Hope Haven was founded in 1926, near the height of the tuberculosis epidemic in America, with a mission to serve malnourished and tuberculosis-infected children. Though it opened with just three patients, it quickly outgrew its original facility on the Trout River and, in 1940, moved to a large, white brick hospital on Atlantic Boulevard that quickly became a community landmark. As modern medicine brought tuberculosis under control, a new public health threat emerged – poliomyelitis, one of the most feared diseases of the mid-1900s. At its new hospital, Hope Haven shifted its attention to treating children afflicted with polio. By the 1960s, when the Salk vaccine began to stem the tide of polio victims, Hope Haven had treated more than 20,000 patients.As community needs continued to change, Hope Haven continued to adjust, providing general medical and surgical care for children. In 1980, with major changes occurring in the health care system, Hope Haven limited itself to outpatient services. In 1990, it sold the landmark hospital on Atlantic Boulevard and moved to a purpose-built facility on Beach Boulevard, where its staff treats children and families with a range of educational, developmental and mental health concerns.https://www.bluebeepals.com/bluebee-pals-project-participants/
Today, Hope Haven is recognized as one of the community’s leading nonprofit providers of specialized services for children and their families, and has earned the highest respect from its peers. It serves more than 5,000 families each year. https://www.hope-haven.org
“Thank you for your generous donation of Bluebee Pals to Hope Haven. The feedback on Bluebee Pals has been highly positive, and parents, educators, and therapists are impressed with the response and reactions from children. They are excited about this product and introducing Bluebee Pals in home and academic settings.” Arien Peppers, M.Ed : Hope Haven, 4600 Beach Blvd.Jacksonville, FL 32207
Bluebee Pas Testimonials
- “Bluebee Pals are an effective technology tool to engage children in pro-social skills. I introduced this interactive device to my children and in my classroom to discuss important subjects: boundaries, respect, and caring for one another. The children love engaging with Bluebee Pal Riley the Zebra, and I find Bluebee Pals adaptable, user friendly, and compatible with a host of apps. I can play songs for dance parties, tell stories via YouTube videos, and utilize various applications like ABC Mouse.” Apps Bluebee Pals
“I currently utilize Bluebee Pal as a source of encouragement for my 2-year-old during potty training. I use the Speak App to have Parker the Monkey encourage son to go to the potty and praise him when he does. It is an excellent aid, especially during these times where children have minimal contact with their peers.”
Elan Santiago, MS, LMHC-Licensed Mental Health Counselor: Special Needs Children Pre-school Age
2. “The children were in awe of the Bluebee Pals when we introduced them in our classroom. We use Bluebee during circle time during social-emotional lessons. They have opportunities to ask him questions, and we sometimes use him to role-play social situations to model how the students should approach things (asking to play with something, expressing why they are upset, etc.)”
“We also use him in our Calm Down Corner that students utilize when upset or angry. The student will go into the calm down corner, and we will use the Bluebee to help them talk through what they are feeling and offer comforting words. Bluebee Pal is an effective teaching assistant in our classroom, engaging children in communication and literacy.”
Educator: Kiara Moscrip: Teacher Ages 3-7 with Special Needs
- “I had the opportunity to see the Bluebee Pals at FAAST/Hope Haven a few weeks ago; it was so fascinating to realize that I could get Bluebee to say whatever I wanted. I brought it home for my 10-year-old daughter Piper to try, and she loved everything about it. She loved how cute the dog was even before setting up the iPad. She loved controlling what it said. We’ve had several friends over, and it’s always the first educational tool that the kids pick up to play with.” Carol Chiang, OTR/L, CAPS, ECHM, CHAMP-Thanks for making such a great product!”
Hope Haven
4600 Beach Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32207
Phone: 904-346-5100