Safety - June Developmental Asset

Young people feel safe at home, at school, and in the neighborhood.

This document is designed to help adults throughout Santa Clara County develop materials and activities to promote the asset of adult role models.

Newsletter Content

The following text may be used in organizational newsletters. Please include the attribution at the end of the article.

 The Importance of Safety

Feeling safe at home, at school, and in the community is necessary for young people’s health and wellbeing. There are multiple elements of safety for young people, all of which are important to help children thrive. These elements include safety from accidents and hazards, safety from crime and violence, and safety from bullying and harassment, just to name a few.

For young people, feeling unsafe often results physical, emotional, and social consequences. Youth who feel unsafe skip school more often, achieve less academically, have fewer friends, and are more likely to bring weapons to school.

In Project Cornerstone’s 2011 survey, only 62% of 4th-6th graders and 47% of 7th-12th graders reported that they feel safe at home, at school, and in their neighborhoods. To help raise awareness of the importance of safety to youth’s psychological as well as physical wellbeing, June is Safety month in Silicon Valley.

The following discussion topics can help young people identify the ways and locations where they do, and do not, feel safe, and promote conversations about how to improve safety for themselves and others.

• Has anything happened at school, in the neighborhood, at the mall, or anywhere else to make you feel unsafe, afraid, or worried?

• Do you know what to in case of an earthquake? Fire? Serious injury or illness?

• If you or a friend were being bullied, what would you do?

While safety is a critical concern, it’s also important that adults help young people understand that small risks are normal. Sometimes overstressing safety can lead children to avoid healthy risks that help them grow. Helping young people learn to manage their own safety and react in case of emergency will help them develop confidence and independence that will serve them well throughout their lives.

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s Asset-a-Month program. For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org.

Activities

For Families

• Does everyone understand the rules about answering the phone, opening the door to strangers, spending time at home alone? Work together on rules that everyone can agree upon and follow.

• Does everyone understand where to go and what to do in a fire or other emergency? Practice fire and earthquake drills so that children can easily recall the instructions during the stress and confusion of an actual event. Together, identify at least three neighbors to whom your children can go in case of an emergency at home.

• Hold honest, open, and age-appropriate discussions with your children about personal safety, avoiding dangerous situations, and what to do if they feel threatened.

• Talk to your children about bullying, including what to do if they or their peers are being bullied. Bullying is a form of intimidation, and directly impacts young people’s sense of personal safety and comfort.

For All Adults

• Make your home a safe place for all children in the neighborhood to go if they’re threatened, hurt, or lost.

• Create or serve on a neighborhood watch group for your community.

• Be an “ask-able adult” who youth can go to when they have questions or concerns about their safety.

• Model safe behaviors! Wear a helmet when you ride a bicycle and fasten your seat-belt in the car.

• Pay attention to what’s going on with the youth around you, and intervene if it seems that someone is being threatened, harassed, or bullied, or if youth are engaging in unsafe behaviors.

At school or in youth programs

• Take a safety walk! Canvass the area with youth to identify places where people might get hurt or threatened, and discuss where the young people do and don’t feel safe at the site. Brainstorm ways to address the issues, and work with the administration or facility staff to solve the problems.

• Create and communicate clearly defined rules for physical behaviors as well as interpersonal behaviors. It’s important that youth know that bullying is not acceptable. Discuss and role-play ways that youth can stand up for themselves and their peers if they’re being bullied. Make sure that youth understand the importance of reporting bullying incidents and the difference between reporting and “telling.”

• Involve parents and caretakers in safety discussions to ensure message consistency and reinforcement

Resources

• Take 25 (http://www.take25.org) is a program of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children encouraging parents to take 25 minutes to discuss safety issues with their children. Their list of conversation starters at http://www.take25.org/res/pdf/Take_25_Conversation_Starters.pdf covers online and offline personal safety topics for young children, tweens, and teenagers.

• Electronic bullying online or through mobile phones, known as “cyberbullying,” is a growing phenomenon, especially with the relative anonymity for bullies. A good resource to help youth understand the issues is http://www.stopcyberbullying.org. For adults, http://www.cyberbullying.us  serves as a clearinghouse for the latest research and information about cyberbullying.

• For K-12 schools, Project Cornerstone offers the Expect Respect peer abuse and bullying prevention workshop. With the guidance of a skilled facilitator, teams of diverse students develop leadership skills and action plans to promote healthy behaviors and reduce bullying on campus. Contact Project Cornerstone at (408) 351-6482 or info@projectcornerstone.org for more information.

