We are now in the “Home Stretch” with this school year’s sessions. There are only 2 sessions left with each group. The topics we have discussed to date include Emotional language, Healthy Relationships, Consent, The effects of a porn addiction, What the world expects of men (“the male script”), What the world expects of women and “my personal code” (how I want to be known as a male).The sessions are based on a model of youth engagement and are interactive, and generally lively.
Sessions include check ins, energizers and focused discussions. The program has been designed so that each session is built off the last one with Healthy Relationships remaining the common thread. Our purpose for offering this program is based on the belief that young men need to be engaged in conversations that will make it possible for them to grow up to have Healthy Relationships. Our experience in working with the grade 7 and grade 9 boys is that they are wanting to have these conversations and are not only willing but eager to participate. We appreciate the Partnership with the United Way of Pictou County and the support of the students and staff at West Pictou and North Nova Schools that makes all of this possible. We look forward to the remaining sessions and will be posting more about the CMC in the near future. Some feedback we received from the participants: Grade 9’s “its fun” “its not hard like math” “CMC is informative, its about new ideas and concepts like porn being addictive... I never thought of it that way” “#FreePlayDoh” “I like the icebreakers and exercises” Grade 7’s “Its good... we learn not to do certain things” “CMC makes you think twice” “It’s about going into things deeper... things that guys (usually) don’t talk about like emotions and feelings” “we are learning about the different experiences males & females have in the world” “we are breaking the barriers of what’s expected of men... by talking about feelings and things like that”
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This week marks the halfway point in our first year of sessions with the young guys, both in West Pictou Consolidated with the Grade 7’s and at North Nova with the Grade 9’s. To date, we have had great discussions about a variety of topics such as; Healthy relationships, Consent, and Exploring their perspective of what society expects from men.
Ron Kelly and Don Gunton enjoy learning much from these young men as they walk this new road together. Thanks go out again to the United Way of Pictou County for their valuable support of this project as well as to both staff and administration of West Pictou Consolidated and at North Nova for helping to make this work possible. New Leaf would like to announce that beginning today, both Ron Kelly and Don Gunton begin working with grade 9 male students at North Nova High School for the month of April. Again we would like to thank the United Way of Pictou County for their generous financial support in making this pilot project possible, as well as the staff of North Nova. We hope this project will make a difference in how young males talk to each other about important topics. We look forward to updating you as the project moves forward.
We, the New Leaf Board of Directors are pleased to congratulate Cathy Grant on her promotion
to Co-Director and to Don Gunton on his promotion to 3/4 time employee. These promotions are effective immediately. Cathy has been involved with the New Leaf Program in various capacities for almost 17 years now, while Don has been involved on different levels including serving on our Board and as volunteer, and most recently 1/4 time staff person for approximately 7 years. We would also like to extend a sincere thank you to Ron Kelly, Co-Director for his continuing involvement with New Leaf for almost 25 years. Ron is currently moving to half time hours, to assist staff, Board members, and the New Leaf program itself in making the transition to his retirement in March of next year. The Board is confident that that the quality service New Leaf provides will continue under the capable hands of its current staff. On Wednesday, March 2, 2016, Ron Kelly, New Leaf Program Director and Don Gunton, Counsellor/Co-facilitator, started the first in-school sessions of the Changing Male Conversations Pilot Project at West Pictou Consolidated School.
We are currently working with all the grade 7 males totaling 41 to date. We have chosen to work with them in three separate groups with each group lasting 1 hour. The young men seemed to be very open and willing to take part in this project. The first sessions were a lot of fun and we are very much looking forward to the second session will is happening today where we will begin talking about healthy relationships. Thanks again to the United Way of Pictou County for their support in making this project happen, to West Pictou Consolidated School for all their work in making this possible and to the young males who are participating. Changing Male Conversations (CMC) Pilot Project – Rolling out on Wednesday, March 2, 2016
New Leaf would like to thank the United Way of Pictou County for their support and encouragement, as well as West Pictou Consolidated and North Nova for their support in getting our Changing Male Conversations Project this far. Wednesday, March 2, 2016 New Leaf will be going into West Pictou Consolidated school to engage with young males on current issues related to how we have been socialized, providing information, generating discussions, and about making personal, individual choices that support healthy emotional development. We look forward to keeping you posted! |
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