For some people, managing a large group of children with special needs can be a real challenge. But for junior Samantha Skobel, it’s a walk in the park.

Skobel was able to creatively combine her passion for nature with her natural ability to work well with kids with special needs, by forming a successful program at Hidden Pond Nature Center.

The program is designed to get the kids more involved with nature and familiarize them with different plants and animals.

“We do a variety of activities that help the kids learn about nature and the outdoors,” said Skobel. “We built a forest out of paper, feathers, and other materials.”

Skobel first began volunteering at the nature center in seventh and eighth grade, and recently started up the program for kids aged six to eighteen.

With the creation of her new program, Skobel is able to simultaneously benefit kids with special needs while continuing to do what she loves.

In order to efficiently advertise her organization, Skobel branches out to a variety of people. She posts flyers at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) and through Parents of Autistic Children (POAC), in addition to sending emails to the kids and their parents.

“I babysit for some kids with special needs and I talked to their mom about going to Hidden Pond,” said Skobel. “I figured there were other kids who had special needs that I could bring along as well.”

With the creation of her program, Skobel gained the support of fellow volunteers from Hidden Pond, including sophomore Erin Boyer. Skobel’s sister, Jessica, and the assistant manager of the nature center, Mike McCaffrey, aid Samantha in continuing the program.

“[Samantha] knows the kids really well and she can connect with them,” said Boyer. “She’s really good at organization and knows a lot of information about nature.”

Starting the program has positively influenced Samantha for her future and she plans on continuing it throughout high school. It has also given her insight on interacting well with kids with special needs, as she desires to work with special needs students when she’s older.

“Every kid reacts differently,” said Samantha. “One kid can love the activity and one can be afraid of it.”

Her program has changed both the perspective of the kids and the volunteers, helping Samantha to make it successful. Both have learned from each other and continue to grow along with the program.

“Her program opened my eyes to the different disabilities of kids and how to deal with certain kids,” said Boyer.