Sisters Share:

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Sisters Share

• Developing and Facilitating
• Women Sisterhood Retreats

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Overview

• Welcome Introductions
• History
• A Peek at the Retreat
• Sisterhood 101
• Testimonials
• Program Assessment (Achievements Lessons
  Learned)
• Questions

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Collaborative Sponsors

• WCU Women of Color Sisterhood Retreat
• Developed Fall 2006

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Learning Outcomes

• Provide retreat participants with information and
  resources to assist them in their personal,
  academic and social pursuits.
• Offer a supportive community for participants to
  form connections and tackle self-esteem and
  developmental issues while empowering each other
  and building community.
• Establish programming ideas geared specifically
  toward the uplift and empowerment of female
  students.
• HAVE FUN!! ?

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History

• 1st annual retreat held on Saturday, March 24,
  2007
• One day retreat held in the University Center
• 11 female students in attendance
• 2nd annual retreat held on February 22-23, 2008
• Overnight retreat held at the Bird Alumni House
  at WCU
• 20 female students in attendance
• 3rd annual retreat held on February 20-21, 2009
• Overnight retreat held at the Chancellors Guest
  House at WCU
• 12 female students in attendance
• Held in conjunction with the 2nd Annual Men of
  Color Brotherhood Retreat

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A Peek at the Retreat

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Sisterhood 101
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Module 1-Do I Know My Sister?
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Module 2-Getting S.A.S.S.Y
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Module 3-Becoming D.I.V.A.S.
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Building CommunityThe Underpinning of Sisterhood
Retreats

• Registration Process
• Limited to 20 participants
• Request for demographic information and details
  on what students hoped to gain from experience
• Participation Requirements
• Must attend the program in its duration
• Responsible for bringing their own personal
  items, etc.
• Program Expectations
• Confidentiality of discussions
• Active Participation
• Respect for each other

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Getting To Know You A Medley of Team builders

• Taboo Do I Know You? (2 Rounds)
• Get on the Bus
• One Thing You May Not Know About Me
• Can You Think Of Others?

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Engagement Exercise 1
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Overnight Homework Assignment

• Following a full evening of icebreakers and
  low-medium impact team builders, the women are
  given a homework assignment to reflect on their
  inner selves and value.
• Sample questions include
• What are the top five issues concerning women at
  your institution?
• What is a gift or talent that you possess?
• Live 5 characteristics you like about yourself?

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So What Do You Think?

• Would anyone like to share?
• What are some other questions or components that
  you could include?

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ENGAGEMENT EXERCISE 2Whos that Girl? Mirror
Exercise

• A Medium to High Risk, Individual Reflection
  Exercise
• Guided by facilitators providing questions and
  sharing brief, personal vignettes that may
  heighten students awareness

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Am I My Sisters Keeper Exercise
3Autobiographies

• Individual, quiet reflection exercise
• Guided by facilitators providing questions and
  sharing brief, personal vignettes that may
  heighten students awareness

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Retreat Reflections
Being amidst such a dynamic group of women was
truly inspirational and made me want to strive to
build bridges with all women on Western's
campus." Ramona Dowdell, Junior "The retreat
helped me realize that although we all come from
different backgrounds there is a bond that comes
from the sharing of our unique experiences." Lato
ya Blackwell, Senior
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• Ms. Jenkins, I am sending you this email to
  give my thanks for the wonderful experience you
  made possible this weekend. I must admit that I
  didn't know exactly what was going to happen at
  the retreat but the outcomes were beyond my
  expectations. I truly wish something like this
  was held once a month because I believe it would
  make an even bigger difference. From this retreat
  I gained self esteem, a wonderful experience in
  general, and new friends  that I would've
  probably never talked to if it wasn't for the
  retreat. Ms. Joelle was amazing and I wish I had
  someone like her while I was growing up. I hope
  she continues to come to these retreats because
  she really does make the whole experience even
  better! Please let her know how thankful and
  happy I am that I was given the chance to meet
  such a strong woman like herself. Again, I am
  thanking you for the wonderful services you
  provide on this campus. You and Ms. Joelle are
  truly an inspiration! I look forward to taking
  what I learned at the retreat and practicing it
  in my everyday life. Thanks again,
• Genesis Tejada

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Lessons Learned?

• What we did well
• Program structure (learning from 1st year to 2nd
  year based on student evaluations)
• Providing a safe and open environment
• Encourage and advocate for the participants to be
  themselves
• What we learned and plan to change or address in
  the future
• Involve or inform the counseling center
• Expand the program for larger space and more
  funding
• Have information and resources readily available
  for participants

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Questions???
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• Tanisha L. Jenkins
• Western Carolina University
• Joelle D. Carter
• RJC Consulting, LLC.

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