CURRENT INITIATIVES
The Black Rose Foundation for Children is currently involved in the following initiatives:
JR VISION
Our vision is all children in geographic areas we serve are literate and have access to books and other media to help them discover the joys and value of reading.
JR MISSION
Named in honor of the founder’s first grandchild, our mission is to motivate young children to read by providing books to underserved communities and to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. JR’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to fourth grade.
WHY JR?
Reading is Fundamental (RIF) reports that nearly two-thirds of low-income families in the U.S. own no books. Learning to use language and communicate with the written word are critical skills that children acquire as they grow and develop. Reading aloud to children at an early age is the most effective way to help them attain these skills. Reading also stimulates children’s imagination and expands their understanding of the world. By helping our children develop strong reading skills at an early age, we are laying the foundation for their success in school and in life.
For more information and related pages on literacy resources and to contribute to providing books for children by donating to the “Justice Reads Literacy Program”, Click here.
Justice Reads Literacy Program (JR)
Literacy Curriculum and Circles of Love and Peace (CLAP) Children’s Book Clubs
The Black Rose for Children literacy curriculum is informed by K. Agyei Akoto’s Nation Building theoretical framework, approaching curriculum building from the community perspective as displayed in Akoto’s model of the “Interactive Circle” of the Social Placement. BRFC’s curriculum purports a model through a cyclical framework, making it easy to approach an independent, yet codependent frame of reference (e.g., schools, tutoring programs, etc.). The circle symbolizes that there is no beginning or end, that we are interdependent and that as we care for ourselves, we care for others. Thus, the circle is a symbol of community, that which has a history, traditions and conscience with the family at its core. Both family and community are included the village that is responsible for a child’s intellectual, spiritual, and mental health.
Children are organized in Circles of Love and Peace (CLAP) Children’s Book Clubs to foster their spiritual, intellectual and physical/behavioral development. This methodology assumes that children are holistic beings who are multidimensional and should be stimulated in a variety of ways. Children, then, are engaged with the understanding that they are spiritual, physical and intellectual beings using literacy activities to support the development of all these dimensions. Our curriculum, based on national literacy school standards, supports the idea that reading, writing, speaking and listening are tied together as sources to draw on for a child’s intellectual growth and progress.
Parent/guardian involvement is required for participation in the program. Experienced staff implementing the program are recruited, selected and given orientation related to a specific assessment protocol and expected outcomes. The optimum timeline to produce positive outcomes for participants (preferably, 7-11 years old) is a minimum of two hours per week for thirty-six weeks or seventy-two clock hours.
I Am Love: A Book About the Meaning of Love
Join Justice, Dylan, Jason, and Jameson in their journey to find the meaning of love. Click here to order.
J is for Justice
Amina, Kiki, Raven and Jada are four girls who love books, princess parties and superheroes. Everyone in their community seeks justice. But, what does the word really mean? The girls visit people at school, the capitol, the aquarium, the church and even at home to learn about different types of justice and their meaning. Follow the girls on their quest to becoming superheroes for justice! Click here to order.
-
Birthday Parties for Homeless Children: Through our partnership with the Atlanta Children’s Shelter, we sponsor monthly birthday parties for preschoolers, newborn through 5 years old. We believe that just because children do not have a permanent place to call home, they should not miss out on celebrating themselves with traditional birthday party rituals.
-
Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.
-
Financial literacy programs for elementary school children
-
Advocacy for Total Wellness (Mental and Physical Health Parity) for Children (See Resources and Links)
-
Emergency funding for Transitional Living for Foster Children in Atlanta and Memphis
-
Children and Family Mental Health and Wellness Partnerships
-
Advocacy for Literacy for children ages 0-5 (See Resources and Links)
-
Resources and information on children and the law (See Resources and Links)
-
Partnerships with foster care agencies, organizations that serve children of incarcerated parents, local school and community mentoring and gang initiatives.
-
Capacity Building in board development, fundraising, and coaching leaders for grass roots organizations.