What Is Community Connections?
The Community Connections Program is a community replication and adaptation of the evidence based Connections Program developed and evaluated by staff and faculty from The Summit Center, University of Buffalo and Canisius College. Explicit instruction of fundamental social and communication skills has been lacking from many school based programs.
Community Connections utilizes a highly structured program that targets and promotes the specific social and communicative skills that characterize individuals with social cognitive delays. This is also known as Skillstreaming. The program uses direct instruction and then a therapeutic activity to allow individuals to practice these skills in a more natural way. High levels of positive reinforcement are given when individuals display targeted skills with independence.
Skillstreaming is a prosocial skills training program that builds social-emotional competence. Skillstreaming employs a four-part training approach—modeling, role-playing, performance feedback, and generalization—to teach essential prosocial skills to children, adolescents and young adults. This research based approach to teaching and learning skills has impacted countless individuals for many years.
Fall Community Connections Classes
Our Summer Community Connections Camp has been such a success in the past few years. We have heard your requests for skillstreaming programming through the year, so we are thrilled to introduce Fall Community Connections Classes! These fall classes will provide our friends a way to continue developing the skills they want to work on.
Classes Offered Fall 2025
Social Skills Classes
Early Elementary Social Skills
Targeted age 5-7
Days: Thursday 9/25,10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30
Time: 5:00-6:00pm
Instructor: Emily Blazey emily@camppuzzlepeace.org
Cost: $270
During this class students will target specific skills to help them build school readiness and to support their access to the larger community. Examples of targeted skills:
- personal space
- sharing
- dealing with frustration
- dealing with disappointment
- whole body listening
- waiting
- asking for help
- feelings
Elementary Social Skills
Targeted age 8-12
Days: Tuesdays 9/23, 9/30, 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28
Time: 5:00-6:00pm
Instructor: Jen Lambert (Hackett) jen@camppuzzlepeace.org
Cost: $270
During this class students will target skills to support emotional regulation and social skills to help foster friendships. Examples of targeted skills:
- Dealing with frustration
- Dealing with disappointment
- Losing
- Knowing what others are thinking
- Knowing what others are feeling
- Joining a conversation
Adolescent Social Skills
Targeted age 13-17
Days: Thursday 9/25,10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30
Time: 6:00-7:00PM
Instructor: Emily Blazey emily@camppuzzlepeace.org
Cost: $270
During this class students will target more skills related to friendships, boundaries, and relationships. Examples of targeted skills:
- Joining a group, when and how
- Maintaining a conversation
- Small talk
- Who is a friend
- Knowing the feelings of others
- Dealing with disappointment
- Boundaries with technology
- Apologizing
- Offering help
- Asking for help
Young Adult
Targeted age 18-26
Days: Tuesdays 9/23, 9/30, 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28
Time: 6:00-7:00PM
Instructor: Jen Lambert (Hackett) jen@camppuzzlepeace.org
Cost: $270
In this group students will work on skills needed to support the workplace environment. We will also target skills to support greater independence in the larger community with an emphasis on “adulting”. Examples of targeted skills:
- Small talk
- Friendships
- Technology rules
- Things we talk about at work
- Relationship boundaries
- Greetings
- How to talk to your boss
- How to talk with coworkers
- How and when to call in sick
- Work hygiene
Art Classes
Elementary Art Class
Targeted age 8-12
Days: Monday 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10
Time: 5:00-6:00pm
Instructor: Larissa Hankey (larissakatherineart@gmail.com)
Cost: $270
During this class, students will focus on emotion through art—identifying their feelings and using artistic expression as a tool for self-awareness and communication. They will learn how to translate emotions into visual forms, helping them better understand themselves and others. This will help them in the outside world by giving them healthy outlets to process complex emotions, improving emotional intelligence, and enhancing their ability to communicate non-verbally in personal, academic, and social settings.
Examples of targeted skills:
- Emotional recognition and regulation
- Visual storytelling
- Self-expression
- Creative problem-solving
- Empathy and perspective-taking
- Confidence in sharing personal ideas
- Communication through non-verbal mediums
- Mindfulness and self-reflection
Adolescent Art Class
Targeted age 13-17
Days: Monday 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10
Time: 6:00-7:00pm
Instructor: Larissa Hankey (larissakatherineart@gmail.com)
Cost: $270
During this class, students will focus on using art as an outlet—learning to use creative expression as a healthy coping strategy for managing emotions, stress, and life challenges. Through guided projects and open-ended exploration, students will discover how art can help process difficult feelings, reduce anxiety, and provide a sense of control during uncertain or overwhelming times. This will help them in the outside world by equipping them with lifelong tools for emotional resilience.
Examples of targeted skills:
- Emotional regulation through creative outlets
- Stress management and calming techniques
- Self-awareness and introspection
- Building personal resilience
- Non-verbal communication of thoughts and feelings
- Problem-solving through metaphor and imagery
- Developing personal voice and confidence
- Building a healthy relationship with emotions
Register for Classes HERE
Summer Community Connections Camp
A Typical Day….
Each day, children participate in multiple small, group-based social skills sessions, followed by age-appropriate recreational activities designed to practice targeted social skills. Some common areas that are targeted are:
- Following directions
- Attending to and participating in group-based activities
- Requesting and accepting assistance
- Staying organized
- Completing challenges
- Joining a group
- Work based social skills for older students
- Self regulation
- Boundaries/Personal Space
- Giving & receiving compliments
Sample Clubs:
- Minecraft
- Game Club (board games)
- Art Club
- Builders Club (Legos)
- Music Club
- Outdoor Rec/Sports Club
- Science Club
Sample Daily Schedule
8:30a - Arrival
8:40a - Social Skill Lesson 1
9:00a - Skill Practice Activity 1
9:50a - Break
10:00a - Social Skill Lesson 2
10:20a - Skill Practice Game/Activity 2
11:10a - Break
11:20a - Lunch
11:50a - Social Skill Lesson 3
12:10p - Skill Practice Game/Activity 3
1:00p - Break
1:10p - Social Skill Lesson 4
1:30p - Skill Practice Game/Activity 4
1:40p - Clubs
2:30p - Pick Up
Staffing
The student staff ratio is 8:3. A Behavior Specialist will be on site at all times during camp. Staff are trained by Special Education Teachers that remain on site to support staff and students throughout the program.