About the Asset-a-Month Program

The goals of the Silicon Valley Asset-a-Month program are to help align adults throughout our diverse community in their efforts to promote positive youth development by fostering developmental assets. For more information about the Asset-a-Month program, contact Project Cornerstone at (408) 351-6482 or info@projectcornerstone.org.

Reverend Felecia Mulvany, D.D.

President, Sacred Foundations, Inc.

revmulvany@sacredfoundations.net

www.sacredfoundations.net

877-877-4275

Morning Blessing

https://youtu.be/X5nNZ-NVHKk

Youth Programs - May Asset of the Month

Young people spend three or more hours per week in sports, clubs, or organizations at school and/or in community organizations.

This document is designed to help adults throughout Santa Clara County develop materials and activities to promote the asset of adult role models.

Newsletter Content

The following text may be used in organizational newsletters. Please include the attribution at the end of the article.

The Importance of Youth Programs

Youth programs—which include sports, scouting, recreation, camps, after-school programs, and religious programs—can provide fulfilling experiences that help young people develop new skills and master challenges. They also provide a safe place for youth outside of school where they can be in contact with caring non-parent adults.

Research shows that the developmental asset of participation in youth programs results in increased self-esteem; better development of life skills, leadership skills, and public speaking abilities; fewer psycho-social problems such as loneliness, shyness, and hopelessness; decreased risk behaviors; and more thriving indicators.

Nearly half of the youth in Santa Clara County don’t participate in youth programs. In Project Cornerstone’s 2011 survey, 56% of 4th-6th graders and 60% of 7th-12^th graders reported that they participate in youth programs three or more hours each week. To help raise awareness of the importance of this developmental asset, April is Youth Programs month in Silicon Valley

The following discussion topics, adapted from the book What Teens Need to Succeed, can help young people of all ages recognize the value of youth programs, and better understand the benefits of the programs in which they participate: • Overall, are you happy with how many different things you do with your time?

• Are your activities stimulating and challenging?

• Are you making friends with caring, responsible adults in your activities?

• Are you learning new skills and talents, and acquiring new knowledge?

• Do these activities bring out your best?

If the young person can’t answer “yes” to most of these questions, then it may be time to discuss the program’s activities with the adults in charge or to help the youth find new, meaningful activities that better meet his or her interests.

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s Asset-a-Month program.

For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org 

Activities

For families

• Make sure that your children are participating in positive, asset-building youth programs that they enjoy. If they’re not, help them find new programs that meet their interests. Help them understand that they might not fully enjoy or benefit from the program immediately, and encourage them to make a time commitment of a certain number of weeks or months to give the program an adequate chance.

• When your younger children join a new program, help them with introductions to their peers. They’ll feel more comfortable and confident when they know the other participants.

• At mealtime, ask your children specific questions about the activities, leaders, and other participants in their youth programs. It’s a good way to spark conversation and to make sure that their programs are meeting their needs and interests.

• While participating in sports can be positive for young people, the intense competition that can occur in sports programs typically is not. Make sure that coaches balance the competitive aspect of sports with the development of positive skills like leadership, teamwork, and good sportsmanship.

• Role-model positive behavior when attending sporting events. Good sportsmanship in the bleachers helps youth practice managing their own responses to challenges and successes.

For all adults

• Youth programs can provide excellent volunteer opportunities! If you have a skill or talent to share, offering it in a youth program is a great way to make a difference.

• Looking for ongoing or one-time youth volunteers? Check with the leaders of youth programs near you. Your needs might dovetail with one of their service or skills development projects, making it possible for youth to serve as resources and gain valuable experience.

At school or in youth programs

• Youth program staff have exceptional opportunities to serve as asset builders for the youth they serve, acting as role models, mentors, and caring, non-family adults. Make sure that all program staff have been trained in the developmental assets framework, with additional guidance to identify and take advantage of asset building opportunities that arise.

• Regularly review activity plans with an eye toward providing opportunities for youth members to help decide and plan activities, and finding ways to incorporate service opportunities into the program’s primary mission. Intentionally make it a top priority for program staff to be a positive influence on the youth in your program.

About the Asset-a-Month Program

The goals of the Silicon Valley Asset-a-Month program are to help align adults throughout our diverse community in their efforts to promote positive youth development by fostering developmental assets. For more information about the Asset-a-Month program, contact Project Cornerstone at (408) 351-6482 or info@projectcornerstone.org 

Reverend Felecia Mulvany, D.D.

President, Sacred Foundations, Inc.

revmulvany@sacredfoundations.net

www.sacredfoundations.net

877-877-4275

Spring and the Green Man

For our ancestors, many elemental spirits were associated with nature, wildlife, and plant growth.

