About Anchors
ANCHORS provides a unique experience for pre-adolescent children and a key anchor adult in their lives. The workshop consists of hands-on personal and emotional experiential learning, understanding and de-stressing. The goal is to create a space where children can begin to understand the ideas of anxiety, stress and healthy relationships from a young age, and learn how to cope with it through open and productive communication with both friends and the main anchor adult in their lives.
Those who go through this program will have opportunities to engage in deep and challenging conversations with their peers, as well as their anchor adult. This will allow them to gain a better understanding of themselves, their peers, and their communities. The conversations will focus on the social and emotional well-being — both physical and spiritual — of the children and adults in attendance. We will touch on Judaism’s connection to these topics but also break the ideas down in a way everyone can easily understand.
- Two-hour workshop
- Recommended for pre-adolescent children (ages 8-12) and a key anchor adult (parent, guardian, or other) in their lives
- Up to 15 child/anchor pairs
- Interactive workshop
- Workshops can be facilitated virtually or in person*
- *If facilitated virtually, participants will need the ability to access Zoom.
- $750 for virtual workshop and materials mailed, additional cost for in-person facilitation
- An understanding of the difference between stress and anxiety, as well as coping skills for how to deal with stress.
- Communication skills to engage in healthy communication with their anchor partner and an identified person they feel comfortable turning to when they need support in dealing with stress.
- A clear definition of what makes a healthy friendship and what they have to contribute to a healthy friendship.
- An understanding of the qualities of a “mensch” (Jewish term for an honorable, good person) and a list of their own character strengths.
The key middah (Jewish value) of this workshop is Nosei B’ol Im Chaveiro – Sharing a Burden with One’s Friend. The Torah includes a story of a special friendship between a convert named Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi. Together, Ruth and Naomi face many difficulties but are able to overcome them, because they support each other.
