Coming of Age is a year-long program running from September to June filled with challenges and retreats for 9th or 10th graders and their parents. Teens experience physical challenges and learn their personal styles in a year of self-discovery. Families learn to renegotiate their relationships to make room for the new emerging identity of the adolescent son or daughter, while teens earn greater freedom by taking greater responsibility.
Coming of Age is time-intensive with two-hour Sunday meetings twice a month for Family Negotiations and Parent-Teen Meetings as well as a challenge or retreat in most months. The participation of parents is expected at one meeting per month. The year culminates in a June ceremony where teens accept responsibility for shaping their destiny and parents agree to acknowledge them as emerging young adults.
Coming of Age (ages 14 or 15)
During the Coming of Age year of self-discovery, teens experience physical challenges and learn their personal styles. Families learn to renegotiate their relationships to make room for the new emerging identity of the adolescent son or daughter, while teens earn greater freedom by taking greater responsibility. The program has a built in feature that prepares the teens to take up community leadership at BSEC as volunteer assistant teachers after they graduate. The capstone for the teen teaching program allows them a small stipend or continued service credit in their final year of high school.
Goals:
- Provide parents and teens specific tools and training opportunities for negotiating and maintaining agreements that match freedoms with responsibilities.
- Create adventures and challenges for teens to experience their self-reliance and competence.
- Lead supportive groups for teens and adults where individuals speak kindly, fairly, and truthfully.
- Arrange more opportunities for adult-teen relationships.
Outcomes – Teens and Parents will be able to:
- Make and maintain clear and effective agreements.
- Match freedoms and responsibilities.
- Designate time for parent-teen family meetings.
- Express themselves honestly, fairly, and kindly.
- Express appreciation and support others to be their best.
- Be aware of the effects of their actions on themselves and others.
- Face their fears and anxieties.
- Identify normal teen behaviors and the challenges of adolescence.
Commitment and Cost
This class needs at least five people registered for it to take place. Regular attendance is important for group dynamics and relationships (parents, this includes you too). Please mark your calendars.
We ask for a registration fee of $100 per family plus an additional program fee for each child enrolled to cover the cost of the program for $400 non-members and $200 for members.