reachwithin

Summary of relevant work: 

Youth Life Skills & Yoga Program

Our Youth Life Skills & Yoga Program helps to develop character building, emotional literacy, and self-regulation. Since the program's inception, we have witnessed a significant increase in behavioural modulation including pro-social behaviour such as improved empathy and listening skills, as well as an overall reduction of disruptive behaviour. Using basic yoga postures, physical exercise, breathing and deep relaxation techniques, yoga has been shown to reduce impulsive behaviour and enhance focus and awareness.

In addition to our Yoga Program, our Life Skills Program includes counseling, rhythmic drumming, sports, and art. This approach focusses on lowering stress and increasing mental and physical vitality, and in so doing has opened the children’s minds to realize their true potential.

Summer and Christmas Art Workshops

Facilitated by Grenadian artist Stacey Byer, reachwithin art workshops encourage healthy creative reflection and motivate the children and teens to continue self expressing in imaginative and conscientious ways. Our program can improve motor skills, language development, and decision making while at the same time increasing cultural awareness and boosting the children and teens' performance at school.

Group Drumming

Through our weekly sessions, we have found that the collaborative and interactive process of drumming can help children and teens to develop valuable skills such as taking turns and sharing. It can help to improve both verbal and non-verbal communication skills as well as encourage team building and increase community spirit. Further, since rhythmic activity such as drumming, which is patterned and repetitive, can contribute to healing developmental trauma in a non-verbal manner, we encourage full participation, regardless of physical limitations. Over time, the children and teens are found to feel safe in a drumming group and, within that setting of security, use the banging of drums to release their pent up emotions.

Caregiver Education

The Caregiver Education program trains and empowers caregivers to create happier, healthier, and safer environments for the children and themselves. Caregivers are taught principles of positive parenting such as Touchpoints (T. Berry Brazelton), Conscious Discipline (Becky Bailey), and Empowering Parents (James Lehman) all of which aim to change the lives of caregivers first to better change the lives of children.  Further, reachwithin provides instruction in self-care as we recognize that children are best served by healthy and happy caregivers who exhibit stamina and enthusiasm.

Spiritual Development

reachwithin seeks to provide the necessary resources for children who have experienced adversity, to go forth and lead healthy, happy lives. We also believe children and youth should have the opportunity to explore these specific themes and personal experiences through a spiritual lens.  Using a train-the-trainer approach, the program will focus first on staff caregivers who work in residential care homes, and who provide the most consistent relationships for children. Once the caregivers have engaged in the experience, together we will create opportunities for children, youth and adolescents to explore their life stories through a spiritual lens.