The Conflict Center began the pilot class of the Discovering Your Inner Strength (DYIS) series last month.  DYIS is the result of a grant TCC received from the Colorado Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice to develop gender specific programming in response to the rise in the number of female juvenile offenders in the justice system over the last ten years.  The female specific curriculum focuses on some of the issues facing girls such as bullying, girl gangs, gossip, pregnancy, and dating and family violence.  The classes are structured to apply TCC conflict resolution and emotional intelligence techniques to the issues above within an overarching framework of building and maintaining healthy relationships.

 

There are nine girls in the pilot class, which is being taught by Pearl Bell, who also helped to design the curriculum.  The girls range in age from eleven to nineteen.  So far the class is going well

December 2008

TCC Incorporates Female Specific Curriculum

By Kelsey Hopson

 

and the girls seem to enjoy and respond to some of the new activities.  Changes will be made to the curriculum based on the feedback of the pilot class and the feedback of our existing female specific section, Positive Connections at Grace and Truth Church.