Meet the Staff

Vice President

Saliha Nelson

Northwestern

University

Graduate, BS

Shedia Nelson

Programs

Manager, Artistic

Director

& Newsletter

Editor

Hawai`i Pacific

University

Graduate, BA

Mentor

Candice Anderson,

Massachusetts Col-

lege of Art &

Design, BFA

Mentor

Terrance

Cribbs-Lo`rrant

Bethune Cookman,

BA, Florida Interna-

tional University,

MS pending

Youth Advisory

Chair

Tanisha Fleming

Turner Tech SHS

Inside this issue:

Urgent, Inc.’s mission is to empower young minds to transform their communities.

URGENT, Inc. Center for Empowerment & Education CE2

1000 NW 1st Ave., Ste 100 Miami, FL 33136 (O) 786.439.154 (F) 866-811-7778

Shedia Nelson, Programs Manager Cel: 305.586.6694 www.urgentinc.org Email: Shedia@urgentinc.org

RITES OF PASSAGE

Events 2

Advice/Events

3-4

Poetry 5-6

Calendar 7

WE BELIEVE

ELDERS are the

ANCHORS of the

community

PARENTS are the

COACHES and

YOUTH are the

DRIVERS for

CHANGE! FEBRUARY 2013 ISSUE

WE VALUE: Patience Responsibility Learning Teamwork Innovation Compassion Reciprocity

Who

inspires the best in

you?

PAGE 2 RITES OF PASSAGE NEWS

Sierra Club

Miami Inner City Outings

What: Biking!

When: February 23rd

Limited to TOP 10

members who can ride a bike

“She Kept Her Bra On!: Chroni-

cles of Teenage Love Affair”

Original youth led

interactive theatrical production

SAVE THE DATE: SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2013

TICKETS: $15/ADULTS

$5/STUDENTS

Become eligible for Summer Career Mentor Paid Internship

VISUAL ART AND

CRITICAL ISSUES

When: Wednesday, Feb

On Time: 3-5pm

Biking in the Everglades in Shark Valley

Must attend pre trip meeting with Sierra

Club on Wednesday, February 20th

And bring complete and signed fieldtrip

forms with parent/guardian signature to

meeting!

Time: 4:30-5pm

Miami Dade County Bar Association:

Horizons Committee

Provides Fieldtrip

When: Saturday, February 2nd

Resume Workshop

At University of Miami

When: Saturday, February 16, 2013

What: Domestic Violence Workshop

SUBMIT 1-3RD TERM

GRADES,

NO D’S OR F’S

POLISHED TYPED:

RESUME

COVER LETTER

THANK YOU LETTER

INTERNSHIP

APPLICATION

PHONE/BUSINESS

ETIQUETTE

EMPLOYABILITY

READINESS FORMS

CAREER RESEARCH

ATTEND 12

EMPLOYABILITY

SESSIONS

DEMONSTRATE

ALL CORE

VALUES:

Patience

Responsibility

Learning

Teamwork

Innovation

Compassion

Reciprocity

Complete

PORTFOLIO

due MARCH 30,

2013

TO QUALIFY FOR

INTERNSHIP

Thursday, February 21st at Edison

Business Etiquette Workshop

Awesome Resume Workshop with

University of Miami’s Law student Mentors

back or risk your feelings getting hurt. It can be hard and frustrating when a parent/guardian is constantly texting you asking where you are and who you’re with while having to respond to your boyfriend/girlfriend who’s asking the same thing practi-cally all the time.

From a parental standpoint, parents usually worry about your safety versus a boyfriend/girlfriend who wants to dominate

how you spend your time when you’re not with them. Textual harassment is when some-one sends more than 20 texts an hour “asking all them questions.” This is a form of teen dating vio-lence (abuse). You don’t need a guy/girl to text you in order to feel special. Don’t give your heart and time away to someone who doesn’t value you. Sincerely, Blue Rain

Dear Lost, You’re not alone feeling this way. Your feelings are valid. When some kids grow up learning that they’re not the center of their parent/guardian’s attention they look for a substitute. They may think just because someone is texting you, they like you and you have to immediately respond

Coral Gables, FL—Sixteen young ladies participated in a resume workshop in preparation to earn a summer men-tor internship. Successful collaboration of partnerships orchestrated by Miami Dade Bar Association Young Law-yer’s Association’s Horizon’s Committee, Hands 2 Help, Inc.’s Passage to Womanhood and University of Miami’s Law student organization with URGENT, Inc. ensured everyone finished typing their resume. Tracy Jean’s college student mentor Ryan McCarthy “enjoyed hearing about Tracy’s accomplishments and putting it on paper.” Katura Leach appreciated “meeting this lovely lady [Renee Kramer, college student mentor who] helped me improve my resume,” reported Jasmine Clarke and Yaxsan- dra Perez.

