Skylar Zeaman

Friends@Home is a unique weekly program that brings two people together to build a genuine friendship, unlike any other.

The Friends@Home team works diligently to match up pairs of friends based on age, interests, and geographic location. Friends@Home pairs play games, create unique artwork, or do any other fun activities they choose!

Participating in Friends@Home is an incredible step toward building a lasting relationship between two friends who may not have met otherwise!

• Created a safe and welcoming environment for all of those involved
• Encouraged trying new activities
• Communicated well with organization, friends and friend's family

During the school year, I would pick up the oldest child from the bus stop with the youngest (at the time) alongside me. I would offer afterschool help and prepared snacks and games. During the summer I would pick up children from camps, and take them and accompany them to various activities. I would also support mom with infant care when she was working from home, or if she needed to run errands, pick up other children from activities, etc.

• Communicated positively with children and guardians.
• Organized and cleaned the home after activities by picking up toys and straightening up the playroom.
• Reassured children when upset providing emotional support and stability.
• Handled conflicts between siblings effectively using conflict resolution techniques resulting in a more peaceful household.
• Offered emotional support by actively listening to children's concerns and responding empathetically while fostering their problem-solving abilities.

• Philly Friendship Circle (PFC) is a nonprofit volunteer-based organization that works with all ages of children and young adults of all abilities.
• Sunday Circle is just one of the many programs PFC has to offer and is one I was involved with for many years.
• A day of Sunday Circle involves a volunteer being paired with a friend of any ability for a handle of hours. There are a total of four groups that are split by PFC's friends' ages and volunteers travel with their new friend from activity to activity. These activities include and are not limited to:
• -Art
• -Movement
• -Music
• -Dance
• -Karate
• -Cooking
• As a volunteer at Sunday Circle, I had the pleasure of meeting many new friends with an abundance of personalities and got to work with ages ranging from two years old to twenty years old and participate with them in all sorts of activities as listed above. As much as Sunday is a structured environment it is created as a customized experience for everyone and their unique needs. As a volunteer, we encourage our friends to at least try each activity, but you will also see pairs of friends going on walks throughout the program, or going to the quiet room to cool down and do some activities with a little more of a calmer environment.

The Executive Board is composed of teens who have previously served on the General Board and want to further their commitment to Leadership. They are the Co-Chairs for the General Board committees. In addition to the skills listed for the General Board, Executive Board members enhance their project management skills, like: planning and implementing meetings, creating agendas, delegating and following up on tasks, and gathering feedback. Executive Board members ultimately learn to take the initiative, make final decisions, and set reachable goals.

• Achieved board objectives by strategically aligning resources and initiatives with organizational goals.
• Established and maintained strong relationships with sponsors and strategic partners.
• Represented the organization at industry conferences and events.

I worked as a Camp Counselor and teacher at a daycare during their summer program. Over the three summers that I worked there, I enriched, supported, and nurtured children of various ages ranging from infants to five years old.

• Worked with children of varying ages, interests, skills, and developmental levels.
• Ensured smooth transitions between activities by efficiently managing time and resources throughout each day.
• Promoted camper growth through individualized attention, mentorship, and skill-building opportunities.
• Ensured camper safety by enforcing camp rules, supervising group activities, and responding promptly to incidents or concerns.
• Led groups of children safely through a variety of camp activities.
• Acted as positive role model, demonstrating strong leadership skills and exemplifying the camp's core values.
• Collaborated with other camp counselors to design fun and enriching learning activities for campers.