rites of passage newsletter
DESCRIPTION
Girls Club newsletter of events and programTRANSCRIPT
DECEMBER 2011
Meet the Staff
Vice President
Saliha Nelson
Northwestern
University
Graduate, BS
Programs
Manager
Shedia Nelson
Hawai`i Pacific University
Graduate, BA Mentor
Carla Stitt
Tennessee State
University
Graduate, BS
Inside this issue:
Upcoming Events 2
News stories 3
Snaps 4
Advice Column 5
Calendar 6
Urgent, In
c.’s m
ission
is to em
power young
min
ds to help
trans-
form
comm
unities.
Reproductive Justice
Initiative Conceptual Photog-
raphy Exhibit Includes “She Kept Her Bra On”
play excerpt performance
When: Friday, Dec. 2nd for Art Basel in collaboration with
Transformer Art Installation Community Fundraiser
& When: Thursday, Dec. 8th
at O Cinema
More details on pg. 2
UPCOMING EVENTS
What: Museum of Contemporary Art
Women on the Rise
When: Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Time: 3-5pm
Where: Booker T. Washington Senior high school
Activity: Celebration of contemporary women artist with historical reference and visual art project incorporating conven-tional and unconventional media like pho-tography and experimental multi-media collages. ART PROJECTS
Photo Courtesy: Alx
RITES OF PASSAGE
Urgent, Inc. 1600 NW 3rd Ave.,
Blg D Miami, FL 33136 (O) 305.576.3084 (C) 305.586.6694 (F) 866-811-7778
www.urgentinc.org Email: [email protected]
When: Saturday, December 17, 2011
Hands 2 Help, Inc. Holiday Cheers Event
Time: 12:00noon
Where: American Legion Park
6447 NE 7th Ave.
Earn community service hours
Food, entertainment
and gifts!
PAGE 2 RITES OF PASSAGE
This initiative is a youth-led project for social change that is
geared to build aware-ness, educate their
peers and advocate for policy changes that
will help prevent Teen Dating Violence. “She
Kept Her Bra On: Girls Stories of Em-
powerment, Self-Discovery and Ac-
ceptance” is a power-ful youth led original play about young la-
dies affirming ac-ceptance of their body image, reproductive health rights, teen pregnancy and providing awareness of
teen dating violence. Excerpts of the play will be performed.
A must see play!
JANUARY 27-29th
What: Camping with Sierra Club Miami
Inner City Outings
FEBRUARY
Bra Fitting at
Macy’s Aventura
Get a FREE BRA!
MARCH
Etiquette Lunch
APRIL
Career Tour
MAY
When: Saturday, May 12th
“She Kept Her Bra On! Girls Stories of
Empowerment, Self Discovery and Acceptance”
NEW Play Sequel production
When: Saturday, May 26th
GRADUATION CEREMONY BANQUET
A Reproductive Justice Initiative: SHE KEPT HER BRA ON! - THE CAMPAIGN FOR GIRLS WELL-BEING
A Youth-Led Project for Social Change to prevent Teen Dating Violence
She Kept Her
Bra On!
Youth Led Campaign Girls Well-being
Rites of Passage young la-dies’ conceptual photog-raphy will be exhibited
Thursday, December 8th with youth led discussions
on teen dating violence from their perspective on their photos and research
findings.
Come “See it Our Way” photo voice exhibit and
see excerpts of the youth led original play, She Kept Her Bra On: Girls Stories
of Empowerment, Self-Discovery and Acceptance.
Thursday, December 8th
Time: 3-5pm
Refreshments
Location: O Cinema 90 NW 29th St.
Miami, FL 33127
“She Kept Her Bra On” play
A Collaboration with Transformer Community Fundraising for Art Basel
When: Friday, December 2, 2011 Time: 7pm-7:30pm Where: Collins Park
Directly across Bass Museum 201 21 St. Miami, Beach 33139
PAGE 3 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
safely. The baby can not be turned off.
Participants will: Have a realistic experience
in caring for an infant in a safe environment with
meaningful evaluation and feedback.
Increase awareness of the time commitment and con-
stant, caring attention a ba-by needs, and the im-
portance of having these skills before bringing a baby
into the world. Build character, teach re-
sponsibility, and encourage healthy babies, healthy fami-lies, and as a result, healthy
communities.
Some young ladies from Rites of Pas-sage will have an opportunity to learn how to provide care for a simulated baby during Winter break. While some kids will be relaxing during their winter break, these girls have chose long sleep-less nights to tend to their simulated baby’s needs for 4 days, keep a record of all feedings, diaper changes and soothe baby at all times without any assistance from an adult or anyone else. They will provide full time care and must take their baby everywhere they go
Real Care Baby Simulation Experiential Learning during Winter Break
Downtown Miami— Fourteen young ladies from Rites of Passage Girls Club attended the
Miami Dade College Book Fair In-ternational. For many of them it was their first time ever attending the book fair who enjoyed listening to interna-tional extraordinary talented musicians Black Violin which is a fusion of where Hip Hop meets classical. Many of the young ladies jammed and danced in
their seats to their favorite Hip Hop songs performed by Black Violin. Mar-guerite enjoyed “their exquisite expres-sion of Hip Hop music we listen to mixed with classical.” Kervelene Saintvil was happy to see “the characters walking around who we grew up with and took pictures with.”
