Issuu

Urgent, Inc. 1600 NW 3rd Ave., Blg D Miami, FL 33136 (O) 305.576.3084 (C) 305.586.6694 (F) 866-811-7778 www.urgentinc.org Email: Shedia@urgentinc.org

Meet the Staff Vice President Saliha Nelson Northwestern University Graduate, BA Programs

OCTOBER 2011

Manager Shedia Nelson

Urg e youn nt, Inc.’ s mi g mi ss com mun nds to h ion is t o ities e lp t . rans empow “EMPOWERING AND REVITALIZING URBAN COMMUNITIES” er form

Hawai`i Pacific University Graduate, BA Mentor Carla Stitt

Tennessee State

Ne e g a s Pas f o s ite

University Graduate, BS

Inside this issue: Upcoming Events Advice Column News stories

2 2 3

Resources Snaps

3 4

Awareness Themes Calendar

5 6

Thank You!

for re-funding Rites of Passage for 2011-2012 The Rites of Passage Program is generously funded by The Children’s Trust. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of funding created by voter referendum in 2002 to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County by making strategic investments in their future – because all children are our children.

Photo Courtesy: Crystal Pearl Molinary

UPCOMING EVENTS

What: Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Women on the Rise

What: Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Women on the Rise When: October 20, 2011

Activity: Celebration of contemporary Time: 3-5pm women artist with historical reference and visual art project incorporating convenWhere: Edison high school tional and unconventional media like photography and experimental multi-media Activity: Focus Group Discussion of concepcollages. ART PROJECTS tual photography from teen perspective When: October 18, 2011

Time: 3-5pm Where: Booker T. Washington Senior high school

COURTESY REMINDER No gum, candy, sunflower seeds, texting or MP3’s, ear phones

PAGE 2

NEWSLETTER TITLE

COLLEGE TOUR College Tour Coordinated by the Dade County Bar Association: Horizons Committee

Who: Limited to first 5 young ladies with attendance of 1 fieldtrip and 10 weekly meetings will qualify for trip and consistent participation What: Overnight road trip to Florida Atlantic Memorial University

ATTENDANCE REQUIRED TO QUALIFY FOR SUMMER PAID INTERSHIPS

When: Thurs, Oct. 27– Fri. Oct. 28th Thursday is Early Release Friday is no school

When: TBA Where: Barry University Time: 9am-3pm When: TBA Where: Miami Dade College North Campus

A Reproductive Justice Initiative:

SHE KEPT HER BRA ON! - THE CAMPAIGN FOR GIRLS WELL-BEING A Youth-Led Project for Social Change to prevent Teen Dating Violence Ten young ladies have committed to a Reproductive Justice campaign advocates for teen dating violence and school board policy change. The campaign will include a teen photo voice exhibit on Thursday, December 8th from 11am-2pm that will include elected Officials, Domestic Violence Advocates, Women’s Groups, Media, Teen Programs, Experts/Academics, Special Interest Groups, teen girls share their perspective on the issues of dating and interpersonal violence as they see it impacting their lives and

communities. Through conceptual visual images and accompanying narrative they answer questions using a systems thinking framework to define 1) What is teen dating violence, 2) What are the root causes of teen dating violence and 3) How do we prevent teen dating violence? Throughout this project, they shared valuable input and helped promote the implementation of recommendations based on the environmental scan and policy assessment findings. At this stage, they have added the youth voice to the

coalition’s policy rec“WOW, DOING ommendations to THIS RESEARCH HAS REALLY address the current OPENED MY EYES situation, and are in TO WHAT the process of formalDATING MEANS izing an advocacy TO BOYS.” BY MODLINE campaign to prevent PHILISTIN teen dating violence and change the existing MDCPS bullying policy to include dating and interpersonal violence. By Saliha Nelson

DEAR BLUE RAIN... Dear Blue Rain,

I really like this guy but I’m not allowed to date yet but I really wanna go with him.