Historically the Green Man, typically portrayed as a human face surrounded by dense foliage, symbolized the life that is found within the plant world, and in the earth itself.

The Green Man dates back to pre-Christian times, but many churches built in middle ages Europe still featured this elemental deity cunningly hidden, by stone masons within the framework of Gothic cathedrals and churches. 

As the old ways merged with the new it was understood that a deep bond still existed between the human and natural worlds, a relationship that would upon reflection, be mutually beneficial to the well-being of all within the fundamental cycle of life, death and rebirth.

Many indigenous cultures view the Earth as a cosmic hoop, or circle if you will. The circle is an extremely ancient symbol, associated with the earth Mother and sky Father, and embodies the concept of wholeness and completion within the natural world.

Photograph by Reverend Steve Waites

There are four main directions located at the cardinal points around this sacred circle.  In the northern hemisphere, Winter traditionally sits in the north and is associated with the requirement that all of nature undertake a quiet period of rest and reflection. Next we move to the East, the place of the rising Sun, the element of Air and the season known as Spring.

There are four main directions located at the cardinal points around this sacred circle.  In the northern hemisphere, Winter traditionally sits in the north and is associated with the requirement that all of nature undertake a quiet period of rest and reflection. Next we move to the East, the place of the rising Sun, the element of Air and the season known as Spring.

With the arrival of expansive atmospheric quality of Spring, the pulse of life quickens which naturally leads some to consider releasing that which no longer serves them, whether it be  mentally, emotionally or physically as we collectively go forward with a lightness of heart at this time of new beginnings, creative pursuits, hope, joy and most importantly the emergence of new life. 

Reverend Steve Waites, M.Th

Sacred Foundations, Inc.

Trustee, Instructor

Reverend Waites has spent a lifetime studying sacred geometry,

leylines and indigenous cultures and rituals.

We look forward to his upcoming articles on fractals.

Service to Others-April Asset of the Month

Young people serve in the community one hour or more per week.

This document is designed to help adults throughout Santa Clara County develop materials and activities to promote the asset of adult role models.

Newsletter Content

The following text may be used in organizational newsletters. Please include the attribution at the end of the article.

The Importance of Service to Others

Community service, volunteering, and service learning do more than allow youth to help the community—these activities also provide youth with the positive experiences, relationships, and connections that help them thrive. Research shows that the developmental asset of service to others results in higher academic performance, increased self-esteem, reduced incidence of depression, better problem-solving skills, and increased community involvement as an adult.

Unfortunately, most youth in Santa Clara County don’t participate in significant service to others. In Project Cornerstone’s 2011 survey, 32% of 4th-6th graders and only 47% of 7th-12th graders reported that they serve in the community one or more hours each week. To help raise awareness of the importance of this developmental asset, April is Service to Others month in Silicon Valley.  One reason that youth may not serve is the perception that their assistance isn’t welcomed—a Gallup poll found that adolescents were four times more likely to volunteer and help out in the community if they were asked, but only half of a national sample of youth reported that adults asked them to help out. Youth gain the greatest benefit from service programs that enable them to “do” instead of observe; to work with supportive adults; to demonstrate responsibility, to explore their own interests and ideas, and to reflect on the meaning of their activities.

The following discussion topics can help young people recognize the value of service to others and identify new kinds of service opportunities:

• Ask a young person to complete this sentence: “One way I’d like to change the world is…”

• What are some needs or problems that you see and are concerned about in the community? What do you think can solve these issues? What can you do to get the ball rolling?

• If you had to commit one year after high school to performing service in your own community, elsewhere in the United States, or abroad, where would you go and what would you choose to do?

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s Asset-a-Month program.

For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org.

Activities

For families

• At mealtime, share your recent community service activities with your family.  This discussion demonstrates that your family values service, enables you to role-model community service, and opens a discussion about ways to help in the community.

• Serving others doesn’t always mean taking on a big commitment—it can be as simple as picking up litter in the park, helping an elderly neighbor unload their groceries, or bringing a meal to a sick neighbor.

• Have a family meeting to consider the idea of a family service project, and make sure that everyone participates regardless of their age. Have everyone list their volunteer activities to see if others are interested in helping, and talk about additional causes that each member would like to support.

For all adults

• Create youth-oriented volunteer opportunities that are diverse in the amount of time, energy, and expertise required. To make sure that youth get the most out of the experience, provide adequate training and make sure that the youth understand how their efforts will make a difference.