Downtown Mi-ami— Five young ladies including peer educator Tanisha
Fleming and a grandparent, Elsie Hub-bard from Urgent, Inc.’s Intergenera-tional Project. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the performances from the New World School of the Arts high school students choreographed by Peter London and college students from Uni-versity of Florida. Elsie Hubbard appre-ciated the UF students who “danced from their heart and soul and you could feel the emotion and energy through their performance.”
Fieldtrip Reviews
Dear Blue Rain, How can you go out with a guy who has HIV? Sincerely, Curious
Dear Curious, The person could reveal their status to their partner after building trust in a relationship when that person’s status wouldn’t impact about how they feel about each other. The cou-ple could go learn how to have a healthy relation-
ship and how to be sup-portive of the person with HIV.
HIV facts: In 2009, black women ac-counted for 30% of the es-timated new HIV infections among all blacks In 2009, black men ac-counted for 70% of the es-timated new HIV infections among all blacks. 81% of persons aged 15–24 70% of persons aged 13–14 In 2009, the rate of new HIV infections among black women was 15 times that
of white women, and over 3 times the rate among Hispanic/Latina women according to the census bu-reau. Sincerely, Blue Rain
Dear Blue Rain...
PAGE 4 RITES OF PASSAGE
Snaps! Poetic Expressions It means Step into my Life My shoes to see now me and
my relationship with my boy-friend is. The ups and downs. All the quality time we share and how every thing is going
Peaceful Loving Loyal
Respect Freedom Caring
Understanding Faithful
By Zakilra Parker
Treat Me This Way My Poem My Love My love My heart
Treat me with kindness And you’ll be my cuteness
So treat me with love, honesty, trust so we can be together
The brightness as the sun and beautiful as a flower
Be my love and my heart Treat me this way
By Alecia Denny
My Manual If you’re with me
You got to be all of what I look at love
If you gon be with me you have to:
Respect me for who I am and don’t try to
change me Love me 24/7 for the
rest of my life Treat me with kind-ness and not with
disrespect
If you can’t get with me you can just bounce
If you gon be stuck on me then love me
This is me so take it or leave it Decorate my love with nuthin but kindness, friendliness and
love
By Chantel Brianne Darrisaw
A Ticking Heart in Time
This is my heart ticking in time The way you make me feel How you make me laugh
And smile the way I can trust you and not complain
The love I feel when I’m around you how you respect me
and call me baby girl around your homeboys
because you don’t care what they think or how they feel
Romantic you are It’s hard not to explain
This is my heart ticking in time and I won’t complain
By Ashley Hill
My Manual
What I want Won’t Tolerate Smart Being yelled at
Supporter Called names Queen Lies Appreciative Disrespect Violent Free Cheating By Daphney Timothee
What it Means to me to step into my own beat
It means you’re a friend Best friend, boyfriend or family
Who understands me To consider my feelings and my
presence Even if I don’t have feelings
But my emotions in the mood I’m in
In a relationship, it does not matter the color of your skin,
religion and wealth. It matters in a relationship
Your love, your protection, care, and loyalty because that’s all
that matters in my beat By Anonymous
Loyalty Joy Love Freedom Peace Trust By Tatyana Wimberly
Me I am great I am me
I’m unique I’m beautiful I’m a person
I am more than I expected I am strong
I am watched over I am loved
<3 By Anonymous
PAGE 5 RITES OF PASSAGE
PAGE 6 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
MOCA: Women on the Rise Art Pro-
World Dance Celebration
at New World School of
the Arts
Miami Dade Book
Fair International
Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens World Dance Celebration
at New World School of
the Arts
Barry University
Campus Tour
5
Where: B. T. Washington, Sr. (BTW)
1200 NW 6th Ave. Miami, FL 33136
When: Monday—Thursday
Time: 2:30-5:00pm Room: 308
Work America, Inc.
430 NW 9th St. Miami, FL 33136
When: Mondays Time: 6:30-8pm
Rites of Passage Girls Clubs!
For Who: Girls ages10-18
Closed: Holiday and Spring Break, Teacher Planning, Early Release Days and inclement weather
*For more information:
Call (305) 576-3084 or
(305) 586-6694
Where: Edison Eduplex High School
6161 NW 5th Ct. Miami, Fl 33127
When: Wednesdays and Thursdays
Time: 3–5pm Rm: A-121
Rites of Passage Academy Girls Club Meetings
THANK YOU COMMUNITY PARTNERS Hands 2 Help, Inc.: Pas-sage to Womanhood 2nd year partnership
Sierra Club Miami Inner City Outings 7 year part-nership
Dade County Bar Asso-ciation Horizons Com-mittee, 6 year partner-ship
Mi-Lola—Miami Interna-tional Latinas Organizing Leadership and Advoca-cy, 3rd year partnership
IT Women—Information Technology,
3rd year partnership
Museum of Contempo-rary Art (MOCA): Women On The Rise
Booker T. Washington SHS, 7 year partnership
9 year partnership
Thank you for re-funding
Rites of Passage for
2011-2012
The Rites of Passage Program is generously funded by The Children’s Trust. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of funding created by voter referendum in 2002 to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County by making strategic investments in their future – because all children are our children.
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