“At Esperanza Academy we start our day with a united, ‘we make every day count’. Our experience at Windrush Farm was a true testament to this statement. When a group [of] Esperanza students gathered at the farm to learn about caring for horses, riding horses and reading about horses, everyone at Windrush Farm made ‘every day count’. What I saw at school the day after each session at Windrush Farm, was a group of students smiling, walking with more confidence, being more patient with each other and demonstrating a heightened level of care for the community. I believe that Windrush Farm helped our girls become leaders by providing them a sense of belonging and love surrounded by the beauty of the farm and helped them develop their self confidence and now will be a lasting part of their lives. I asked our wonderful girls what they most loved about Windrush Farm, and collectively they said that, “the Windrush Farm program was a great learning experience and a healing experience. I learned to see how a horse gets scared and how to take care of my horse and be calm. I can use the skills I learned at Windrush Farm in the future. Things seem difficult in the beginning, and I cannot believe how things got easier. I felt welcomed by everyone at the farm and the coaches were very nice.”
Thank you Windrush Farm, thank you for making ‘every day count’!”
–Educator at Esperanza Academy, Lawrence, MA
“[Jen] has gotten to know T. and her little quirks and respects everything about her. Jen has so much knowledge and compassion for T. as well as the horse…”
–Caregiver for a Windrush Farm client
A testimionial:
“…and then I bring them to Windrush and a kind of magic takes place. …Similar to school, the approach at the farm is to begin from a positive premise. What CAN the student do and then add, adapt, strengthen and adjust to build on the already existing skills. Within each class, the students increase self-confidence and independence. …There is explanation of task, demonstration of technique, plenty of repetition, and reasonable expectation in achieving goals and objectives. The students are often surprised at themselves of what they are able to do and are proud of their efforts. …a WIN-WIN for everyone involved and we hope to continue to bring students to learn from and just enjoy the nurturing, beautiful.” From a teacher from The Perkins School for the Blind who has brought students to the farm since 1984.