Sincerely, Confused

Dear Confused,

According to my findings, dating and going out is not the same thing to boys. Boys at my school think

that dating means having sex. Guys look at girls in 3 ways: anything goes, gullibles and wifey material. Anything goes means easy girls. The gullible girls will fall for lines like “You would do it if you love me.” The wifey material are girls who have strict boundaries, stand their ground and respect their bodies. Find out why he

wants to go with you and if he’s willing to wait for you. If you are not ready to have a sexual relationship with a guy and handle all the responsibilities and consequences that comes with having sex, then you may want to talk to him as a friend.

Sincerely, Blue Rain

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

PAGE 3

WELCOME MS. CARLA STITT, MENTOR FACILITATOR

Photo Courtesy: Carla Stitt

Carla Stitt is a graduate of Tennessee State University with a Bachelors

of Science in Chemistry. “I chose this major because I was good in science and wanted to become a OBGYN. After studying abroad in Africa, I decide to get a Masters in Divinity as I then planned to do missionary medical work overseas. However, graduate school helped me to discover my passion to work with women in a social justice aspect and not medically in gynecology.” She studied abroad in social and academic methods of study in Bermuda. Her experience of mentoring youth

includes volunteering with Big Brother Big Sister and Disney’s suicide prevention events and extends internationally to Uganda, Kenya and England with a focus in spiritual growth. She managed special projects for Will and Jada Smith’s Family Foundation and Enterprises Overbrook Entertainment. Her gift to the young ladies in Rites of Passage is “knowledge, incite, teaching, leadership, service, wisdom, hospitality and administration. It is my goal to help each girl grow and discover their gifts”.

Partnership with Overtown Cookbook by Anthony Jennings Overtown The Overtown Cookbook club is under the Photo Courtesy by Anthony leaderJennings ship of Mr. Anthony Jennings where Booker T. Washington students

can learn to cook healthy meals and earn community service hours. Mr. Jennings has been a strong supporter and club sponsor for Rites of Passage girls club for the past 3 years. This partnership has been extended to include Urgent, Inc.’s Intergenerational Project’s grandparents who will participate in mentoring, cooking and sharing recipes for the Overtown Cookbook monthly. Mr. Jennings invited David Brown, a physician edu-

cator based at the Jefferson Reaves Health Center in Overtown to join EESAC. EESAC and the school district formally sanction the Overtown Cookbook project as a part of the school's improvement plan. The Historic Overtown Public Health Empowerment (HOPE) collaborative is a voluntary collaborative where its mission is to promote health in Overtown.

THANK YOU COMMUNITY PARTNERS Hands 2 Help, Inc.: Passage to Womanhood 2nd year partnership Sierra Club Miami Inner City Outings 7 year partnership Dade County Bar Association Horizons Committee, 6 year partnership

Mi-Lola—Miami International Latinas Organizing Leadership and Advocacy, 3rd year partnership IT Women— Information Technology, 3rd year partnership

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA): Women On The Rise Booker T. Washington SHS, 7 year partnership

9 year partnership

PAGE 4

RITES

PASSAGE

NEWS

Snaps! Poetic Expressions I am Kerva

really feel

I say I’m sorry but you gotta

I am unique and real so deal with it

I feel like taking all my anger out on

I wonder how my family and friends

the person for what I’m angry about

relationship will end up with me

I touch the hearts of friends and fam-

I dream that even though I think of this

I hear voices from others and myself

ily when they need me the most, I

I will be very successful

deal with me

telling me things that sometimes I

hope

I try to understand and deal with others

want to hear but don’t other times

I worry that I won’t have any family

but I’m tired of it because it don’t turn

I see myself and no one telling me

or friends by my side when I grow up

out the way I want it to be

other wise

and need them the most

I hope that what I dream to be would

I want to be Kerva and not what oth-

I cry for many reasons

come true

er people want me to be

I am unique and real so deal with it

I understand that sometimes who

By Kervelene Saint-vil

I pretend to like people and their

you want me to be but on the other

ways and don’t tell them how I

I am

I am dark and lovely I wonder how my journey will begin

hand I’m very hard to work with

I feel no one can bring me down

that leads me on my journey

I say I believe in myself

I worry about losing my family and

I dream of being a millionaire

mom

I try to avoid the bad crowd

I cry with my heart full of joy

I hope I make it which I will

I am dark and lovely

I understand it’s not easy to avoid

By Shaquita Andrews

I want all the money in the world

I am dark and lovely I pretend I see no evil

the bad people that gonna try to

Your love is a window

By Tanisha Fleming

Strong as a rock, yet fragile as a

We both want happiness and no pain Yet what is a rainbow without rain Your love is worth fighting for Yet it is a four letter word Guess what

Monthly Recognition Party!

