MIND/FULL workshops for teens
TOPIC FOR 2024 WORKSHOPS: Navigating FRIENDSHIPS
Our MIND/FULL workshops are nature-based and equine-facilitated experiences intentionally designed to hold space for full minds in trying times (those navigating stress management, anxiety, life changes, traumatic events and more).
Promoting self-care, self-discovery, self-awareness and more, MIND/FULL workshops offer unique, safe, inclusive and non-judgmental opportunities for tweens+teens to find the support they need and want.
During this experience, participants will have the opportunity to choose how to spend their time…
🐴 In the company of our horses and donkeys
🎨 Expressing their creative side through painting, sculpting, coloring and more
🍃 Immersing themselves in nature through kayaking, gardening and exploring
🧘♀️ Practicing mindfulness through journaling, music and movement
💙 Finding support by connecting with other participants, our clinicians (therapists) and equine specialists
2024 TEEN WORKSHOPS:
Sat June 1 • 10a-1p {registration deadline: Wed May 29}
Sat Aug 17 • 10a-1p {registration deadline: Wed Aug 14}
Refreshments/snacks will be provided for participants.
PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED BY THE DATES SHOWN ABOVE. Complete details will be sent to all registered attendees at least two days prior to the event.
Cost for each 3-hour workshop is: $45.
A $10 deposit for each event with this form will hold the spot. Deposit is fully refundable if the event does not take place.
Please note: this is not a riding program.
Workshops are facilitated by licensed mental health professionals and certified equine staff.
These workshops are suitable for ages 13-18. Participants may be further organized into age groups depending on registration. Minimum of 5 participants required to hold the date.
*Our Teen/Tween and Parent MIND/FULL workshops are held concurrently on the same date and at the same time, however the groups will be utilizing separate areas of the farm. They are not participating TOGETHER in the same workshop. Don't worry, we have plenty of space! We received feedback that it would be easier for parents to attend at the same time their kids are attending, so we are making that adjustment for 2024. If you have any questions or concerns, email us at info@equuvation.org.*
Origin story of the mind/full workshops
In fall of 2021, there was a fatal shooting–by a student and targeting a student–at a school several of our clients attend. Two days later, another beloved student died by suicide. In the week following, several schools in Charlotte experienced the same thing. And then a retaliation shooting threat to area high schools was promoted on social media. This pattern of traumatic experiences, piled on top of a pandemic, led to our first workshop.
With short notice, our clinical team was asked to host an experience for those who had been directly impacted. Within the group who joined us that day included students who had witnessed the shooting through a window; those who hid under a desk for hours while the shooter was at large; and a young woman who had been with her friend for dinner an hour before he died by suicide.
During our time together, we groomed horses. We painted things. We sat on the ground. We walked through the woods. We talked. We listened. We laughed. We cried. And what we learned was really important: we need to recognize that kids are experiencing really adult things, out of their control. We need widespread support for mental health days in schools. We need to reduce stigma around therapy and the notion that asking for help is a weakness. We need to make mental health services and self-care opportunities accessible. We need to hold space for each other more often. And we need to ask others what THEY need; not assume that we know. And we need to do it now.
Inspired by this impromptu day, the mind/full workshops concept was born. A natural fit alongside our current mental health and experiential learning programs, and set upon the backdrop of our nature-based facility, mind/full is designed for tweens and teens (ages 11-17). Our credentialed team is well-equipped to facilitate activities to explore self-care, life-skills and healing, especially in the wake of trauma. Through a variety of equine-assisted and nature-based activities, mind/full workshops aim to promote the following skills for attendees:
Self-care – opportunities to find peaceful, inclusive, supportive spaces and coping skills away from the “noise” of everyday life.
Self-discovery – the opportunity to be creative, try new things, and discover a stronger sense of self.
Self-regulation – the ability to understand and manage one’s own behaviors and reactions.
Self-advocacy – the ability to speak-up for yourself and the things that are important to you.
Resiliency – the ability to navigate challenging times in a healthy way.
To date, we have held two workshops, supported by the pro-bono donations of our therapists, equine specialists and facility staff. Each time, we have had a full session and a waiting list to attend the next one. For us, this is the truest form of measuring the effectiveness of this project – teens are showing up because they are seeking safe, inclusive, non-judgmental support. Additionally, several of the participants pursued ongoing therapy following the workshops. Our long-term goal is to ultimately develop the MIND/FULL workshops into a regularly occurring program that is free for participants. In the meantime, we will offer this program at low cost so we can build the viability and curriculum.