Our Prevention Team (from left): Nicole, Diana, Carl, Devan, and Rita.
We asked the Prevention Education (PE) Team to talk about what they are most excited about for this school year, or one improvement the team has made over the summer:
Ms. Diana: Student Engagement
I am most excited to be connecting with students and providing them a space to connect and develop social and emotional support, even while distance learning is in place. Our Child Safety Presentations are designed to be engaging for online learning. I’ve been engaging students by asking them to use the chat box to answer questions, telling stories and anecdotes to connect the topics, and using activities like green flag and red flag, where students can show a thumbs up if the example is a healthy or safe behavior.
Nicole: Professional Development Workshops
One positive addition to our Prevention Education Program has been launching the workshop series of four online workshops over the summer. We worked hard to make the online trainings relevant, accessible, and engaging, while focusing on building participants' skills in supporting survivors and using trauma informed practices. I’m also excited for Zoom icebreakers and activities, like a virtual scavenger hunt!
Devan: Guest Speakers
Our community has a wealth of inspiring individuals including artists, activists, mental health professionals and more. Since the My Life & MyStrength clubs are being hosted virtually, we are able to bring our amazing community members to meetings to give students a taste of how they can care for themselves and enact change. We’re eager to provide students an opportunity for mentorship and connection!
Rita: Racial Justice
2020 has been such a whirlwind for MCRCC’s PE team but we’ve managed to adjust and adapt to the needs of our clients and staff, and the ever changing world. One of our main focuses as a team has been on that of racial justice. MCRCC has always advocated for racial justice and is a human rights organization, but has committed to doing even more to be an ally to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Over the summer, all of our staff have been focused on specific discussions, readings and/or activities to make certain our agency is actively anti-racist; we’ve talked about the very prevalent BLM movement, watched and discussed the Netflix docuseries “Immigration Nation,” and have continued on looking for ways we can continue these discussions and help push our agency towards the assurance of being an actively anti-racist organization. I am proud to see the work being done and the changes coming to fruition.
Carl: Social and Emotional Health
It is with much anticipation and excitement that I look forward to this year's prevention clubs starting up again! Many students face challenges in so many new ways, so it’s more important than ever that we offer a space for students to connect with their peers, destress, and socialize. Despite the challenges, I am determined to continue the MyStrength Club and support what is at its core; a safe place where youth can connect, be heard, valued, and safely express their opinions and dreams. Youth need a place to learn healthy and safe skills, to navigate life’s stressors, and build healthy relationships, and for many students, that place is the MyStrength club. I'm privileged to support youth in the choice to use their Strength to build a better life for themselves and their community!
