Pomegranate SEEDs
SEEDs mission is to mentor young women in order to create healthy, strong and independent individuals who are socially and fiscally responsible to themselves and their community. Through the vehicle of dance, specifically Improvisational Tribal Style dance, talking circles, journal writing, presentations and mentorship, SEED promotes social change through self-discovery and self-actualization in young women throughout the Valley.
Goals for Each girl-
The Program
As a certified SEEDs instructor, Cari Smith of Anaya Tribal has brought this program to Plaza de Anaya to build our sisters and daughters to be strong independent women through self-discovery and self-actualization. This program will launch in September of 2010. We are Seeking the Following... Check out out our Twitter and our Facebook pages. Thank you to our new sponsors and grassroots volunteers -
Why teen girls should be part of SEEDs... · SEEDs (Self-esteem , Empowerment, and Education through Dance) is designed to allow teenage girls to explore and clearly communicate their ideas about life with their peers through talking circles and journaling. · SEEDs builds girls’ skills not only in Tribal dance but in finance, personal relationships, communication and self-reliance in order to make more informed choices. · SEEDs is an program based in free thinking and self actualization– learning to think and express yourself as an individual amongst a community. Each girl as a dancer is a leader and a follower. Each girl in the talking circle is free to express their thoughts as an individual on the topic presented while respecting the rest of the girl’s thoughts as well- even if they disagree. Promoting positive listening as well as effective communication both verbally and non-verbally. · Women with a bachelor’s degree earned two and a half times as much as those with less than a high school diploma — $784 per week, compared with $314 per week. The SEEDs program seeks out professional mentors to speak to the class about each girl’s specific career goal and how she can achieve that goal. · Each girl identifies a goal that she would like to achieve by the end of the program. The SEEDs director will assist each girl in accomplishing that goal by identifying tangible steps and offering her resources toward this goal. · Nellie Mae, a college loan provider reports that on average, freshmen bring an average of $1,585 in credit card debt to college. SEEDs addresses the issue by instructing the girls on fiscal responsibility/accountability, practical budgeting and money management to make good judgements when enter college or when they set out on their own. We achieve this through guest speakers and budgeting exercises. · One in five teen girls and one in ten younger teen girls (age 13 to 16) have electronically sent or posted nude or semi-nude photos or videos of themselves. 12% of teen girls who have sent sexually suggestive messages or images say they felt “pressured” to do so. 1 in 3 girls between the ages of 16 and 18 say sex is expected for people their age if they're in a relationship; half of teen girls who have experienced sexual pressure report they are afraid the relationship would break up if they did not give in. SEED addresses women’s health and positive self-image so that the girls learn to respect & honor their bodies thereby making educated decisions not based on peer pressure. · Around 30% of teens said their first sexual experience occurred during school hours or between the hours of 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Most have sex in their home or at a friend's house. 3 in 10 girls become pregnant as a teen. SEEDs classes are from 4-6pm when most teens get into trouble. · During the past year, 9.2% of students nationwide had been hit, slapped, or physically hurt on purpose by their boyfriend (dating violence). The SEEDs program builds self-esteem promoting healthy relationships and personal advocacy. · 70% of girls ages 15 to 17 avoid normal daily activities such as attending school, going to the doctor, or even giving their opinion "due to feeling badly about one’s looks." 40% of girls ages 11-17 say they do not play sports because they do not feel skilled or competent and 23% do not think their bodies look good. As Tribal dance appreciates and honors all body types, the SEEDs program promotes a positive body image through our dance process as well as our guest speakers – experts in nutrition, women’s health, body image and self-esteem. · The more physically active girls are, the greater their self-esteem and the more satisfied they are with their weight, regardless of how much they weigh. Tribal dance is a great form of exercise building both coordination and grace. · Tribal dance is improvisational – it builds a dancer’s thinking skills, confidence, intuition and the skill to sort out and make logical educated choices. · Nationwide, 6.0% of students had not gone to school on 1 or more days of the last 30 days because they felt they would be unsafe at school or on their way to or from school. In 2005, 7.4% of youths ages 12-17 reported that, in at least one instance, they had attacked others with intent to seriously hurt them. As seen in many headlines, this violence is building in teenage girls. SEEDs group-based dance and talking circles fosters positive relationships and effective communication among teenage girls – helping to eliminate the “Mean Girl” syndrome. · Because of our fundraising efforts, each SEEDs class hour only costs $5.20 - less than any many other studio dance programs.
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