraduates and other community volunteers, in addition to the Haven’s Children’s Advocate and Education Coordinator. This program meets Tuesday through Thursday from 2:30–5:00pm.
“It has been a positive place in a world that doesn’t always feel so positive.”
—Kadie French, 17, a former Homework Club member
We believe one of the most significant things we do with the children is to promote the development of a rich inner life that will sustain them through their present and future difficulties and challenges as they grow. Our Monday Enrichment programs are designed to open their minds to the diversity of the world, to learn more about other cultures, and to experiment with activities in art, writing, and language. Thanks to the generosity of The Hood Museum, The Hopkins Center, The Lebanon Opera House and Northern Stage, we are able to offer the children art programs, music, and theatre as ways to explore their creative spirits.
In addition to our cultural activities, we take the children outside to learn about and enjoy the natural world. Here in the Upper Valley, we are fortunate to have a variety of places we can hike, swim, sled or snowshoe, as well as access to the resources of The Montshire Museum of Science and Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences (VINS). It has become a Haven tradition to hike Mount Cardigan in the fall and to canoe the Connecticut River in August. Farther a field, we have taken the children on trips e.g., to the New England Aquarium, Squam Lakes Science Center, and Magic Wings; on a Connecticut Riverboat tour; to the ECHO Center; and on two yearly trips to the Maine seacoast.