Call for Proposals: Coming of Age for Communities

Rite of Passage Journeys invites you to apply for our new program, Coming of Age for Communities.  This is a grant-funded opportunity to receive resources and support to build a coming of age program to serve your youth.

What is a “Coming of Age?”
Life transitions are invariably times of confusion.  Nowhere is this clearer than the transition from childhood into adolescence.  As children step forward in their lives, they need a coming of age experience to consciously mark the transition, explore their personal values and the values of their community, and develop the skills and qualities that will serve them as healthy teens and adults.

Since 1968, Rite of Passage Journeys, (also called “Journeys”) has helped youth transition into their teen years through an innovative, mentoring- and nature-based curriculum.  For over 15 years, we have trained organizations and individuals nationally, who have applied our methods with great success. 

Now, Journeys has received a generous grant from the National Recreation Foundation to provide training and support to five youth-serving organizations in 2008-09, making our unique philosophy and methods available free of charge through a training and consulting program designed to meet your organization’s needs.  If you are looking for additional ways for your youth to:

• Increase self- esteem and self- confidence
• Develop skills for making healthy choices
• Engage in community life
• Explore the outdoors
• Mark life transitions through a rich and meaningful experience

Consider applying for partnership with us on this unique opportunity.

Selected partner organizations will take part in our Coming of Age Leader’s Training November 7th, where you will learn coming of age program philosophy and methods, and begin to design your unique project.  Over the next 6-9 months, your organization will receive ongoing, tailored training and consulting with our staff, preparing for your project launch at some point 2009 based on your organization’s project design. This opportunity includes an innovative, tailored training for your organization’s mentors.  Depending on the project design, the market value of this opportunity is approximately $10,000.

If you are interested in learning more, please visit our website at www.RiteOfPassageJourneys.org, or email emily@riteofpassagejourneys.org. We will also be offering an information session for interested organizations to learn more on September 11th from 10AM-12 Noon, in the small meeting room at Shoreline Public Library.

Download the Call for Proposals here.