Last week, Yeskseny of Leyden Family Services led another workshop on Art Therapy. In this session, the participants were introduced to the idea of showing their personality through collages. Yekseny provided stickers, paper, and magazines, and the participants were free to use them to represent their personalities. We enjoyed community conversation while getting to know each other through art therapy.
Thanks, Yekseny and participants, for an amazing workshop!
The team visited PMSA’s mental health club last week with Dahlia of Liberated Learning to lead a somatics movement with the students! The students were able to learn how to be in tune with their bodies and feel better with breathing and movement. Dahlia lead the students through multiple poses and helped the students learn what their bodies need for a mood boost. Thank you Dahlia for partnering with TFD and PMSA’s Mental Health Club!
We are so grateful for the participants who keep showing up for mental health club.
TFD is back at the PMSA Mental Health Club with the HAP Foundation to lead a two-part workshop on grief. The students first learned what grief means and the cycle of grief. Grief is not a linear process and often is more like a cycle that can experience moving in different directions. We think students should understand that grief can be unique to the person. The session ended with some impactful conversations with some important questions from the students
In the second workshop, the students created memory jars. On the outside, the jar is decorated in remembrance of the individual important to the student. On the inside are little notes of memories the student has with the individual. This way, they can open the jar and be reminded of their loved one!
Thank you to the HAP Foundation for the workshop and the creative jars!
Liz, our Program Assistant at TFD, visited Proviso East High School’s Calm Room to put together an activity for the students. Loyola Medicine designed the Calm Room for students to visit during lunchtime as an alternative. Here, students can have an intentionally safe place.
This week, Liz brought painting supplies designed by Dana of I Paint on Purpose for the students to get creative!
Over the last two weeks, the team and community members were invited to restorative justice training. Specifically, Andrew Hong of We Each Belong, trained the team in how to lead healing circles, which is a native practice built on restorative justice. Over 4 days, the team got to know each other on a deeper level, creating a circle, and then started to dream what their own independent circles would look like in the future.
We see how impactful circles can be for our community members. This practice was built on the idea that healing can be achieved through conversation, but most importantly, listening. We can’t wait to see how circle will grow in the Proviso community!
Thank you, Andrew, for creating a safe environment for the team! We appreciate your wisdom and kindness.