Dear Blue Rain,

At night, I used to lay in

my bed crying. I’ll just

pretend what he said didn’t

hurt.

Sincerely, Lost

Jupiter, FL—Ten young ladies enjoyed rural

camping in partnership with Miami Inner City

Outings at Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

Many of the young ladies had never been

camping further than their back yard if at all

nor have ever visited Jupiter, FL.

Guadalupe Augustin learned how to identify

native Florida plants and realized that “I’m

not really scared of nature.” For Tracy Jean

who had never been camping she “loved

camping and was interested in learning about

plants.” One of the younger campers like

Pretty Mosely “had fun and got over my fear

of canoeing and camping.” Elena Huezo

plans to “remove invasive plants from my

house and allow native plants to grow.” Tani-

sha Fleming plans on “becoming a junior

ICO leader.”

PAGE 4 RITES OF PASSAGE NEWS

Dorsey Park located at 1701 NW 1st Ave.,

Miami, FL 33136. Please register to partici-

pate. Call (305) 915-3195 or email: Emily@urgentinc.org

Overtown—Join URGENT, Inc.’s Paint Party!:

an initiative for building literacy through arts and

culture. Come celebrate preservation of Historic

Dorsey Park on Friday, March 22, 2013 from

8:30am—3:30pm.

A community paint-a-thon fund raiser in efforts

to bring people together to help transform

Dorsey Park in commemoration of the Negro

League Baseball. Paint with local mentoring art-

ists and internationally renown and celebrated

artist Kadir Nelson!

REVITALING

MIAMI’S

HISTORIC

DORSEY PARK,

HOME OF OF

THE NEGRO

LEAGUE

BASEBALL IN

OVERTOWN!

Join the Paint Party!: URGENT, Inc. is Creating a

Legacy in Celebrating Black History

Camping with Sierra Club’s Miami Inner City Outings

PAGE 5 RITES OF PASSAGE NEWS

I laugh when I’m having a

good time I am living like a middle

class person

I think I can do anything I set my mind to

Where I’m from in Miami I am Beautiful, Strong and

Intelligent

By Ronata Dieujuste

Looking at Her

Looking at her I see the bright smile. The brighter it

gets the more in depth her secrets lay. Her lips speak the

elegant words of her life.. Looking at her I see her eyes…

oh how I gaze into them try-ing to sneak a peek of her

soul. Being with her I can fall in love over and over.

Her personality is what I love the most. Not to boast

about, but don’t get mixed up with her attitude. Her

sassy is not her classy…

Looking

at her The

curves of her body

would make a

good driver

swerve in traf-

fic. Looking at her… Her talents could brighten up

your darkest days. I just wish I had more time to talk

to her. More time to cuddle and sleep with her on cold

winter night. I always tell her to try to be happy

sometimes. Now looking at

her… I see..

ME! By Kimberly Larosiliere

Something I wanna hear more is how much you really

care about me. I wanna hear how much you

love me!!

I love my smile

I love my eye and how pretty they look

I love everything about me

because I feel I am unstoppable. By Brielle Gibson

Who I Am

Who am I? Am I tall, skinny, short or fat

Am I humorous, talented, independent or smart

Who am I?

Am I sexy, fine, pretty or Beautiful

Who am I?

Am I mean, nice, careless or reliable

Who am I?

I am Kiara Tammy Carey A beautiful, strong, Black

woman who loves herself.

