VISION:
Using experiential learning modalities
in Wilderness Education, Adventure Leadership and Empowerment
Arts, we provide youth mentorship and training in connection
and need-serving communication, leadership and conflict transformation,
to support peace in ourselves and with others. We co-create
a "power with" culture of empathy, acceptance and
empowerment
to nurture fulfilling relationships and sustainable, life-serving
community. In relationship and connection with others, we change
the world exponentially.
GOALS: COmmunity and Mentorship Utilizing Nurturing
Intergenerational Training with Youth (CO.MUNITY) Project starts
in New England with the intention of being accessible for use
by other organizations internationally. Within the CO.MUNITY
organization, with partnership programs and with the youth we
serve, we build a micro-community
based on Marshall Rosenberg's nonviolent compassionate communication
(NVC),
conflict resolution, diversity tolerance and power sharing decision-making.
Training, practice and reinforcement of skills are taught and
modeled using experiential and fun teaching methods like: Adventure
Leadership, Empowerment Arts and Wilderness / Outdoor Education
in the form of games, creative arts exploration, challenges,
play and skill-building initiatives.
The purpose is to work in partnership programs focusing on youth
empowerment, adolescent development, prevention and rites of
passage mentorship for youth ages 12 - 17 like Boys To Men
(BTM),
Hawk
of May (HOM)
and
Girls
Initiate. By working with other youth organizations,
we bring diverse youth together for our connection and community
building forums, TEAMS.
In a community context like this, it is possible to teach, model
& reinforce new ways of empathy and life-serving communication
based on understanding needs to make connections when conflicts
arise. From here we can develop leadership skills for social
change action.
We also work with empowerment programs for pre-teens, ages 9
- 11 (like Girls
Circle and Hawk
of May Council).
To realize our mission for peace "inside YOUth", we
strongly encourage coming-of-age youth to begin their training
with us by participating in a recommended rites of passage program.
We affirm that world peace can happen one person at a time,
beginning right here within each of us and between all of us.
In our Western culture, we are starting to reflect on the value
of having community resources to support and nurture our children
and youth. Rites of passage mentoring programs are being recognized
as potent and meaningful foundations to create more stable,
conscious and responsible young adults who are then more prepared
and skilled at navigating choices about education, career, marriage
and family.
Adolescence happens and youth need to individuate and find their
identity independent of their parents. They will choose their
own “role-models” from among their peers, public
personalities, adults in their life, etc. Youth will mark their
transition from childhood to adulthood by creating their own
“rites” of passage IF THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T PROVIDE
IT... They will mark their bodies, take risks, and sometimes
join a “tribe” of their peers to find their power
and identity. Through sexual behavior, substance use, violence...
body tattoos, piercings, different clothes, new friends... they
cast off old identities of childhood and try to find new ways
to relate to the world.
The CO.MUNITY Project strives to support strategies based on
universal needs and values for our youth to make choices about
who they are and how they want to live. Though we don't call
ourselves a prevention program, we believe that change happens
internally as well as externally. When youth feel inner self-confidence,
compassion, empowerment and acceptance as well as outer need-serving
interpersonal relationships, conflict resolution skills and
leadership experience, they are better prepared to make healthy
decisions and life-serving actions related to substance abuse,
violence, teen pregnancy etc.
In partnership with youth programs and organizations: We . .
.
-
Build
self-efficacy, self empathy and connection
-
Provide
a unique and safe place where boys or girls can interact with
committed, conscientious men or women
- Help
youth discover and develop their individual strengths, talents
and gifts
- Challenge
youth to live lives of responsible need-serving action and
make a meaningful impact in the world
- Teach
boys and girls how to communicate with goals of meeting needs
and to transform conflicts
-
Affirm that when we accept and love ourselves we can accept
and love others
- Teach
youth how to make conscious and empowered choices
- Nurture
hope, confidence and courage
In Summary: We realize our mission of "World
peace from the inside out: Inside YOUth; In RELATionships; Within
CommUNITY" in a three part program: 1. Youth
Coming of Age & Mentorship, 2. Connection,
Fulfilling Relationships & Community and 3. Social
Change Action...Our mission to find peace inside
youth begins in the rites of passage programs with the addition
of our connection programs. Together we provide youth with life-serving
opportunities for experiential learning with mentors and peers
in an intergenerational micro-community. Then with our youth
action initiative, we develop leadership skills and practice
life-enhancing communication, empathy, power sharing decision-making
and peace building with the wider community.
Center for programs and training: Turtle
Oak Center is our vision of a central site for training,
rites of passage and education. To meet our goals for creating
a nurturing environment for our program training and events,
we are seeking land that meets our collective needs. We are
currently looking for land-owners who have the vision and interest
in donating, making land use accessible or working with us toward
the purchase of a piece of land. (For more information on our
land acquisition vision and objectives: Turtle
Oak Land ) |
|