Untitled

vase But the trip back is swell

AWARDS

U 2!

Your Love

Sometimes we go through hell

accomplish my dreams

I touch the beautifully soft angels

I hear voices saying you could do it I see angels crowding around me

put me down, stop me from trying to

Strength is overcome by weakness



Celebration

Joy is overcome by pain The night is overcome by bright-



Best Attendance

ness And love it remains the same

Birthday



Challenge Badges



Academic Excellence

PAGE 5

RITES

PASSAGE

NEWS

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Monthly self-breast exams are important and easy to do. It is a tool that helps you become more familiar with how your breasts look and feel normally. Knowing what’s normal for you, you will be able to notice more readily any changes in your agencies.

 Swelling, warmth, redness or

If you notice any changes in your breasts like the following please see a health care provider right away.

 Itchy, scaly sore or rash on the

 Lump, hard knot or

 Nipple discharge that starts sud-

darkening

 Change in the size or shape of the breast

 Dimpling or puckering of the skin

 New pain in one spot that doesn't go away See a health care provider on how to do a breast self exam or come to Rites of Passage for a presentation from Planned Parenthood and receive more information.

nipple

 Pulling in of your nipple or other parts of the breast denly

thickening

Domestic Violence and Teen Dating Abuse Awareness One in three teenagers report HIGH SCHOOL being texted ten GIRLS HAS BEEN to thirty times an PHYSICALLY OR hour by their SEXUALLY partner inquiring ABUSED BY A where they are, DATING what they're doPARTNER.” ing, or who’s with them. One in three teenagers report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt “ONE

IN FIVE

by their partner. Thirty percent of women between ages 15-19 are killed by their husband or boyfriend each year. Fifth leading cause of death in Florida among youth ages 10-24 is unintentional injury. One in three women worldwide will be physically, sexually or otherwise abused during her lifetime with rates reaching 70 percent in some countries. Forty percent of the women, who die every year, die as a result of domestic violence incidents.

If you or know of someone who’s life may be in danger, please report it to the police and call the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline at 1.866.331.9474 or the National Domestic Violence hotline at 1.800.799 (SAFE). Have a plan to leave to go to a shelter or new location. Visit: www.loveisrespect.org for more information or www.teensagainstabuse.org Www.safespacefoundation.org

Hispanic Heritage Awareness Jacqueline Hernandez is the publisher of People en Espanol in 2004. Her role as the publisher is to ensure everything communicated the vision of the magazine and Latino culture. She has won many awards like: Media Executive of the Year and Advertising Age’s Top 10 Players in the Hispanic market.

The magazine became the largest selling Hispanic language magazine in the United States. Now she runs Telemundo, a TV channel in the Spanish language. She also serves on the board at Simmons College School of Management, a graduate school devoted to creating strong business women.

Rites of Passage Academy Girls Club Meetings Rites of Passage Girls Clubs!

Where: B. T. Washington, Sr. (BTW)

For Who: Girls ages10-18

1200 NW 6th Ave. Miami, FL 33136

Closed: Holiday and Spring Break, Teacher Planning, Early Release Days and inclement weather

Where: Edison Eduplex High School 6161 NW 5th Ct. Miami, Fl 33127

When: Monday—Thursday

When: Wednesdays and Thursdays

Time: 2:30-5:00pm

Time: 3–5pm Rm: A-121

Room: 308

*For more information:

Work America, Inc.

Call (305) 576-3084 or

430 NW 9th St. Miami, FL 33136

(305) 586-6694

When: Mondays Time: 6:30-8pm

October 2011 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Drama

22 FAMU OVERNIGHT ROADTRIP

25 Recognition

Drama

24 Drama

Party 30

31 Drama

Drama