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The Girls Circle:
Structured gender-specific/age-specific support groups for girls from 10-18 years, integrates relational theory, resiliency practices, and skills training in a specific format designed to increase positive connection, personal and collective strengths, and competence in girls. It aims to counteract social and interpersonal forces that impede girls’ growth and development by promoting an emotionally safe setting and structure within which girls can develop caring relationships and use authentic voices.
Girls Circle groups are held weekly for two hours. Each week the facilitator leads the group of girls through a format that includes each girl taking turns talking and listening to one another respectfully about their concerns and interests. The girls express themselves further through creative or focused activities such as role playing, drama, journaling, poetry, drama, dance, drawing, collage, clay, and so on. Gender specific themes and topics are introduced which relate to the girls’ or lives, such as trusting ourselves, friendships, goals, sexuality, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, competition, and decision-making, violence, aggression, etc. Facilitators are trained and certified by Girls Circle, Inc. (Girls’ Circle, 2006).
Boys Council: Boys Council is a
strengths-based group approach to promote boys’ and young men’s safe, strong and healthy passage through pre-teen and adolescent years.
Are you an adult who cares about boys? Boys Council groups encourage boys and young men to: act safely show respect in their relationships develop a healthy perspective see other’s points of view use good judgment and find their
goals and dreams and pursue for them.
Boys Council meets a core developmental need in boys for strong, positive relationships. In this
healthy and structured environment, boys and young men gain the vital opportunity to address masculine definitions and behaviors and build their capacities to find their innate value and create good
lives, individually and collectively. (Boys Council, 2008).
In Boys Council, boys and young men will-
Experience belonging and connection with adults and peers
Discover
the principles they want to live by
Recognize others’ perspectives and experiences
Develop empathic skills
Participate in fun and stimulating activities
Find motivation and
courage to act on their principles
Desire to act with self-respect
Find respect for girls and women, and for all those that they perceive as vulnerable
Embrace the power within
themselves and within their bonds as a community
Learn to be allies with one another and within all of their relationships
Find restored hope, belief, and skills to live a good life.
One-on-One Mentoring Program: Each week girls/boys meet with their mentor for two hours. The mentor/mentee dyads participate in various activities such as sports,
cultural events, theatre, educational events, etc. The mentors are adult friends to the mentees. The mentees are encouraged to talk to their mentors about any issues that are of concern
to them. All volunteer Mentors are fully trained and screened.
A.C.T. on Faith
Faith based
initiative; in excess of 50 faith-based organizations throughout the Lower Hudson Valley and New York City collaborate to effect recruitment of volunteers and to attract men and women of
faith to support our mission of creating socially adept, moral young adults. The A.C.T. on Faith program also assists youth and families in times of need.
Parents Support Group
Bi-weekly
meetings designed to support parents in exchanging ideas and opinions on specific situations/concerns. Through these support groups’ parents learn new strategies and tactics for promoting
healthy, happy relationships with their children.
Court Advocacy
Designed for working parents who are not able
to go to court with their children; for parents who do not feel comfortable attending court; and for parents who do not understand the court system. A.C.T. Inc. is dedicated to ensuring
that children and youth never have to go to court without the support of a caring adult. With this commitment, a court advocate will accompany any client for their court dates.
Mentor Collaboration
Mentor support group. Mentors meet one time per month to exchange ideas.
Support A.C.T.
We need your support to keep these programs active for our teens. Please volunteer. If your company is looking for a great way to “give-back” to the community, visit our Support Team page for more details on how you as an individua or your company can help teens succeed.
Every dollar helps us keep our programs active for our teens. Click on the button below to give us a hand financially.
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