Young Women Encircle

In 1998 Suzanne Rock-Stierle founded Young Women Encircle (YWE) to provide life skill training programs to girls and young women. With an amazing staff and group of dedicated volunteers YWE has served the Los Angeles area for close to a decade. Our programs are designed to assist adolescent girls in the development of life skills that will help them to be capable and courageous in the world. By developing authentic, long lasting relationships with women and other girls in the program, as well as active program participation, the girls sustain their physical and expressive courage, and develop their natural leadership ability. Our programs, through a variety of strategies, are designed to help girls build self-confidence and avoid violence, alcohol, substance abuse and early sexual activity. Our programs are experienced based and build upon girls’ strength and voices through a forum of group discussions, role-playing, art projects, media expression and outdoor activities. Our programs are unique in that they combine life skills training, outdoor adventure activities, mentoring, community involvement and leadership components.

We Use Various Training Methods...

Circle/Council

In circle, also known as council, we facilitate group discussions, open dialogue and role play providing an opportunity for girls to think out loud, to talk openly about important issues in their lives ranging from family issues, school, relationships, conflict, drugs, sexuality, body image, to politics concerning women and girls around the world. The facilitators are positive role models and offer experience, not advice, on how to deal with similar situations in their lives. The girls then are able to ask questions in an environment that honors and supports them.

Group Discussions & Role-Play

In role-play we divide the girls into groups of two for Dyad Discussions. These discussions tend to establish intimacy faster than discussions in larger groups. It is also time effective. In role-play we take real-life stories and dilemmas and have the girls ‘practice’ how they would handle the situation. The facilitators and counselors help the girls with ideas and words to use if the girls are having difficulty. In this exercise girls learn and develop stronger relational and coping skills. The girls say that after doing these exercises they are more likely to call a friend and work things out instead of running away to avoid uncomfortable feelings or confrontation.

Needs-Based Communication

This Needs Based communication style, also known as Nonviolent Communication, was developed by Marshall Rosenberg PhD. The technique reduces conflict and connects people to the life giving interaction that focuses on meeting the internal needs of all the individuals involved in the conflict. The process also strengthens our ability to develop and inspire compassion within others & ourselves. For more information on Non Violent Communication check out the CNVC website at www.cnvc.org

Art Projects

Body portraits, mask making, drawings, dream boxes, goal boards, group posters, and collages are just some of the art activities we engage in. These projects give girls the chance to create colorful, symbolic, non-verbal representations for ideas discussed, and feelings felt. This is a great way for girls who have difficulty speaking out to express themselves and discover themselves in a new way.

Leadership

In our programs we expose girls to a wide range of women, from the past and present, each with a unique leadership style. The message we aim to deliver is, “not everyone leads the same way.” While providing girls with role models, we also strive to create an atmosphere where girls are able to take a leadership role, allowing each one to speak out and practice feeling confident doing so.

As part of our leadership training program we introduce the girls to The Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument," a cutting edge thinking & learning styles technology that provides insight and depth of understanding about how people think, lead, communicate, and make decisions. For more information on these powerful transformational tools please check out the website at www.hbdi.com

Outdoor Activities

We engage in different outdoor activities including hiking, rock climbing, ropes courses, sports and games. Adventure-based activities enable girls to learn about risk taking. The girls begin to discern between real risk and perceived risk, and have the opportunity to define their own comfort zone, risk zone and panic zone. In addition, adventure based activities provide ample opportunity for teachable moments and learning from natural consequences. These strengthen girls’ reflective, problem solving and decision making skills. They also learn the importance of being part of team and working together to achieve a common goal.

Media expression

In our programs we incorporate the development of media literacy in both our girls and adults who support them. They have been challenged to recognize how women and girls are being portrayed in fashion, music, language, imagery on television, in movies, and in print media, and how such portrayals are used to define women and girls.

We then teach girls to make their own choices about how they want to define themselves: in ways similar to or different from popular cultural images. Finally, we provide girls the opportunity to learn the use of media to redefine the portrayals of girls and women, through multimedia events and presentations, website design, public access television, community calendars and newsletters.

Our goals are to teach girls how to:

~ Develop a positive self image and esteem

~ Awaken their natural leadership ability

~ Find healthy ways to express feels and needs

~ Honor diversity

~ Be able to communicate more effectively

~ Set and attain personal and academic goals

~ Learn to speak up and speak out with confidence

Our Programs...

