By: Aurelia Spaulding, Bloom Visionary
On June 4, 2020, the first Bloom Enrichment Program will begin, and create a virtual mentoring program for girls ages 8-18 to blossom in social, emotional, physical, and mental wellness. For anyone deciding whether to register their daughter, niece, granddaughter, or youth group, here are five things to consider.
We hope you will register your girl(s) for the Bloom Enrichment Program because we believe and you believe….
- She will enjoy learning more about the topics
Each week of the Bloom Enrichment Program builds upon the following week. Week One, “I am Blossoming,” promotes self awareness and touches on self-love, self-confidence, strengths, and self-perception depending on the small group. Week Two, “We Blossom Together,” promotes social awareness and opens conversations about empathy, awareness of feelings, bullying, and friendships depending on the small group. Week Three, “Blossoming in the Rain,” creates dialogue around pressures, stress, and managing anxiety. Then, Week Four, “We Always Bloom,” builds on the other three topics to hone in on the idea of adaptability, healthy thinking, wellness, and overcoming adversity. Topics vary by age and small group.
- She will enjoy learning from women from different backgrounds.
If you are a parent/guardian who strives to expose your child to positive influences from different backgrounds, the Bloom Enrichment Program fits that description. The all-female list of presenters and coaches consist of college-educated parents, teachers, business owners, authors, and social workers from different racial backgrounds.
- She will build upon a foundation that creates positive relationships in different areas of her life.
Each week, girls will be broken into groups no larger than ten and given opportunities to get to know their peers. The coaches plan to nurture an atmosphere that promotes openness and active listening. With the girls taking the lead in determining their standard for communication, we believe they are likely to create friendships that last a lifetime and continue practicing active listening after the program – in their relationships with family and teachers as well.
- She will foster connectivity and belonging
“The Bloom Enrichment Program will provide the girl with a sense of community,” said Bloom Visionary Adria Whitlow. “It serves to foster connectivity and belonging.”
Sometimes young people need a place to express themselves outside of the home and classroom. Each Bloom Enrichment Program session is broken into three parts including the main presenter, small group sessions with coaches, and closing physical activity. The variety of activities within the hour gives girls the opportunity to express themselves through conversation, movement, or call and response activity. These practices show them commonalities amongst their peers. It also fosters connectivity between the girls and the girls and their coaches.
- She could use guidance that reinforces a path to personal growth
“Bloom Summer Enrichment program is exactly the right kind of ‘soil’ to help each girl to blossom in their own way while creating a beautiful place where they can also gather with others, work on goals, talk things through, and still be #togetherathome,” said Bloom Visionary Danielle Brown.
There is an African proverb that says that “It takes a village to raise a child.” If you believe this, then it matters to you that your girl takes advantage of opportunities to learn from other adults and you may also strive to take advantage of opportunities that support and align with her personal growth. One concept behind this proverb is that sometimes girls need to hear from others what parents/guardians are already telling them. The Bloom Enrichment Program wants to be an opportunity for your girl to have exposure to positive figures and help young people identify factors that may pull them in the wrong direction. We want them to see themselves as a young person who is blooming.
For more information on the Bloom Enrichment Program, visit bloomenrichment.org.
Bloom Enrichment Program 