A Course Developed by Boys & Girls Club of Malibu in Partnership with SAMHSA

WHAT: Empowered Voices is a year-long social emotional learning program with four modules each culminating design thinking and project-based learning. Students will develop resiliency and better understand mental health. Students will also deepen their knowledge in these areas by using their creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills to create solutions for individual or community challenges.

Social Emotional Learning is a fundamental component utilized throughout this course. SEL gives members/students a lens through which to establish and maintain healthy relationships, feel and show empathy, and positively impact their community.

The teen years are a time of some of the most rapid and developmentally significant changes for youth. During this period of “identity formation,” teens are right in the middle of figuring out who they are, who they want to be, and who they want to be around. Empowered Voices was created to provide teens with evidence-based tools to support them in the areas outlined herein. 

PROGRAM/COURSE GOALS:

• Engage students with an opportunity for authentic PBL/Design Thinking projects that make social emotional learning and social justice applicable to their daily life
• Support students by providing resources and measurable learning targets aligned with Common Core English Language Arts, social studies, and social justice standards
• Provide Adverse Childhood Experiences screening in a meaningful environment to create a trauma informed Club/classroom and community
• Prepare students for career & college readiness
• Students will create a digital portfolio which will help them with college and job applications as well as teach them skills to promote and represent themselves online
• Teach important life skills including problem solving and collaboration

WHO: For high school students

HOW: Through collaborative and interactive lesson plans and weekly group discussions, members learn about themselves, self-care, and how to empower themselves and others to positively impact the world around them!

• Weekly design thinking projects can be completed virtually or in-person learning environments
• Weekly group discussions guided by Youth Development Professional staff or TA staff
• Building a peer-based, supportive community

Weekly lessons are available for Boys & Girls Club staff or SMMUSD teachers in order to present in a HyperDoc using Google Slides. The lessons are designed to be shared with your members/students in Google Classroom.

For access to modules, please click below.

For additional questions or password access/issues, please email Teen Center Director, Violet Miehle.