Connecting Generations Inc

CONNECTING GENERATIONS PROVIDES THE TOOLS THAT CHILDREN NEED TO BECOME EMOTIONALLY STRONG, RESILIENT, AND SOCIALLY COMPETENT INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN SUCCESSFULLY" NAVIGATE SCHOOL AND LIFE.

CREATIVE MENTORING IS OUR SCHOOL-BASED MENTORING PROGRAM. CREATIVE MENTORING PARTNERS WITH 81 SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS IN DELAWARE IN ALL THREE COUNTIES. MENTORING OCCURS DURING SCHOOL HOURS, AND WITHIN DESIGNATED TIMES FOR COMMUNITY-BASED AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS. WE PROVIDE MENTOR RECRUITMENT, APPLICATION PROCESSING, CRIMINAL/CHILD ABUSE BACKGROUND AND REFERENCE CHECKS, MENTOR TRAINING, TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO ALL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND PROGRAM EVALUATION. FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, CONNECTING GENERATIONS HAS TRAINED THOUSANDS OF ADULTS AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PROVIDE MENTORSHIP TO THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, IN FY21 WE RECEIVED FEWER APPLICATIONS FOR NEW MENTORS. HOWEVER, WE TRAINED 50 MENTORS AND OVER 900 PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS WERE BEING MENTORED BY ADULTS AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TRAINED BY CONNECTING GENERATIONS.

OUR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAMS INCLUDE WORKSHOPS FOR STUDENTS IN KN 8TH GRADE - SEASONS OF RESPECT (SOR), PEER MENTORING - CHARACTER CLIMB, POWER OF WATER, AND AN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM - RESPECT THROUGH THE ARTS. SOR IS A SET OF FACILITATOR-LED SESSIONS FOR CLASSROOMS AND SMALL GROUPS THAT TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO IDENTIFY AND DEVELOP SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS. STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS, IMPROVE SELF-ESTEEM, BUILD CONFIDENCE, MANAGE EMOTIONS, MAKE RESPONSIBLE DECISIONS, AND ENHANCE ACADEMIC SUCCESS. OUR 4TH-GRADE PROGRAM, "EXPLORATION RESPECT," INTRODUCES CHILDREN TO THE BASIC TENETS OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING. IN "JOURNEY OF RESPECT," 5TH-GRADE STUDENTS EXAMINE THEIR EMOTIONS AND IDENTIFY VALUES THAT REINFORCE RESPECTFUL BEHAVIOR. WE ALSO OFFER RESPECT THROUGH THE ARTS (RAP) AS AN AFTER-SCHOOL ART PROGRAM FOR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. IN 2020, POWER OR WATER WORKSHOPS WERE CREATED FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 3 6. THESE WORKSHOPS WERE DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE CHANGING NEEDS OF STUDENTS DUE TO THE IMPACTS OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, SOCIAL INJUSTICE, AND POLITICAL UNREST. ALL OF OUR SEL PROGRAMS ARE BASED ON TEACHING STUDENTS THE CORE COMPETENCIES OF SEL SELF-AWARENESS, SOCIAL AWARENESS, SELF-MANAGEMENT, RELATIONSHIP SKILLS, AND RESPONSIBLE DECISION-MAKING. IN FY21, SEASONS OF RESPECT SERVED OVER 250 STUDENTS. CHARACTER CLIMB PAIRS OLDER ELEMENTARY STUDENTS (GRADE 4 AND 5) WITH YOUNGER STUDENTS (KN 2ND) AND LEADS THEM THROUGH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES. IN FY21, SOR PROVIDED APPROXIMATELY 200 HOURS OF CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND SERVED APPROXIMATELY 250 STUDENTS IN 2 SCHOOLS.