Have you ever wondered…
...what became of that super fun Be the Drop fundraising campaign?
...when is the next Dodgeball Tournament?
...what is it that they do out there at Cypress Adventures?
If so...read on or scroll down!
We are coming up on our 10 year anniversary in Hartsville, South Carolina this year and we still meet folks who are not aware of the work we do with adolescent youth in our community.
Positive Youth Development is our mission.
We have kicked off the Spring session of our Youth Leadership Program and are excited to have 60 middle and high school aged youth currently enrolled between our three courses:
The Power of Play = Leadership 101
The Power of Curiosity = Leadership 201
The Power of Creativity = Youth Council
We provide educational experiences that strengthen social and emotional learning during out-of-school time.
I'm excited to introduce you to our three distinctly different Leadership courses through a series of newsletters. If you prefer not to receive these program highlights, that's totally cool. Simply click on the unsubscribe link below and you will have a chance to update your communication preferences.
Leadership 101 Begins With Mentor Training
Here's a sneak peak into our 3-day mentor training for high school students enrolled in our Leadership 101 course. In the video, they were preparing for 14 weeks of serving as a team of mentors for middle school students enrolled in our free, after-school Youth Leadership Program.
Never underestimate The Power of Play to strengthen critical thinking, problem solving, and relationship skills.
Sneak peak into Mentor Training at Cypress Adventures.
Training doesn't stop there. Through regular mentor meetings and a full day Mentor Training Retreat, our mentors consistently reflect on their experiences, evaluating what's working and ways we can improve, throughout their 14 weeks of service.
Giving and receiving feedback becomes like second nature.
The Mentor Training Retreat happens around week 3 of the 14-week course as preparation for the hiking and overnight camping adventures we will experience with the mentees this semester!
We love this unscripted, unfiltered, unedited video that allows you to experience Cypress through the lens of high school students on our Mentor Training Retreat.
Sneak peak into Mentor Training through the lens of students.
There is a big difference between "focused attention" and "open awareness". There is no better place to meet open awareness than the great outdoors.
Supporting middle school students in their development requires more open awareness than focused attention. Our mentors have a tendency to come to us hyper-focused on the things the mentees are doing that may "get on their nerves". Through a series of activities on mindfulness, perspectives, and values, our mentors begin to drop their expectations of what they think mentees "should" and "should not" do, and become more curious with open awareness to meet the mentees where they are.
As time goes on, mentors and mentees will share more experiences designed to strengthen trust, communication, and emotional literacy. Our students tell us how the Leadership 101 course helps them get to know themselves better. It strengthens their confidence and competence to handle whatever challenges life throws their way.
In other news...
Campaign Update
Huge thank you to everyone who gave to the Be the Drop Annual Fund Campaign. We raised $32,000 of our $40,000 goal. You can still support our Annual Fund! Donate Here
SAVE THE DATE
That time of year is fast approaching! Dust off your sneakers. Wash your sweat bands. Be sure your team has the date! Our 3rd Annual Dodgeball Tournament is May 17. Sponsorship details coming soon so stay tuned!
3rd Annual Dodgeball Tournament is May 17.