What is Community Connection?
Community Connection has been our "core" program since Rainbow Days, Inc. was founded in 1982 and began providing educational support groups and other supportive services for children and families. Since 1982, more than 35,000 children and youth have participated in a support group through Rainbow Days in the Dallas area.
Rainbow Days Inc.’s Curriculum-Based Support Groups are for children, youth and parents who are concerned about the risks of growing up in today’s world. Our purpose is to teach them the skills they need to succeed and stay drug free.
Our Core Service
Curriculum-Based Support Groups for Children and Youth...
Research-Based Strategies: Research demonstrates that when children and youth who live in high risk situations are involved in meaningful activities with trusted adult mentors, and when they increase their developmental assets by practicing and mastering coping, thinking and social skills, they build the capacity to overcome hardships and adversity and succeed in spite of the negative models and influences in their lives. This capacity is know as "resiliency," and the meaningful activities and positive adult involvement are known as "protective factors" (Rutter, Garmezy, Werner, et. al.).
Rainbow Day's Solution: Rainbow Days' award-winning model of prevention, Curriculum-Based Support Groups for Children and Youth, is based on proven educational practices and on the latest prevention research. Curriculum-Based Support Groups are shown to reduce risks, increase developmental assets and build resiliency among high-risk children and youth.
How Curriculum-Based Support Groups Work: Six to ten children or youth are grouped by common developmental stages and matched with a trained group leader. The group meets together once a week for approximately an hour over a period of 10-14 weeks. The group leader uses one of Rainbow Days' tested and evaluated support group curricula to guide group members in discussions and hands-on, experiential learning activities. The activities are designed specifically to foster positive peer support and help children learn, practice and retain essential coping, thinking and social skills. While the support group frame work is highly structured, it is also flexible. Depending on the children's developmental levels, the type of high risk situations they are experiencing, and our access to service delivery sites, we make necessary modifications to the intensity, frequency, duration and location of group sessions.
Different Support Group Curricula for Different Developmental Levels and Needs: Rainbow Days has developed different support group curricula for pre-school, elementary and secondary school students and for children living in transitional residential settings such as shelters. Many children and youth repeat a Rainbow Days' Curriculum-Based Support Group at different intervals in their development. Evaluation demonstrates that repetition increases the intensity and duration of the preventive benefits. Some schools enroll all elementary students in a Rainbow Days' Curriculum-Based Support Group as a "protective inoculation" to reduce and mitigate the risk factors associated with middle and high school.
Topics and Major Messages: Topics include self, feelings, family, friends, healthy choices, changes, decision making, refusal skills, chemical dependency in the family, and setting goals for the future. Major themes are incorporated into every session:
- I AM likable, capable, unique and valued;
- I CAN achieve my goals;
- I HAVE strengths, capabilities and people who care about me;
- I WILL be alcohol-, tobacco- and drug-free;
- I BELIEVE I have a purpose.
The Goals of "Community Connection" Support Groups are to:
- increase essential coping skills & pro-social attitudes, including a non-use attitude towards alcohol, tobacco and other drug use
- increase the capacity of parents & guardians to enhance their families’ protective factors and foster their children’s resiliency
What are the Benefits of "Community Connection?"
Of the children and youth completing a Community Connection support group in 2000:
- 81% demonstrated improvement in their non-use attitudes toward alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
- 74% demonstrated improvement in self-awareness, self-efficacy and self-esteem
- 65% showed an improvement in grades
- 45% demonstrated an improved sense of purpose and future
- 43% demonstrated an improved ability to identify, express and deal with feelings constructively
Where are the Groups Held?
Support groups are conducted in various locations throughout Dallas County in shelters for homeless families, schools, including after school programs, recreation centers, chemical dependency treatment centers and churches.
What Does "Community Connection" Do in the Community?
Curriculum-Based Support Groups are made up of 6-10 children, youth or parents who meet in a structured and confidential setting with a trained leader called a facilitator. Each group uses an age and culturally appropriate curriculum designed to introduce important topics such as feelings, family and friends, healthy decision-making, changes and goal setting for the future. Groups are offered year round in 14 week cycles. Group times vary according to location.
Kids’ Connection - children ages 4 to 12
Youth Connection - adolescents ages 13 to 17
Parent Connection - Parent support groups are conducted at the same time as children’s support groups, and provide guided group discussions for parents to share and explore solutions to parenting problems.
There is a fee for services which is based on a sliding scale. No one is ever refused services for inability to pay!
Summershine
Summershine is a special session of RDI groups held in the summer designed to enhance the group experience through creative dance, artwork, and songs. At the end of the summer session, the children hold a performance for their families and friends.
Art With A Heart
Art With A Heart matches children who are interested in exploring the arts with an adult mentor. The mentors and children engage in mini-projects to prepare for a final presentation of all works of art and/or live performances created during the Art With A Heart experience.
If you would like to volunteer at one of these activities, call or e-mail Sharon Lipshie. For general questions about Community Connection activities,
call or e-mail Cindy Wright.
214-887-0726
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