Our North Carolina team co-hosted a special training on healing justice and mental health over the weekend, with a group of over 30 youths. This training was a longtime vision for the leaders of Centro Unido Latino-Americano (CULA), who asked us to host them and facilitate parts of the event. Last fall, leaders of CULA attended our "Training of Trainers," a 3-day workshop where they learned about popular education and circle facilitation. Now they are putting what they learned into practice with their own members.
This was also the first project involving our newest staff member and NC Wages and Worker Rights Organizer, Raul Jimenez. Read his reflection on the event below!
“The first project I jumped into working with UFE was the Liberating Minds: Youth Healing Justice Retreat. Part of UFE’s mission is to offer movement support to organizations in NC, and we believe that providing healing spaces and spaces for reflection and meditation are a big part of this mission. In collaboration with the Centro Unido Latino Americano (CULA), this retreat brought more than 30 high school aged youth, mostly youth of color, to learn about mental health and participate in healing circles. Offering young people the opportunity to practice healing through healing circles, meditation and education is important. For most of the young people that participated, mental health and healing were not things that were talked about or practiced at home. For some, even being in a youth centered space was new. As a former youth organizer, this retreat reminded me how refreshing and healing it is to work with younger people. Working and collaborating with young people reminds me that there are always new possibilities, new paths, and new ways of moving forward together.”
This is what our Training of Trainers workshops are all about, giving leaders the tools to train more trainers and grow the movement. These youths left energized and ready to continue building a world they want to see.
If you're ready to train to be a trainer, please reach out to learn more about our popular education offerings! Schedule a call to discuss custom trainings for your organization with our team.
Click here to view the photos from the event!