Culver Girls Academy, Indiana 2018
We are humbled and in awe of the value of circle every time a participant tells us:
“Circle saved my life.”
Seattle Teen Circle, 2018
Through deep connection and intimacy in relationship, we discover who we are.
We are Safe.
Through listening to others, we create healthy relationships. Through being heard and hearing ourselves, we find our own answers. We develop our own voice.
Despite our increasingly plugged in, tuned in world, more people than ever are anxious, afraid, sad, feeling disconnected and lonely. Strong relationships to self and others anchors us and gives us peace in the discomfort of uncertainty. We live in uncertain times. Our youth are especially vulnerable to this. We can mentor them and give them a way to live through these times with consciousness, compassion, and true joy.
This work saves lives.
We know that healthy relationships are key for thriving — social research has verified that completely. Yet how to have them, how to nurture a healthy relationship within ourselves and with others takes practice. It’s a life-long process. What young people practice in circle, they bring into all their future relationships — with family, teachers, peers.
Dubbed "The Antidote to Social Media," Teen Talking Circles offers youth opportunities to be face to face with themselves and each other in real time — to share their truth, be heard fully, and to listen fully to others. In circle, teens co-create the safety to feel, to express who they really are and what they’re really going through, without fear of rejection or judgment.
In circle, teens are reflected and encouraged by their facilitators and peers to hear themselves and come to their own answers, rather than being told how to fix themselves.
Circle gives young people a place to discover that they are not alone, and that whatever they are going through is part of a normal process of change and growth. Circle is about being seen and welcomed no matter what one is going through — the exciting, exhilarating parts of being a teenager, as well as the troughs of confusion, fear and grief, and all that is in between. It’s about working through relationships, and coming into a more conscious, healthy relationship with oneself and others. It’s about discovering who one really is.
Our TTC model encourages facilitators to bring in guests who can speak on various topics and share their experiences. Through this, we explore subjects and issues in order to create broader, deeper understandings of the root complexities inherent in them. When teens begin to connect the dots — to see how their issues are interconnected with historic social and cultural norms, it is enlightening. From this, they become empowered and inspired to get involved to address social issues and contribute to changing the world for the better. Suddenly, what felt painful or shameful or downright wrong becomes a cause for bold actions.
"Girl's Group was one of the most exciting parts of my high school experience, and still continues to hold meaning for me today. I remember sitting on the bluish carpet in the airy room and having so many long conversations about everything with girls I initially assumed were very different than myself. We discussed everything in detail, and no subject was off limits. Through our shared experiences and ideas on subjects ranging from mothers, drugs, boys, and being female, to dreams, fears and beliefs, we shared what it’s like to be a young woman today.” - Airyka Rockefeller
