2018 is the inaugural year of our new Coming of Age Program! The details of the program structure have been improved upon and enriched by our dedicated program staff and input from the Village.
The heart of our program is the same as we have always brought to our mission of serving Bay Area youth. We are excited to be embarking on this journey!
Please see our PROGRAM DETAILS page for more information.
The heart of our program is the same as we have always brought to our mission of serving Bay Area youth. We are excited to be embarking on this journey!
Please see our PROGRAM DETAILS page for more information.
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COMING OF AGE
Middle school marks a critical period in a young person’s development. During this time, youth leave the dependence of childhood to take their first steps on the road toward adulthood. SSP creates a much needed support system, for youth and their parents, providing opportunities to more deeply explore this important transition. |
What is going on for youth at this time?
The fundamental task for youth at this time is to develop a 'self' that is both authentic and socially acceptable.
Youth face many changes and challenges during middle school.
- Instead of the nuclear family, peers and society become reflections of self and relationships
- Sense of well-being and self-worth becomes dependent on approval from others and conditions outside of themselves
- Pressure to pursue “success” instead of self-exploration
- Consciously or unconsciously taking the first steps toward fulfilling the need for initiation into a group
How does Stepping Stones help?
SSP offers a space for youth to discover their own identity and be initiated into a supportive community through play, exploration in nature, and rites of passage.
Stepping Stones endeavors to guide youth through the challenges of middle school by offering today’s youth a contemporary coming of age experience, starting as a pre-teen and culminating during the teen years. Developing and recognizing their true self with purpose rather than just letting it happen is the primary goal of our coming of age program. The long-term nature of the group provides the time to develop confidence, self-esteem, and the capacity to engage in meaningful relationships with peers, family, community, and nature throughout their formative years.
Stepping Stones is committed to guarding a space for youth to play freely, make mistakes, and develop a true sense of 'self', friendship, and spirituality. SSP prepares youth to make healthy choices and have positive experiences in high school, and lays the foundation for them to ultimately cross the threshold of initiation into adulthood.
Stepping Stones is committed to guarding a space for youth to play freely, make mistakes, and develop a true sense of 'self', friendship, and spirituality. SSP prepares youth to make healthy choices and have positive experiences in high school, and lays the foundation for them to ultimately cross the threshold of initiation into adulthood.
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“The longing for initiation is universal and for modern youth, it is a desperate need. When nothing is offered in the way of spiritual initiation to prove one’s entry into the world of men and women, initiation happens instead in the road or the street, in cars at high speed, with drugs, with dangerous sex, with weapons. However troubling, this behavior is rooted in a fundamental truth: a need to grow.” |
Throughout their time with Stepping Stones, youth experience initiation through the three stages of a rite of passage:
- Separation
- Transition
- Reintegration
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What do we do when we meet?
The Stepping Stones Project offers a unique and organic program. What groups 'do' combines the skills and passions of the group Leaders and includes the interests and struggles of the youth in the group. Every group is offered thematic goals and guide of best practices, but exactly what that looks like is up to each group.
We do this because it is incredibly important for the group experience to feel relevant to the youth, and for the group Leaders to mentor with authenticity and genuine interest. The last thing we want is for Stepping Stones to feel like school or a generic organized activity they're being forced to participate in. We encourage every group to create its own culture and make its own meaning.
We do this because it is incredibly important for the group experience to feel relevant to the youth, and for the group Leaders to mentor with authenticity and genuine interest. The last thing we want is for Stepping Stones to feel like school or a generic organized activity they're being forced to participate in. We encourage every group to create its own culture and make its own meaning.
Topics that may be explored throughout a group:
Groups are a place to:
- discovering/being our authentic self and feeling a sense of belonging to a peer group
- evolving relationships with family and friends (friends is always a big one)
- practical tools to help deal with stress, anxiety, and growing up in these complicated times
- navigating peer pressure and societal expectations
- developing healthy relationships to technology and social media
- sexuality, gender, and LGBTQ matters (though we are a gendered program - girls & boys groups - we honor self expression and try to be as inclusive as possible)
- a place to grow and apply our awareness around diversity (ethnicity, race, class, gender...)
- how to spend time in nature with respect, or deepen our understanding of the natural world
Groups are a place to:
- be honest and get good advice about relevant real life issues
- face challenges together and build cohesion
- learn to balance group energy with individual needs
- connect to something greater than ourselves
- develop simple rituals to grow a sense of connection and establish how we speak and listen to each other. Rituals may include, lighting and blowing out a candle together, taking a moment to get mindful, or practicing the Way of Council
- play games that show us different ways we can be together, creating trust and intimacy
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"As we went through the opening ritual with the parent group for my 6th grade daughter, I thought about my two sons who went through the program... I knew in the fabric of my being that this was the greatest gift my children can experience growing up. I think it is rare for our kids to be truly witnessed, truly known and so completely engaged by those outside of the family during the most crucial time in their lives." |
Next Steps:
- Attend an Info Night this May.
- Fill out an Application for your child. We are currently accepting applications for groups beginning Fall 2018.
- Contact us with any questions
- Spread the word to other parents you know.
- We will be in touch once we receive your application.