About

T H E M I S S I O N

We know that we are all children of God, and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and for that reason we believe that in every child there exists the potential to be set on fire to change this world with his or her special gifts and talents. To help them achieve that potential, the EmBLAZE team works to instill the knowledge of students’ intrinsic value and ability by helping them unlock the tools they need to thrive in the real world. Practically speaking, students in EmBLAZE will learn new ways of looking at the world around them through enriching stories, role play, games, and group discussions.

E M B L A Z E 4 1 3

Empowering Belief, Leadership, Accountability, Zeal, and Esteem
Using SIGHT (Scripture, Introspection, Godly relationships, Hands-on Service, and Time) - Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

M E E T M A R Y L O U
Founder of the EmBlaze Program

Mary Lou McCaslin, homeschool parent with a passion for young people. She taught high school English for HomeLife Tutorial for several years. Through her experience working with students at HomeLife, Mary Lou recognized a need for a community of learners with a focus specifically on building social skills and executive functioning skills. For Mary Lou, the highest value was on deep connection and building trust in one another as a way of harnessing the power of our God-given individuality and as a way of gaining self-confidence. When students unlock the power of connection, discover the importance of empathy, and build practical skills for success, truly able to conquer their goals, whatever they may be.

W H A T I S E M B L A Z E 4 1 3 ?

In the EmBLAZE program we want to empower students of all abilities to reach their full potential. The verb “emblaze” means to set on fire or to cause to glow. We know that we are all children of God, and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and for that reason we believe that in every child there exists the potential to be set on fire to change this world with his or her special gifts and talents. To help them achieve that potential, the EmBLAZE team works to instill the knowledge of their intrinsic value and ability in students by helping them unlock the tools they need to thrive in the real world. All students have beautiful gifts, but so often students struggle with connecting to the rest of the world and sharing their gifts because they have not developed the executive functioning and social skills necessary to make those connections. In the EmBLAZE program, we will use a variety of games and role play scenarios, along with structured lessons and organization materials, to study key social emotional learning skills. Students will have the opportunity for practical application of what they have learned through service projects. EmBLAZE aims to empower students to reach their goals and build healthy relationships in school, at home, and beyond as they grow in maturity.

P R O G R A M E L I G I B I L I T Y

The ideal candidate for EmBLAZE is a 7th-12th grader with room to grow. No formal diagnosis is required to join EmBLAZE, but some characteristics that would qualify a student for EmBLAZE would be typical of individuals on the Autism spectrum, with ADHD, or processing disorders as well as teens that struggle with communication,social anxiety, time management, and organizational skills. We will be working to grow in certain areas that are often challenging to students with these and other diagnoses. Some specific difficulties might include:
Trouble connecting with peers socially and emotionally
Lacking study or organizational skills
Communication difficulties at home or in social settings
Low self-esteem or self-awareness
Intense social anxiety

W H A T T O E X P E C T

Emblaze is divided into a morning session of tutoring and pre-teaching for academic subjects and an afternoon session of social skills and executive functioning training. Bryanna Ruesche sets aside time each Monday for "Circles" where they are encouraged to talk and discover feelings and work to better understand others through games and sharing stories. Along with Bry, Danielle Judge will assist with tutoring and academic pre-teaching. Donna McMorris is there to work with students one on one on social skills, executive functioning skills and emotional development using the CHOICES curriculum. Trudy Abel is there to observe, offer help and support, and work with students one on one as well as provide basic consultation and assessment for parents when requested or recommended.