About / Programs
Vision
Choices Mentoring Initiative seeks to decrease risk aspects and enhance resilience to overall participants' welfare and achievement.
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Mission
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The mission of the Choices Mentoring Initiative is to build relationships that connect youth to themselves, their family, and the community with learned skills that increase the feeling of value and inclusion, mutual respect, and self-identity. We work with youth to develop an understanding of themselves through the traversal of knowledge and skills to nurture their self-situation and identity.
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Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
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The Choices Mentoring Initiative tackles the following variables:
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Communication and conflict resolution skills.
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Connections to family, school, and community.
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Educational achievement.
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Emotional aptitude.
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Self-worth skills.
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Our Programs
Choices Mentoring Initiative seeks to decrease risk aspects and enhance resilience to overall participants' welfare and achievement.
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Weekly Program
Targeted Group: Youth from ages 10 - 17
With Dr. Emmanuel Bilé, Jean Luc Ahouan, and Jerome Edgerton Jr.
Tuesdays, 6-7 p.m.
475 Tyler Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201
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Curriculum
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The Choices Mentoring Initiative curriculum is designed to be facilitated after school by certified Choices
Mentoring Initiative staff or facilitators. The Choices Mentoring Initiative curriculum consists of 10 lessons that focus on understanding the human self /mind to assist participants in making choices, honing personal and interpersonal skills to traverse daily situations, and building strong family and community relationships.
Topic Specific Modules
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• Creativity challenges
• Group discussions
• Guest Speakers
• Roleplays
• Story Sharing
• Real life illustrations
• Videos
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Mentoring Initiative: Myself, My Family, and My Community
Mentors play the role of chaperones to the participants to help them connect the dots of learning and allow them to interact positively with an adult in their life, week to week. Mentors also provide a healthy space to build relationships and connections that support children and adolescents and the skills acquired. Additionally, due to the bond framed through the implementation of the educational plan, it is beneficial that the facilitator of the Choice Mentoring Initiative remains a constant factor with the participants.
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Framework for Prevention of My Choices
The basis for helping children and adolescents navigate vulnerabilities using the Choices: Myself, My Family, and My Community Mentoring Initiative are to empower participants to activate the innovative potential of the human brain, knowledge, and involvement. Ongoing studies show that mindfulness, knowledge, and involvement connect the lived experience of positive decision-making.
Positive choice-making and mindfulness practice impact the children and adolescents' vulnerabilities and risks related to bullying, anxiety, depression, and aggression while promoting resiliency, scholastic achievement, and emotional well-being.
Community Engagement
Choices: Myself, My Family, and My Community Mentoring Initiative empowers children and adolescents to apply their learned skills in giving back to their community by mentoring each other and new group participants.
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Reference: Kostova, Z., Levin, L., Lorberg, B., & Ziedonis, D. (2019). Mindfulness-based interventions for adolescents with mental health conditions: A systematic review of the research literature. Journal of Child &
Family Studies, 28(10), 2633-2649.