Educating for Peace through Countering Violence:
Strategies in Curriculum and Instruction
Candice C. Carter and Raj Kumar Dhungana, Editors


Chapter 15
Fostering the Hope of Distressed African Americans in the USA:
Culture, Arts, and Youth-Development Strategies
Sheryl Evans Davis
Appendix A
Resources

These are resources for spiritual experiences and hope. Building characteristics outlined by Delgado (2005) that support spirituality and could advance peace include: identifying a belief system, searching for a purpose or meaning, connecting to others, and moving beyond self.

• ● Six Elements of Social Justice, Picower, B. (2012). Using Their Words: Six Elements of Social Justice Curriculum Design for the Elementary Classroom. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.18251/ijme.v14i1.484 More information available at https://usingtheirwords.org/6elements/

• ● The Developmental Assets Framework: https://www.search-institute.org/our-research/development-assets/developmental-assets-framework/

• ● Pod mapping worksheet: https://batjc.wordpress.com/resources/pods-and-pod-mapping-worksheet/

• ● Workbook with activities to build spirituality through contemplation, discussion and reflection: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5e7d3c6475eba96ff997e0ee/t/5e7dc0a3aff3dd28068245c1/1585299641872/Beyond-The-Dream-Workbook.pdf

• ● Changemakers workbook: https://www.dropbox.com/s/j8y0lbzx0ct1ygx/changemakers-download.pdf?dl=0

• ● Book list https://www.dropbox.com/s/j8y0lbzx0ct1ygx/changemakers-download.pdf?dl=0

Curriculum Activities

Journey Map. This asks youth to think about what is needed in a community to help young people succeed. It encourages youth to think about social and academic success and goals.
Quote of the Day. Youth were given a journal and asked to write in it each day. During the summer, the cohort began their day reviewing the quote in the journal and spent time discussing it with the group.
Acrostic Name Poems. Youth are asked to write their name vertically across the page and to use the letters in their name to write a word a phrase that describes them on the horizontal line. This activity builds communication skills and provides space for group discussions. Often, participants will take several sessions to complete the activity. Building a space where youth feel comfortable sharing good things about themselves is often challenging but speaks to the need to do more of this type of work as defined by various reports (Search Institute, 2022; Resiliency in Action, 2007).

Appendix B
Contemplation with Images

This activity provides an opportunity to identify a belief system, connect with others, seek meaning and reach transcendence - to consider something bigger or more important to oneself. This is used as a prompt for discussion to encourage contemplation and how movements and the work of change agents and social leaders align with participants. Participants are asked to look at the images, consider what they represent, and how the movement resonates, impacts, or influences them and others. After, the group shares their thoughts and how they can learn from the movements. Participants are encouraged to think of an action or engagement where they could practice the principles the movements represent.

Appendix C
Recall Emotive Arts

After reviewing the page and engaging in a discussion, participants are asked to consider a song, poem, writing, or speech that moved them at some point in their lives. This activity is meant to encourage contemplation and exploration of a belief system and invoke a feeling or memory of transcendence.

Appendix D
Goal Setting

Dream Cloud. Youth are given a paper with an image of a cloud on it, with a ladder that leads to the cloud. Youth are asked to write their goal, hope, dream, or aspiration in the cloud and to write the steps to achieve the identified goal on the rungs of the ladder. This activity supports defining and reviewing social and academic success, a noted best practice (World Health Organization, 2019). It encourages participants to dream big, consider something they would like to accomplish, and set goals to achieve. They are asked to write the dream in the cloud and the steps to get there on the side of the rungs of the ladder. Activity supports goal setting and a belief system; could also support connecting to people or transcendence if they acknowledge needing the help of others or help from a power greater than themselves.