OCF Blog

Supporting LGBTQ+ youth is so important with the rates of suicidal ideation increasing. Guide the youth in your life through the following conversation so they have a chance to identify their role models and values. Let’s help empower youth on their journey of self-discovery.

“If we are working toward equity by making a protected space in our groups for the experience of queer kids, we also need to ask ourselves if we are allowing these same queer kids to come with their racial identity, their socioeconomic status, their ability status, their gender identity, their religious affiliation, and everything else that makes them who they are”.

These days, more people than ever are thinking about how they can make a difference for others in their community, which is great because, from homelessness to environmental awareness, there are plenty of causes that need more attention. If you have the drive to make a difference, now’s the time to step up. Janet Campbell of Elder Spark shares some advice about different ways that you can take action in your town today.

We’ve released our first digital activity guide, Mitigating Gender and Racial Bias: Intersectionality and Allyship. You can now purchase this curriculum in digital form and access it with ease from your phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. Even better, you can share it with up to 5 colleagues!

The classroom can feel overwhelming at times. Our students’ behaviors change as the season changes. As we all come back from our Spring Breaks, we are left with two more months before summer vacation. During this time, most of our schools are busy with testing and wrapping up projects, and staff may feel tired and overwhelmed. So how do we keep ourselves and our students engaged when many are just thinking about that last day of school?  Here are some class-friendly activities, tips, and tools:

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.

Report after report and a seemingly endless stream of articles have recently been released showing that youth and teen mental health is in crisis. Persistent sadness, hopelessness, and attempts of suicide are up across the board, and the numbers increase for youth of color, LGBTQ+ youth, and ...

I went through Girls Circle Facilitator Training in 2017, and had the privilege of being trained by the wonderful Victoria Mahand. I remember going up to her after the training and asking her, “How do I do, what you do?” I was referring to her charismatic, inclusive, effective facilitation style. What she did next was model what a facilitator does. She didn’t give advice, she told me, “Danielle, go out and do.” So, that’s what I did for 5 years. I ran circles and grew our program within our community. However, I struggled those first few years with

...I attended the Million Man March in Washington DC in 1995. I wasn’t prepared to write anything. But it was a historical event. I didn’t have lined paper nor a pen. I had a pencil and a napkin and began scribbling my verses. That ordeal resulted in the first book of poetry written about the March, titled “Messages from the Historic Million Man March”. I gravitated and graduated to more profound social and political issues as seen in the poem Años de Lágrimas (Years of Tears): I can hear my ancestors They’re being taken away… The screams piercing the air…

A new video was released today featuring One Circle Foundation trainers, staff, and teen circle participants sharing all about One Circle Foundation and showcasing what an actual circle looks like in Aiken, SC. This video gives an introduction to the One Circle Foundation experience, mission, and impact. Share it with colleagues, friends, and family so they can learn about this powerful work that you are a part of and help us to expand our circle around the world.