Tag Archives: Doreen Thompson

All Together Rising is One Circle Foundation’s answer to the call from youth service providers for Circle sessions that directly address some of the familiar adverse conditions affecting many youth. All Together Rising is an innovative collection of supplemental Circle sessions, compatible with any One Circle model (Girls Circle, Unity Circle, or The Council for Boys and Young Men), which has been meticulously developed to address the complexities of eight different adverse childhood experiences: community violence, food insecurity, homelessness & housing insecurity ...

I grew up at a time when thinking about coming out was foreign to me, growing up, I never knew there was another way to celebrate my authentic self. According to societal norms, I was supposed to act ladylike, wear dresses, be polite, find a nice guy, get married, and... Read More. ...

One Circle Foundation (OCF) has the honor of partnering with incredible women leaders who are ushering in lasting, positive change and making history in their communities from Des Moines, IA to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  OCF has its own history of strong, intelligent, charismatic, and deeply caring women in leadership. These women have been developing and sharing circle programs to ensure that youth and teens get the opportunity to have healthy relationships with themselves and others in safe circle spaces with adults who are properly trained and equipped to be effective facilitators.  We celebrate these women who show up daily to walk the talk, do the work, and make history. ...

Summer can be a challenging time for youth and families. Youth may be prevented from engaging in meaningful activities due to a lack of resources, availability, financial access, or a host of other challenges.  During the One Circle Foundation facilitator support meeting in July, some of our partners shared creative ways that they continue to engage youth during the summer months. The ideas were too good not to share. With the permission of both of our partners, we are pleased to make available the following ideas for engaging youth in meaningful activities. ...

Adolescence can be a difficult time. Trying to develop independence, finding yourself, body changes and first loves. For me I had a wonderful childhood, however, when adolescence hit, things changed. I tried to fit in and experience all the things I was SUPPOSED to according to society's norms. Those experiences didn't work for me, and I thought there was something wrong with me. My way of dealing with it was to use drugs, alcohol and engage in self-destructive behaviors. There were no support groups, no one to talk to about my confusion. I went on through my teens and twenties struggling to fit in. At the age of 28 I kissed a woman and my life changed... ...

Access a document that outlines detailed suggestions for adjusting each step of any OCF model to make it work beautifully while facilitating online circles.  ...