Family and Community Engagement

Q’anjob’al and Spanish speaking pre-teens and teens at Edison Middle School have participated in a new collaboration between Family and Community Engagement (FACE) and Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE).  Funded in part by the CU Schools Foundation, “Mi Cuerpo, Mi Mente, Mi Fuerza” (My Body, My Mind, My Strength) originated in conversations between Nicole Fitting (SLIFE, Edison) and Dr. Amanda Gray (FACE) who wish to support these young women by empowering them to protect their health and wellbeing.  By engaging the participants in important selfcare topics with trusted community resources, Fitting and Gray give them the tools to empower themselves with knowledge, contacts, and a voice.  They also foster a safe space to learn, inquire, and discuss becoming a young woman in a new-- and sometimes hard-to-understand--society.  Participants have connected with Whitney Greger at CU Public Health District, Mandy Waggoner at RACES (Rape Advocacy, Counseling and Education Services), Danville Beautician, Ruthie Gomez, and other guests who engage them in selfcare activities such as healthy relationships, dance, yoga, and skincare.  Fitting and Gray work with the cooperating agencies to culturally and linguistically optimize the delivery of content so that the participants can get the most out of it.  Next year Fitting and Gray plan to include self-defense, time management, and nutrition.