1 Orita rites of passage for youth in the African diaspora Marilyn Maye, Ed. D. Warren Maye, M. A. FaithWorks

2 Orita rites of passage for youth in the African diaspora  A strategy for valuing our children  A strategy for positive youth development  A program of supplementary education  A strategy that helps youth acquire different types of capital that they need for success  A strategy that’s biblically based FaithWorks

3 “… where there is no vision, the people perish…” FaithWorks

4 Why do so many young people fail to achieve their potential? …because not everyone brings to school /college the same types of “capital” [Bourdieu(1986), Gordon (1989)] Although they may attend the same schools, students from different communities may perform differently according to the types of capital they bring to school. FaithWorks

5 Ensuring they reach their potential  Human capital –  Social capital –  Health capital –  adults in children’s lives who know a lot about and function skillfully in American life. (e.g. classroom teachers, parents, community members, etc. )  networks of people who take a strong interest in children’s academic success and try to motivate them to work hard in school; friends who are academically oriented.  physical and mental health that support, not undermine, prospects for academic success FaithWorks

6 Ensuring they reach their potential  Financial capital  savings and income that can buy health care, buy homes in communities with good public schools, or pay for supplementary education services such as tutoring. FaithWorks

7 Ensuring they reach their potential  Cultural capital –  Educational capital –  Personal capital –  being familiar with the best of the collective knowledge, techniques and beliefs of their culture  having supports for appropriate educational experiences in children’s homes, schools and communities  belief in your own power to be successful in school and life FaithWorks

8 Reaching their potential Your son or daughter can succeed in school, college, and adulthood - if (s)he can acquire and maintain:  Faith in the possibility of a successful future  Resiliency in the face of academic and social challenges and setbacks  Strong motivation to master his/her studies  Spiritual and cultural moorings  Emotional and physical health FaithWorks

9 A Partnership  Your church family can help support you and your child, by providing some of the kinds of capital he or she needs to be successful in school, college, & adulthood.  The process will work best if there is a partnership between parent, student, and church FaithWorks

10 Church – parent partnership Is your church committed to supporting you and your child in key ways? 1) Spiritual growth and development 2) Academic support 3) Supplementary education – rites of passage 4) College prep timeline and coaching FaithWorks

11 Between ages 7 to 11 - Prevention programs OR From ages 12 and up - Intervention programs Challenges to our family-church partnership:  Street gangs  pregnancy  prison  drug, alcohol abuse  sexual promiscuity  compulsive behaviors FaithWorks

12 Orita: rites of passage for youth of African descent by Marilyn and Warren L. Maye FaithWorks

13 Vision Statement  Orita is an opportunity to make an even better life for our youth than we have experienced.  The Orita process helps prepare participants so that their lives will make a difference in the world.  Orita provides a positive conversation, an alternative to the negative one they often engage in and hear about themselves. FaithWorks

14 Objectives  Create a course of study, designed and led by parents and guardians, to make youth aware of the responsibilities of adulthood and expose them to their religious and family heritage.  Conclude with a final recognition ceremony that formally acknowledges them before a community. FaithWorks

15 Orita program components  Launch  Study  Physical Challenge  Honor  Celebrate FaithWorks

16 Seven principles of Kwanzaa provide a unifying theme and are supported by research and by Scripture  unity of family  self determination  collective work, responsibility  cooperative economics  sense of purpose  creativity  faith FaithWorks

17 Implementation in your setting  Phase 1: Create the vision  Phase 2: Plan strategy  Phase 3: develop tasks  Phase 4: execute and monitor  Phase 5: Finish FaithWorks

18 Contact us at Or By at FaithWorks