Power Turtles

Power Turtles is a program for two and 3-year-olds, created by Barbara McCoy Carrier, MS, in 2005 as part of her Psychology and Theology studies at Eastern University in St. David's, Pennsylvania. At the time, there were no programs designed for such young children. With assistance from the psychology department, Barbi developed this program to meet both the learning needs of these children and the requirements of their parents. For almost ten years, Power Turtles was the ONLY program globally tailored for this age group, and it remains unique in its design, specifically crafted for their developmental stages. Children in this class interact only with peers of the same age, and instructors are specially trained to accommodate their learning styles, emotional fluctuations, and their need for connection with family. Our mission focuses on fostering visible behaviors of self-discipline and self-respect within a challenging yet supportive environment. We aim to ensure that children do not feel overwhelmed while understanding the importance of learning from failures as a pathway to success. The ladder of success is outlined below, with promotions from one belt to the next occurring every four months for those who qualify. Our evaluations primarily focus on improvement in attitude as aligned with our mission, alongside gradually increasing demonstrations of accountability for their actions. The highest rank attainable in this program is the optional Master Turtle rank, which can be earned by successfully performing the current cycle's form as well as the previous cycle's form.