RITES OF PASSAGE

What's Going On

Rites of Passage Advocacy Efforts!

(L to R) Ericka Pinkney, Mayor Davis, School
Board Elect Bendross-Mindingall,
Samari Iglesias

This summer, as part of the Rites of Passage Program, our young ladies were challenged to champion a cause related to teen’s health as part of their community service project. As a result, staff helped to organize a Career Development Roundtable with two successful women pursuing careers elected office. During the Roundtable, girls heard from Mayor Joyce Davis of the Village of El Portal and from former Florida State Representative              
Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall. Girls were able to share their views on what can be done to improve teens health in Miami-Dade and also received valuable advice on how to keep advocating for Healthy Teens Miami.

Thank You Funding Partners!
The Children's Trust & Women's Fund of Miami-Dade

Summer Internship Program A Success!

Intern Daphnee Timothee with
City Commissioner Richard
Dunn, District 5

Thank you to all our Internship Host Agencies!
Action COACH
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami
Circle of One Marketing
Full Circle Health Care, Inc.
Harris Public Relations/CINELAB
Legal Services of Greater Miami
Lotus House Thrift Store
The Big Blue and You Foundation  
 University of Miami Miller School of Medicine,
The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis  
Office of Richard P. Dunn, II City of Miami Commissioner District 5

Miami-Dade County Commissioner
Edmonson with Urgent Staff

Thank You Funding Partners!
The Children's Trust
Dade Bar Association- New Horizon's Committee
NCJW Teens

Mission

The mission of the Rites of Passage Youth Empowerment Academy is to empower youth with a developed sense of purpose and meaning in which to live their lives. In doing so, we assist young people in attaining the knowledge and accepting the responsibilities, privileges and duties of an adult member of society and promote positive, effective life choices.

Goals

The goal of the Academy is to promote positive adolescent development.

Need

Take a moment to think about contemporary rituals that signify an adolescent’s transition into adulthood, i.e. obtaining a job, a high school diploma, a driver's license, voting privileges, or becoming of legal drinking age. Will youth achieving these tasks be prepared to successfully handle the responsibilities of adulthood? Who is to say? All of these events are usually devoid of and unrelated to social, political and emotional development and competencies that indicate that one is ready to take on the challenges and responsibilities of adulthood.

On the other hand, let’s contemplate the opposite scenario. Take a look at the life a youth from a disenfranchised urban area. Many of these youth are confronted with many socio-economic and academic challenges that often prevent them from successfully completing any of the above contemporary rituals that signify a change in status. So, what is left for this youth to tell him or her that he/she is an adult-- inappropriate and maladaptive behavior, i.e. drug and alcohol use, sexual activity, having a baby, making up his/her own rules? These choices will definitely not help an adolescent transition successfully into adulthood.

In addition, many of these maladaptive behaviors start at a time when one is supposed to be making that critical transition through adolescence into adulthood and be self-consciously searching for and developing one's own identity. Failure to commit in a variety of identity domains, including but not limited to the areas of career selection, political ideology and worldview including moral and ethical concerns have particular psychological and social consequences that can lead to negative or dysfunctional behaviors, e.g. substance abuse, lawless behavior and pre-mature sexual activity.

Let’s face it. Either of the above youth today faces a variety of challenges transitioning from adolescence to adulthood. A recent Add Health study found. “Independent of race, ethnicity, family structure and poverty status, adolescents who have a firm sense of self are connected to their parents, to their families, to their schools, and to their communities are better off than those who are not.” Lack of guidance, meaningful indicators of maturity, opportunities for growth and training for the responsibilities and expectations of adulthood all thwart the development of social, emotional and political competencies needed to become productive contributing members of society.

However, research conducted by the Search Institute of Minnesota has identified that there are indeed a number of positive experiences, opportunities and personal qualities called Developmental Assets that can be promoted by individuals, families and communities which make it more likely for youth to grow up into happy, productive contributing members of society.

The research confirms the more assets a young person has; the more likely they are to make positive life choices. All youth of today need formal preparation to help them establish a foundation of concrete skills that will assist them in rising successfully into adulthood. The Rites of Passage Youth Empowerment Academy provides an excellent learning experience for today's youth. The Rites of Passage Youth Empowerment Academy serves as a formalized training ground to fill the learning gap that exist and bring meaning to the transition from adolescence to adulthood.