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Loves
Herself Regardless Bracelet Project - $350
Project HOPE, Dorchester, MA
Char Caver
The mission of
the Loves Herself Regardless Program is to plant seeds in
each woman to grow love of herself, her spirit, & her
life. The ‘Mad Money’ project will provide a workshop
for women in which they will create a rose quartz stone bracelet
with heart charms to wear as a regular reminder to love themselves
unconditionally no matter what. The energy of rose quartz
has been traditionally used for healing the heart and unconditional
love. Local artist and spiritual healer Carol Lee will teach
the workshop and share stories of art and healing. The Loves
Herself Regardless Program (LHRP) also hopes to produce these
bracelets for sale as part of a self-run and self-sustaining
business for the LHR program. LHR plans to extend this project
so that this item and others can be made by program participants
and sold through a catalog, on-line and through stores. This
income will be used to make the LHRP available to even more
women.
Documenting
Our Lives As Women – $1,350
Catholic Charities Family Education Program – Albuquerque
NM
Melissa Ann Jameson
This photography and writing project will offer a group
of women students the space and support to creatively document
and reflect on their own learning and how it has been influenced
by violence or the escape from violence. A group of 10 to
12 women students will come together for a five-week session
that incorporates photography and creative writing. The
project includes a week long photography course in which
students will receive disposable cameras and will take photos
of her life, family, and community. For the following three
weeks, students will write about the photos and the subjects
that emerge, related to the themes of education and violence/surviving
violence, guided by two GED instructors working as co-facilitators.
In the final week, each student will choose one photo and
one short piece of writing, and these will be shown in an
exhibit at a local community/cultural center.
By collaborating on this project, our hope is that the two
GED instructors (one whose strength is in teaching creative
writing, the other who is has more experience in social
issues) will teach and learn from each other, enriching
each other's practice in the classroom. We also believe
that what we learn from this experience will help us find
new ways to make space for creatively addressing issues
of violence and learning in our teaching of straight "GED
prep" courses.
My
Creative Memories Book - $220
Crescent Valley Community Tenant's Association, Saint John,
NB, Canada
Cheryl Brown
When we brainstorm learning events, there is always one
or two topics that are of personal interest to the women.
These represent a yearn for the creative and for the healing
that comes through the physical act of creating or playing.
In the past women have organized and participated in community
kitchens, poetry writing workshops, crafts for adults and
the like. This year, they want to do scrapbooking.
This project will make a lasting difference in the lives
of the women who participate, directly and indirectly. While
they scrapbook, they will be building relationship with
each other and talking about their everyday experiences
in a facilitated environment; they will be journaling their
stories from the past and creating beautiful albums of themselves
and/or their families - two healing activities. Also, they
will be able to keep the book, and look back on it as something
they created that they are proud of, and something that
they can share with their children and grandchildren for
years to come (a highly relevant family literacy activity!).
Native American Holistic
Healing - $423
UNM-Valencia Campus Adult Education Center, Los Lunas, N.M.
Sabra Alderete
This project will support a Native American holistic healer
who will lead the participants through techniques on breathing
and finding inner calm during three 2-hour sessions, giving
instruction on how to use these tools to alleviate test
anxiety. The funds will also be used to purchase artwork
and plants for the workshop space as well as a CD of Native
American music to be used in the workshop sessions.
Unmasking
Barriers for Women - $150
Adult Basic Education, New Mexico State University at Grants
Larry McCarthy, Coordinator
This project
will include designing and piloting a two-hour workshop
for the women in address barriers to attendance in ABE programs
through mask making, discussion and strategies sharing.
The project is using the image of a ‘quest’
to represent the journey to enrolling and attending ABE
classes. The learners will select an animal to represent
their journey, create a papier mache mask of this animal,
and use the mask as they discuss their experiences and brainstorm
strategies to overcome barriers for women.
Today
Is Your Day - $200
New Foundations Supportive Housing
Pam Ampferer
When a woman sets out to take her first GED test or maybe
some certificate exam she’s been working toward, there’s
often a self-sabotaging mental game that goes on. For women
with significant trauma, this can be enough to disengage
her from herself enough that when she gets to the testing
center she’s not really available to herself. The
“Today is your day” CD project will allow women
to legally download music from the web and burn to a CD
positive music with lyrics and messages of power and self
love. A representative group of women from the community
can suggest or surf for appropriate songs. Whenever a woman
heads out for her first GED test or exam of any kind, she
gets a personalized music CD to play when she gets up –
or to put in her walkman for the bus ride. Songs chosen
by her sisters in the community to encourage her and remind
her of her strength and ability.
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