Communiversity: Life Skills Academy™
Wilson Commencement Park initiated Rafiki: Rites of Passage Mentoring Program in 2007 to provide personal-development and character-building experiences for pre-teens and teens, ages 11 - 15, in the Rochester area.
Rafiki, which means "friend" in the Swahili African-language, exposes participants to culturally sensitive activities and life experiences to enable pre-teens and teens:
- to know and appreciate themselves
- to love themselves
- to respect themselves
- to develop mutual regard for others
In addition to developing friendships among their peers, the program promotes developing a positive bond with their parents or guardians. Each participant's parent or guardian engages in three parent-training sessions that promote positive relationships with their adolescent children.
About 25 pre-teens and teens, ages 11 - 15, participate participate in Rafiki during each session at the Park. Funding for the initial six-month progam came from First Presbyterian Church in Pittsford, First Niagara Bank and the John F. Wegman Fund.
The girls will go on field trips and attend four special events:
- Opening Ceremony
- Mother/Daughter Tea and Fashion Day
- Career Day Exploration
- Closing Ceremony
To perpetuate the principles garnered during Rafiki, each graduate will pledge, as part of the ritual, to select another girl from the next group of 25 girls following them in the program to mentor for six months,
Girls wishing to participate and adult volunteers may contact Bridgette Waters, Volunteer Coordinator and Alumni Relations by email or phone at 262-0484.
Adult mentors will guide the pre-teen and teen girls through Rafiki's six modules:
- Developing and Nurturing Relationships (The girls will work together to make lap quilts for senior citizens)
- Right is Right (etiquette)
- Loving All of Me (health, exercise, nutrition, avoiding and overcoming obesity, age-appropriate sexuality, the perils of smoking and the dangers of using with drugs)
- Mind is a Pearl (book club/scrapbooking)
- Pamper Me (personal hygiene and personal care)
- I Can Be All of That (career exploration)
Together we can weave a brighter future!
