Dear Educators, Youth Development Workers, Administrators, and Counselors –
You are once again entering the trenches and courageously embracing the unknown. Power Collaborative will provide a holding space for you to reflect and connect with others, and give you powerful tools to implement this school year with your youth, families, and colleagues.
I will never forget the summer of 2019. I had just completed the 2018-2019 school year as the principal of an all-girls high school in the Bay Area, and I was burned out. I had just resigned from my role, after serving as an administrator at my alma mater for 8 years. I deeply loved my students, colleagues, and the families within this amazing school community; I gave them everything I had, because I knew they all deserved my best and greatest self. But that summer, as I got quiet and looked within, I realized that in my desire to give greatly, I had left myself with nothing.
That summer, as I got quiet and looked within, I realized that in my desire to give greatly, I had left myself with nothing.
Right before summer, I heard about the innovative research and programming led by Girls Leadership and reached out to get connected. My school community was predominantly Black and Latinx, valued social justice, and nurtured our students’ leadership capacities, so I was interested in learning more. I was invited to participate in the Power Collaborative training in San Francisco.
In one word, Power Collaborative was transformative. Throughout the training I kept thinking – I wish I had this curriculum and collaboration time when I was principal. Not only did the training focus on creating culturally responsive and healing-centered environments in which all girls and all students could flourish, the curriculum was culturally responsive and healing-centered as well. The training provided nourishment for my depleted mind, body and soul. If I had participated in this training and received the Power Collaborative curriculum just six months prior, I would have: encouraged my staff to sign up for training; implemented the curriculum in our school’s advisory program; used newly discovered tools to create healing-centered staff discussions and forums; and I would have implemented self-care routines and developed compassion for myself.
As educators, counselors, program staff, administrators, and youth advocates, we work tirelessly to offer the best of ourselves to our students. We believe they are vessels of change. We want them to know that they matter. What if you invested a little time to learn and/or rediscover how to ensure each young person feels seen, valued, and feels a sense of belonging? It is an important time to consider this training.
The training provided nourishment for my depleted mind, body and soul.
I urge you, from one youth advocate to another, to sign up for Power Collaborative or send a colleague to the training. This is my invitation to you. You are once again, entering the trenches and courageously embracing the unknown. Power Collaborative will provide a holding space for you to reflect and connect with others, and give you powerful tools to implement this school year with your youth, families, and colleagues.
In community,
You can also join an upcoming free community event for all youth-serving professionals who want to learn about how race, gender, and income impact identity and leadership development.
In community,
Kendra
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