• When seeking volunteers, don’t just reach out to the high-achieving youth in leadership programs! Young people from all backgrounds deserve the opportunity to experience the benefits of service.

• Be sure to affirm and recognize the efforts of all the youth who serve.

 At school or in youth programs

• Service learning programs that link educational or program objectives with opportunities to address real-world issues are a proven strategy for increasing developmental assets. Resources to help get started with service learning programs can be found in the “Resources” section below.

• Start a service club for youth! Work with the group to identify a list of causes that they care about (e.g., animals, education, environment, creating safe places for youth to hang out, health care, disaster relief, homelessness, peace, etc.) and identify ways that they can help. Help the youth research the need,

define goals, create a plan (being sure to consider the potential needs and feelings of the recipients), and implement their service ideas. Be sure to guide the youth in reflecting on their experience at the end of the project.

• You can also create service opportunities for youth within the school or program itself. Work as a group to list needs that youth have observed at the site, like picking up litter or refereeing games for younger children, and ask youth to choose which needs they’d like to address. If their choices require the permission of other staff members, have the youth choose a team of representatives to present their offer to the person in charge, and coach them on how to make their presentation.

Additional Resources

• The Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley’s Santa Clara County Youth Volunteer Guide provides a comprehensive list of service opportunities for youth 12-17, arranged by areas of interest and kind of service available. The guide includes coaching for youth on what to say when they call an agency for information or visit the site for a volunteer interview. For more information, visit http://vcsv.us/youthguide.shtml.

• A wealth of information about service learning is available at Search Institute’s “Service Learning and Asset Building” Web page at http://www.searchinstitute.org/content/service-learning-and-asset-building.

Resources include a free guide to service learning in community-based organizations as well as fact sheets, resources, and links to information from national service learning organizations.

About the Asset-a-Month Program

The goals of the Silicon Valley Asset-a-Month program are to help align adults throughout our diverse community in their efforts to promote positive youth development by fostering developmental assets. For more information about the Asset-a-Month program, contact Project Cornerstone at (408) 351-6482 or info@projectcornerstone.org.

Reverend Felecia Mulvany, D.D.

President, Sacred Foundations, Inc.

revmulvany@sacredfoundations.net

www.sacredfoundations.net

877-877-4275

Why I Became a Minister

The Dean of Education, Reverend Angela DeBry, H.H.D., D.D. asks me to write about why I become Minister.

She said being a minister means different things to different people and that each of us is called and the reasons change and evolve over time. She went on to give me a list of things she wanted me to think about.  

1. To have a church and services

2. To be a spiritual healer

3. To do spiritual counseling

4. To be a Hospice or hospital chaplain

5. To perform rituals

6. To legally marry, bury or baptize

7. To Teach

Here is my reply…

In my search for ways to heal my own trauma I was drawn to classes and experiences that supported me in spiritual ways. For me, it was this spiritual connection to life that taught me powerful healing tools. I found that personal responsibility was the key to my healing process.

It is unrealistic to think that someone else can heal us, we can only heal ourselves. We are responsible for how we process what happens in our lives, how we think, feel, act and react. We are responsible for our own healing. Blaming others for how we feel gives our power away and builds walls that block our ability to heal and shackles us in a prison of victimization.

The varying tools I learned in my healing process freed me from much of my mental and emotional pain so I could live my life with less resistance and fear and embrace more of the love that flows all around us.

I found that one single spiritual path did not meet all of my needs. 

I continued my training in many faiths and traditions and received my Doctorate of Divinity degree. The tools I have learned in my healing process have been so powerful for me I wanted to help empower others in their own paths to healing. We all have hurts; self-imposed walls that keep us from truly embracing and sharing love. I now work with many tools from different faiths and traditions to create custom ceremonies, rituals, and healing modalities.   

I chose to become a minister for legal reasons. I could not share my gifts if I was not legally licensed to do so. As a minister with Sacred Foundations, Inc., I am legally able to facilitate others in their own healing process, through spiritual counseling, hands on healing, ritual, prayer and teaching. As an added gift I am legally able to perform ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, baptisms and other rites of passage. What a gift it is to anoint a new baby, facilitate their coming of age, join them in marriage, ritualize and honor their croning, sit with them at the end of their life and then comfort those who will miss them when they have returned to spirit.

I have not just found tools for healing. I have been gifted with the ability to feel and embrace life, in all its highs and lows. I have found that even the extreme lows in life are gifts, for it gives me the ability to fully feel and embrace the opposite and equal highs that life has to offer. For without one you cannot truly understand and feel the other.

