The Hero's Journey - Rite of Passage Approaches and Techniques in Contemporary Youthwork

THE HERO’S JOURNEY - Rite of Passage Approaches and Techniques in Contemporary Youthwork, training course led by Bret Stephenson. The Hero's Journey, a model developed by Joseph Campbell, is the cycle of growth, the path to knowledge, and the core to all rites of passage. It is based on narratives from most cultures throughout the world. It is archetypal, universal and easy to understand as well as simple to be used in youthwork, as the same pattern can also be found in many "new" stories such as Lord of the Rings, Matrix, Avatar, Alice in Wonderland,... Therefore, we will use this model as a red thread of our training and follow it in all levels, some literal and some figurative. This will help us to understand better that we are constantly on countless Hero’s Journeys in our lives at multiple levels, and how it can help us and young people we work with to cope with different life challenges. The Hero's Journey is a training course for youthworkers, social workers, community workers, pedagogues, psychologists and trainers who: - are accompanying young people on their journey to adulthood, - want to deepen their practice and learn how to use rites of passage and The Hero's Journey model, are ready to personally experience and reflect on these practices on a personal level, - want to broaden their professional skills and network with others doing similar work, - want to share the outcomes of their work and experiences with other participants, - are able to work in English. Place: Vila Sklenářka 458, Kostelec nad Orlicí, Czech Republic Pictures here: http://www.sklenarka.cz/?p=383 Time: 22. – 30. 9. 2014 (including travel days) Costs: Program, accomodation, food and part of the travel costs will be financed by an Erasmus+ grant. Participation fee is 100 - 150 €, according to your possibilities. We will accept APPLICATIONS until August 20th 2014, application form is here: http://goo.gl/rf1jQl Participating countries: Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, United Kingdom. Total number of participants will be 22. Bret Stephenson M.A. – the author of „From Boys to Men: Spiritual Rites of Passage in an Indulgent Age“. He has been a counselor of at- risk and high-risk adolescents for twenty-six years. Bret has worked in residential treatment, clinical counseling agencies, group homes, priváte counseling, foster parent training, Independent Living Program, and managed mentoring and tutoring programs. He has worked with teens from more than 100 countries. http://www.adolescentmind.com/ Assisting: Vláďa Kučera, Helena Kosková Program: Experiental part (day 1-4) Participants personally experience and reflect on different creative techniques of rites of passage and The Hero's Journey model in order to have deeper understanding of what their youth will be experiencing and also how to use these activities and approaches in working with them. Examples of methods used: guided imageries, mask making, exercises on change, exercises on essences, sacred fire area, storytelling, personal mythologies,... Metta level and educational part (day 5-7) Time will be provided to conclude the experience, deepen the theorethical background and focus on how to use these approaches back home, with young people in our communities. Examples of discussion topics: archetypal adolescent development, risk taking behaviour, healthy adulthood, ability to function well in contemporary society, stages and dynamics of rites of passage, how to create your own rites for young people in our communities,... Objectives: - To learn and deepen understanding of what rites of passage and initiations are, and what their potential is for the healthy growth of young people and for prevention of adolescent problems. - To understand how to apply rites of passage and initiation dynamics in current times. - To learn how to use the archetypal Hero's Journey as a model to guide young people into a healthy adulthood. - To experience and reflect on these dynamics personally to have better understanding of what the teens will be going through. - To understand the process of adolescence and what healthy adolescence looks like in modern times. - To share knowledge and experience about related topics with youthworkers from different countries. - To explore how this kind of work can be tailored to different frameworks and target groups in our communities back home. - To build a network of professionals interested in using rites of passage in contemporary youthwork. - To empower participants for future initiatives, activities and projects. Looking forward to our common journey! Contact: herosjourney2014@gmail.com +420 777 961 443 – Helena +420 603 143 056 - Vláďa