Becoming Women Retreat- Honoring our daughters transition into womanhood

Is a 3-day weekend gathering for girls which focuses on empowering them as young women coming of age, and the honoring of the feminine. Through group discussion, open dialogue, art and storytelling, the girls learn about the history of women from a multicultural perspective. Together we inquire, explore and celebrate our power and potential as women. Activities for the weekend include hiking, campfire songs, storytelling, journaling, music, dance and a contemporary rite of passage ceremony which includes family and friends, that acknowledges their first steps towards becoming women.
Read the Becoming Women article

See the Rite of Passage Video

Reweaving the Tapestry- between Mothers and Daughters

Reweaving the Tapestry" is a 3-day gathering for mothers and daughters of all ages that will focus on the needs and gifts we have in common. Together we will inquire, explore and celebrate our power as women. During this retreat we will create a compassionate plan for transforming this primary relationship into a natural alliance. This is an opportunity to find new ways to connect with each other, find common ground, honor differences, celebrate transitions, and recreate our relationships to each other. Activities will include; Storytelling, Group Discussions, Creative Writing, Alone Time, Art, and Music.

Rebuilding the Foundation- between Fathers and Daughters

"Rebuilding the Foundation" is a 3 day gathering for fathers and daughters of all ages that will focus on the needs and gifts we have in common. Together we will inquire, explore and celebrate our powerful connection between us. During this workshop participants will create a compassionate plan for transforming this primary relationship into a natural alliance. This is an opportunity to find new ways to connect with each other, find common ground, honor differences, celebrate transitions, and recreate our relationships to each other. Activities will include; Storytelling, Group Discussions, Art, and Music.

Girls & Young Women’s Counsel

These are three separate, age appropriate 10-week meetings that gather once a week for two hours. The uniqueness of these programs are that they are designed to build upon a girls’ natural strength and communication through a forum of various exercises. Activities include group dialogue, open discussions, role-play and art projects that broaden a girls understanding of the factors that impact her life. The groups focus will develop critical thinking, relationship skills and conflict resolution. The counsel process will help girls create a powerful context around being a girl and becoming a woman.

Girls Speak Out:

An all day gathering for girls and young women. The day will be filled with fun activities, discussions, creative projects and great food. Activities will include:

Open Forum: In open forum, girls can openly talk about and discuss issues in depth ranging from family issues, school, relationships, conflict, sexuality and body image.

Role Play: In role-play we take real-life stories and dilemmas and have the girls ‘practice’ how they would handle the situation. And then as a group create positive solutions. In this exercise girls learn and develop stronger relational and communication skills while having fun.

Art Project: We will create colorful and unique projects related to the subject being discussed.

This workshop will be a great opportunity to make friends and leave with a new sense of confidence in dealing with difficult situations and feelings.

Power-Full Girls:

Is a one day workshop in which the girls learn about all of the changes which are happening to them during this dynamic time in their lives. They learn about their own physiology, menstruation and the language around it. They learn about what actually happens to their bodies during their periods, so that it is not a mystery to them, allowing them to express a sense of pride around this monthly event. They also learn about the menstrual history of women, about some of the taboos which are alive today. They are given the opportunity to ask questions in an environment which honors and supports them.

The Matrix Unplugged- A one day workshop challenging how you believe.

The workshop is for people of all ages and backgrounds and will focus on unplugging our limiting beliefs. The seminar provides tools for empowering ourselves in all areas, our decision making process, how we interact with others and the ways in which we communicate to others and ourselves.

In this unique seminar you will learn how to:

 Identify limiting beliefs about the past, present and future that you hold in your thoughts.

 Unplug yourself from the opinions and thoughts others have of you.

 Become aware of words we use to tragically express our needs and learn to express your needs in life enhancing ways.

 Speak to the internal critic with compassion and empathy, and distinguish between the “Real You” and the “Matrix Voices”.

 Create a healing space where the wounds of the past can be mourned and released.

Young Women Encircle currently is not conducting any local programs. Although if your
organization is interested in our programs we offer on site consulting and staff training.

For more information please contact Suzanne Rock-Stierle at (310) 433-8776 or Email