For me, being a minister has been a blessing. It has expanded my compassion in ways I never thought possible. And it has grown my ability and willingness to hold and share love with myself and others.   

 May you be open to all the blessings in your life, may you feel loved, and above all, may you love yourself.      

In love and light,

Felecia 

Reverend Felecia Mulvany, D.D.

President, Sacred Foundations, Inc.

revmulvany@sacredfoundations.net

www.sacredfoundations.net

877-877-4275

Sacred Foundations, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit church. We affirm the Divine in all its manifestations on earth. We honor all paths and embrace the wisdom of all the Sacred Text across the globe. We believe that only through dialog, education, and community sharing that humanity will find a way to live peacefully together in tolerance and diversity.  

CREATIVE ACTIVITIES - March Asset of The Month

CREATIVE ACTIVITIES

Young people spend three or more hours per week in lessons or practice in music, theater, or other arts.

This document is designed to help adults throughout Santa Clara County develop materials and activities to promote the asset of adult role models.

Newsletter Content

The following text may be used in organizational newsletters. Please include the

attribution at the end of the article.

The Importance of Creative Activities

For many young people, creative activities can fulfill what Peter Benson describes as a “spark”—the hidden flames that tap their true passions, motivate and inspire them to achieve and create, and keep them on a positive path. Youth who have sparks, and are surrounded by people who recognize and support their sparks, have higher grades in school, are more socially competent, are more likely to volunteer to help other people, have a greater sense of purpose, and are less likely to experience depression.

Creative activities are one of the most common categories where youth find their sparks. Even if creative activities not a young person’s life passion, they still provide benefits like fostering creative problem solving, critical thinking, and discipline, and provide opportunities to connect with instructors who are role models and caring adults. Unfortunately, most youth in Santa Clara County don’t participate in creative activities. In Project Cornerstone’s 2011 survey, 66% of 4th-6th graders and only 24% of 7th-12th graders reported that they spend three or more hours each week in lessons or practice for music, theater, dance, or other arts. To help raise awareness of their importance, March is Creative Activities month in Silicon Valley.

The following discussion topics can help young people recognize the value of creative activities and identify new kinds of creative activities that they might be interested in:

· Think back on the art you’ve created. Is there a particular piece that you’re most proud of? Why?

· Who is your favorite musician? What do you like about their music?

· If you could be a professional artist, what would you be—painter, dancer, singer, actor, sculptor, craftsperson, or writer? Why?

· If you could take lessons in anything, what would you learn?

· How do the creative activities that you do teach you more about yourself?

By the way, creative activities can be directly linked with Asset #9—Service to Others.

Senior citizens, hospital patients, and military troops (just to name a few) truly enjoy it when young people send them cards or useful handmade gifts, or perform their skits and music.

This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s Asset-a-Month program.

For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org.

Activities

The activities below offer a starting point to help integrate creative arts into everyday

activities, and to use creative activities as an opportunity for asset building.

 For families

· Help your children identify their creative sparks! Expose them to a variety of creative activities, and find follow-up lessons when they find something they’re interested in.

· Help your child understand that their mentors in creative activities are caring adults in their lives.

· Advocate for your school to provide balance for students by serving as a voice for arts programs.

For all adults

· Demonstrate the importance of creative activities to young people. Make an effort to find out about the creative activities of the youth in your circle, and share the creative activities in which you participate. Don’t just share what you’ve created—explain why you enjoy your activity and how you feel while you’re engaging in it.

· If the young people in your life participate in creative activities, support them! Attend their art shows, performances, recitals, and concerts.

 At school or in youth programs

· Make an effort to ensure that the creative activities you provide take into account young people’s different interests and skills. For example, some young people who do not enjoy drawing or coloring may prefer opportunities in photography or digital arts.

· Help kids get exposed to a variety of creative processes through a “Give It a Try!” For an art “Give It a Try,” obtain a variety of art supplies and sample projects. Encourage kids to try a process that they haven’t tried before. Have sample projects and instructions available for kids who don’t feel confident or inspired enough to come with a new idea, but be sure to allow kids who have another idea about what they want to make.

About the Asset-a-Month Program

The goals of the Silicon Valley Asset-a-Month program are to help align adults throughout our diverse community in their efforts to promote positive youth development by fostering developmental assets. For more information about the Asset-a-Month program, contact Project Cornerstone at (408) 351-6482 or info@projectcornerstone.org.

 Reverend Felecia Mulvany, D.D.

President, Sacred Foundations, Inc.

revmulvany@sacredfoundations.net

www.sacredfoundations.net

877-877-4275