HOW TO HELP

OUR PROGRAMS

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All AVARY programs are offered at no cost to participants.

Your tax-deductible donation helps us introduce healthy eating habits to children & teens.

We appreciate your generosity.


"Avary has made me a better man.  Brought me up to be a respectful person.” 

~ J.F.
AVARY Alumnus

"When the young campers see people who are in their same situation doing things that are positive, it motivates them to want to do the same.

The senior counselors plant seeds in the lives of the AVARY youth. Those youth then take those seeds and flourish into a person who can then plant even more seeds of positive self-help thinking.

This creates a cycle of a safe and loving community in which the members help one another, and by doing that, help themsleves.

It takes only a small group of devoted souls to begin a trend that will live for many years to come."

~ Monique
AVARY Jr. Counselor


Focus Areas

Our five focus areas are designed to impart the skills and tools children need to develop their emotional intelligence, to express themselves successfully in the AVARY community, and to make positive decisions that result in constructive life choices.

They are:

1. Social Skills Development in Daily Life  

AVARY emphasizes cooperation, tolerance of diverse viewpoints, conflict resolution, and communication skills. Counselors exploit “teachable moments” to mediate conflict and to help children integrate conflict mediation skills in their daily lives.


2. Creative Arts

Art activities offer opportunities for reflection, self-expression, and communication, comfort with speaking and performing in public, and opportunities to discover and explore talents.


3. Environmental Education
The value and importance of environmental stewardship are infused throughout all of Project AVARY programs. Children and teens learn to participate in a variety of outdoor activities and acquire an appreciation for their own role as stewards.

4. Physical Fitness and Nutrition

AVARY participants are introduced to good eating habits and a wide variety of sports and physical activities. Staff emphasizes cooperation, teamwork and fitness over competition.


5. Life Skills

Children and teens learn practical life skills they will help in their transition to young adulthood such as anger management, conflict mediation CPR and First Aid, cooking, applying for employment, and other independent living skills.


AVARY Philosophy

Project AVARY’s program has been carefully designed over more than nine years of operations to best meet the needs of its target population.

Underlying the AVARY model are the following principals:

- Support must be consistent to counter the disruptions and difficulties in their lives that can make children of incarcerated parents feel unsafe and unprotected.

- Support must be individualized and consistently positive by focusing on the individual strengths and challenges of each child.

- Support must be compelling and must expose the children to new experiences that are engaging and interactive (not passive), that allow children to use their creativity and thoughtfulness in creating their own stimuli. AVARY stresses self discovery and confidence building through the natural world.

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projectAVARY • 1018 Grand Ave. - San Rafael, CA 94901 • 415-460-1184 • info@projectavary.org