Character Development Program with Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation

Positive Coaching Alliance - Tampa Bay


During the summer of 2018, Positive Coaching Alliance-Tampa Bay and Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation formed a partnership to implement a Character Development framework to provide structure and consistency in how character is taught through programs in HCPR centers.

The Character Development Program served approximately 800 children, ages 5-15, participating in summer camps. The 9-week program combined weekly lessons and daily small-group discussions that focused on character traits, such as respect, the value of effort, the importance of learning, and the benefits of embracing mistakes to become better. These traits were reinforced through PCA materials and creative activities to engage children in character-building discussions. Each center’s Program Leader was trained in PCA curriculum in order to emphasize key PCA messages and principles.

The summer Character and Development Program was made possible through the generous support of BayCare, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Relationship Growth

PCA developed a program that provided staff training, curriculum for program participants, collateral materials that reinforced principles taught, and rewards and recognition opportunities.

To implement the program, HCPR full-time staff, summer staff and program leaders received Double Goal Coach® Certification taught by PCA Trainers. The Character Development Program was then piloted in six HCPR locations in the summer of 2018. Due to the pilot’s success, HCPR further invested in the partnership by adding the Character Development Program to After School Programs in ten Parks & Rec locations during the 2018-2019 school year.

PCA-Tampa Bay is excited that its partnership with HCPR will continue to grow and develop as the Character Development Program will be implemented to ALL summer camp Hillsborough County Parks & Recreation locations in the summer of 2019!



Character Development Program In Action

Through group lessons and daily smaller group discussions that reinforced the lesson and modeled how the lesson applies to Home, School, Parks & Rec, and Community, PCA and HCPR worked together to creatively teach the importance of PCA’s core values of ROOTS, ELM and E-Tank.



Reinforcement

In collaboration with HCPR, PCA designed program materials that recognized camp participants and reinforced key PCA messages throughout the 9-week program.

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