Vero Beach Karate Association: Enrichment Programs

The VBKA Enrichment Program

Great children don't just happen!

The formation of children into confident, well-mannered, and successful young adults is a process that includes caring and supportive parents, inspiring teachers, wholesome enrichment activities, well-developed programs, and positive role models.

While the martial arts is the center of what we do at the Vero Beach Karate Association, we learned many years ago that it could also be a vehicle to enrich people's lives through character building and personal development activities.

We have carefully developed a variety of worthwhile and fulfilling activities, and these "enrichment" activities distinguish VBKA from many other martial arts schools.

Every three months a Student Excellence Award is presented to two outstanding students. The selection is based on good grades, involvement in other school, community, or church activities, and the student's training spirit in class. The students are selected because they train hard, are dependable and display good sportsmanship.

Pictured above: Kaitlin Smith & Jessica Davis
Katlin and Jessica were the recipients of the Michael Tiedemann Memorial Award for Student Excellence
Presented at VBKA's 2008 Family Fun Day.
Congratulations Kaitlin and Jessica!

Each recipient receives a $100.00 U. S. Savings Bond. The Vero Beach Karate Association
has given over $20,000.00 in U.S. Savings Bonds to worthy students.

Academics

Academics is a high priority at the Vero Beach Karate Association. Students are encouraged to work for academic excellence. Three achievement programs sponsored by VBKA highlight and focus on excellence in school: the Academic Achievers Program, the Student Excellence Award, and the College Scholarship Program. To learn more about these programs, please visit the VBKA Scholarship page.

MDA Annual Fundraiser

Many years ago VBKA decided to take on an Association charity. The Muscular Dystrophy Association seemed like a good way to show students how blessed they are to be able to participate in a vigorous physical activity like the martial arts, while other children and adults must struggle with immense physical limitations. Consequently, the VBKA leadership undertook an ongoing effort to raise money to help them cover their monumental medical and living expenses, as well as to contribute to medical research for effective treatment and cures.

The Vero Beach Karate Association holds an annual Kick-a-Thon to raise money for MDA. To date VBKA members have raised over $125,000.00 in donations.

Until this year, Lorinda Gonzalez, pictured to the left, has served as the association's MDA Ambassador. Lorinda has muscular dystrophy and came to the fundraising functions as a representative of all who benefit from VBKA's fundraising efforts.

"When our students see our ambassador, the fundraising takes on real meaning for everyone. This enhances the concept of giving. We try to instill in our people, especially young people, the idea that the really happy and successful people are great givers -- givers of their time, talents, resources, and influence."
...Mr. Willis

Lorinda Gonzalez with Mr. Willis during the
annual Kick-a-Thon fundraising event in 2007.

MDA Fundraiser 2008

MDA Day includes a "carnival" in which children participate in games and challenges. Demonstrations, presentation of Black Belt Scholarships, naming the latest recipients of the Student Excellence Award, and a barbeque lunch are all part of this days activities.

Camps

Please visit the Vacation Camps page for a detailed look at the VBKA camps. Along with a concentrated opportunity for increased and intensified martial arts training, the vacation camps include many enriching activities, such as ballroom dancing, dance etiquette, dating etiquette, table manners, telephone etiquette, and music and art enrichment activities. The VBKA approach is to provide a camp experience that is fun and uplifting while also providing a foundation for developing young people into great adults.

The camps also provide a context for grooming teenagers to be great role models for other young people. The opportunity for teens to be trained as camp counselors and then experience that leadership role first hand, not only develops them as proficient martial artists, but also promotes growth in the all-important areas of responsibility and reliability.

VBKA Leadership Program

The goal of the VBKA Leadership program is to help people -- young and old -- become leaders. This program involves training beyond the regular martial arts curriculum and includes motivational and leadership skills training. This additional training helps develop people into leaders in their families, schools, churches, and in any field in which leadership skills are needed.

All students are encouraged to help newer or lower level students, and VBKA maintains a requirement that students must have 30 hours assisting an instructor to qualify for Black Belt. This not only reinforces what they have learned, but also, in a larger way, helps them to become better leaders and givers.

Leadership Team

The Leadership Team is a formal program that meets monthly for exciting martial arts and motivational training. Students who participate in this program are helpers, assistants, and official instructors in the school. The skills they learn in the leadership training sessions are invaluable. This is training that not only helps them to become better instructors, but also to become more effective leaders all-around.