PROGRAMS  |  BLACK CHURCH INITIATIVE | "GENERATION TO GENERATION"

Generation to Generation
Program Overview

In 2005, the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) began implementing the teen pregnancy prevention pilot project Generation to Generation (G2G). G2G’s target audience includes African-American girls, age 13-18, and their female caregivers (mothers, grandmothers, aunts, older sisters, foster mothers, etc…). The program’s participants live in the particularly low-income and underserved Ward 8 section of Southeast DC. With the inclusion and support of female caregivers, G2G offers culturally relevant weekly 2-hour program sessions and field trips designed to encourage and prepare girls to delay pregnancy beyond their teen years. 

Recognizing the connection to teen pregnancy across generations of African Americans in Ward 8 the program also seeks to educate and empower mothers and other female role models by addressing the many factors they experience in their own lives that might directly contribute to continuing the cycle of teen pregnancy in their families and community. These factors include poverty, lack of educational advancement, and single parent homes.   

While many of the teen participants attending G2G live in low-income urban communities, they are quite diverse with respect to school performance, academic goals, and general behavior.  Most of the adult and adolescent participants have grown up around teen pregnancy--many were born to teenage mothers themselves while others have witnessed the phenomenon within their schools and communities. As a result, most G2G participants have grown numb to the consequences of teen pregnancy.

The Generation program recognizes individual religious and spiritual beliefs. G2G respects religious and spiritual diversity and seeks to find ways to incorporate expressions of the participants various beliefs. Program staff encourages participants to seek guidance and support in their sexual and reproductive decision making from trusted and respected sources they trust including religious and spiritual influences. 

What does a typical session look like?
Typically, 7-12 girls attend the weekly G2G sessions. Female caregivers are a primary part of the Generation to Generation experience. Mothers, caregivers and mentors are strongly encouraged to attend weekly sessions, which are designed for intergenerational participation. The typical session includes 2–4 female caregivers. Activities conducted at regular sessions are youth-driven. The caregivers and mentors assist youth or work independently for their own personal growth.

Weekly G2G sessions combine both group rituals and structured activities to create a fun and rewarding environment for youth.  To create structure and uniformity in the group, each session unfolds in the same manner:

Unity Circle (5 min)
Informal Conversation (10 min)
Journal Activity (15 min)
Workshop Activity (60 min)
Chat & Chew (25 min)
Closing Circle (5 min)

Unity Circle
Each meeting begins with the unity circle, a group ritual designed to foster a sense of sisterhood among the participants and establishes the program as a “safe place” for interaction and sharing. Once in the circle, participants release any negative energy that has affected them during the day and receive the positive energy that each participant brings to the group.

The circle begins with the participating girls and caregivers locking hands. The right hand faces down to receive energy and the left hand faces up to give it. Moving in a clockwise direction around the circle, each participant takes a turn offering the greeting.  She looks over her left shoulder and says to the person standing next to her, “Amani ________.” (insert receiving person’s name). Amani means peace in Swahili and officially informs the group that each member comes in peace. After the chant has made its full rotation around the circle, the participants state in unison “Ashay” (Swahili for "so let it be"). It is said together to confirm agreement that the space is clear of all negative forces and each member is ready to proceed.

Informal Conversation
During the informal conversation, the participants bring up topics of their choice. The topics can range from school to boys or family issues. It is also a time for facilitators to check in on the girls’, caregivers’, and mentors’ experiences to gather additional information about issues of concern to the group.

Journal
The journal activity is a time for the participants to reflect on what they are learning and how they’re applying these lessons to their lives. It also provides the participants with an opportunity to practice expressing their thoughts and ideas in writing. Over time, everyone can review their writings and witness the growth they have made. The journals are provided by the G2G staff and remain at the program location. Sample journal topics include “describe your life at the age of 25.” or “how would your life change if today you discovered that you were pregnant?” These topics are simply reformatted for the caregivers to state “describe the life you want your daughter or mentee to have at age of 25” or “how would your family’s lives change if today you discovered that your daughter or mentee was pregnant?”

Workshop
The workshop consists of a 60-minute activity on topics such as HIV, teen pregnancy, self esteem, dating violence, financial empowerment, and leadership development. The goal is to increase the participants knowledge and competencies in specific areas related to pregnancy prevention and more general life skills. Many of the activities inspire the group to consider topics that they wouldn’t ordinarily have examined.

Chat and Chew
During this portion of the program, the participants enjoy a light meal and engage in informal conversation with each other, the female caregivers, and the facilitator. The facilitator and mentors can use this time to get to know the girls individually on a more personal level. Meals are also an excellent incentive for participation and ensure that participants are receiving nourishment during their day.

Closing Circle
The closing includes time for any announcements for the next week and the closing ritual, a circle conducted in the same physical manner as the opening Unity Circle. Moving in a clockwise direction around the circle, each participant in turn looks over her left shoulder and states, “___________ (receiving girls name), I am beautiful and so are you.” After the chant has made its full rotation around the circle, the participants state in unison “Ashay”. In telling each other that they are beautiful each week, the participants create the habit of speaking positive words to each other. The idea is to have them positively reinforce each other as African-American females.

Sample Activities
Since 2005 RCRC has received numerous inquiries about G2G.  People want to know how the program has been able to reach and retain African-American girls living in a low-income and neglected section of DC. In response to these inquiries, we are providing program information and a sample of some activities we use in the workshop section of our weekly programs. These activities were created with special consideration of the cultural factors that pose challenges when working with similar populations.

At this time, two activities have been posted on the website for use within similar programs throughout the nation. These two activities can be replicated using the current G2G format or incorporated into other program designs to achieve similar goals. Six additional activities will be posted on the site periodically. Check the website regularly for new activities to conduct with your youth

Seven of the eight activities have a youth focus. One activity is for parents and mentors and should be conducted in a separate session for female caregivers only. The youth-focus activities have been broken up into three parts: Protecting Myself, Respecting Myself, and Realizing Myself. The “Protecting Myself” activities include lessons that empower the girls with basic information to prevent them from falling victim to teenage pregnancy, STD’s, and other obstacles to achieving their goals. “Respecting Myself” activities help girls understand their personal value and enable them to act in ways that promote their best interest. In “Realizing Myself,” the activities take participants to the next level in planning for their future and building their character. 

Youth Focused Activities
Protecting Myself
Sister to Sister:  HIV & AIDS
My Pledge

Respecting Myself
Stay On Your Grind
My Body My Right
Happy To Be Nappy

Realizing Myself
Check That Cheddar
Spread The Word

Parent/Mentor Focused Activity
Reflecting Myself
Sharing Our Stories

For more information on the National Black Church Initiative and "Generation to Generation," please call 202-628-7700 or email g2ginfo@rcrc.org.