By Kiara Carey

Just because I’m Haitian doesn’t mean I’m a bad person

Just because I have a self-esteem Doesn’t mean I’m full of myself

Just because I have a mean look

doesn’t mean I’m a mean person Just because I love dancing

Doesn’t mean I love dancing Doesn’t mean I’m

all over the place

By Zaria Johnson

Just because I’m feisty doesn’t mean I’m not a good friend

Just because I’m Haitian doesn’t mean I’m a bad person

Just because I’m Black doesn’t mean I’m racist

Just because I’m tall doesn’t

mean I don’t like short people Just because I’m young doesn’t

mean you could boss me around By Jutoria Barthelemy

Just because I’m Hispanic

doesn’t mean I’m racist Doesn’t mean I like

Hip-Hop music Just because I’m loud

Doesn’t mean I’m proud

Doesn’t mean it’s significant to me

And I try to figure out how

Just because I look Dominican doesn’t mean that

I’m on Medicare Doesn’t mean I am like others

By Tiffany Alfonso

Where I’m from I’m told that Blacks are dangerous

I am from a family that is Do-minican and Haitian

Just because I’m Black doesn’t mean I’m ignorant, stupid and

dangerous I am Beautiful, Strong

and Intelligent

Snaps! Poetic Youth Expressions

PAGE 6 RITES OF PASSAGE NEWS

yourself unless it’s necessary

By Elouise Dawkins

This is My Manual

10 Things I like Respect Money Care

Attention Trust

Affection

5 Things I won’t tolerate Liars

Disrespect Games Abuse

Cheaters By Chelsea Bentick

I am smart and really sensitive I wonder how far

I’ll get in life I hear voices saying yes,

you’ll get far in life I see clouds in the sky trying to show me the door is open

I want to have my family and friends right there

when I succeed I am a woman of noble

character I pretend like I’m in my own house feeling happy instead

of melancholy I feel like I want to have my

close friends with me I touch my heart and feel like

it’s broken if I didn’t have them by my side

I worry about losing anyone close to me

I cry my eyes out if I did I am loving and caring

I understand that life isn’t always easy

I say if I choose the right road I’ll be okay

I dream of my future all the time

I hope I’m still living to see my future

I am a positive person Never put my mind on negativity. I know I will

affect my future. By Rosanna Desinor

Me, Myself and I Who am I?

The girl who’s smile can Brighten up any room

The girl who has a personality That you will fall in love with

The girl who has a heart Filled with precious gold.

Her name is Tracy

& this is who she is. By Tracy Jean

In this heart there

Is... LOVE Family Myself Friends

And God

By Guadalupe Augustin

Ways you should be Treated: The Woman’s Manual,

the Key to it all

Remember: A man will go as far as you let

him. So if you tolerate the disrespect, he will disrespect you. If you let him mistreat

you that’s what he’ll do. Establish boundaries

Let them know where you’re coming from

‘Words of Wisdom.’

The things you don’t tolerate

Don’t cheat on me or you’ll be 6 feet deep

Lying, you bet not or you’ll be my dummy like Pinocchio

Abuse, I wish you would I want you to verbally or

Mentally or physically try it you’ll be wearing you’re a—

Snaps! Poetic Youth Expressions

on your face The fussing and arguing

I won’t complain I’ll just snap and let you

explain. The foul language will not be apart of my

relationship. I respect you and you’ll respect me!

Treat Me Right

Respect me, be my all

I want you to cater to my every need. I need to be

loved, show your attention, show your love

Show me your affection be here

Let me know I’m not alone We need to establish ourselves

So we must date first The key to my heart is

Honesty

I need that so deeply Acknowledge me in public.

Let me know I am yours and you’re not embarrassed. Let your friends know I’m yours

then I’ll know it’s real And if you play your cards right I might let you cross

some boundaries

Rule 1: Never lower your standards

for any man/boy

Rule 2: Never tolerate disrespect of any kind if they joke with you about it. Most likely

they mean it.

Rule 3: Respect his manhood. Never let a man/boy feel that he

can’t be respected

Rule 4: Always have the last say so

in any activities you contribute to the

Relationship

Rule 5: Say what you mean and

mean what you say, never confuse them

Rule 6:

Be you, never change

THANK YOU COMMUNITY PARTNERS Hands 2 Help, Inc.: Pas-

sage to Womanhood 3rd

year partnership

Sierra Club Miami Inner

City Outings 8 year

partnership

Dade County Bar Asso-

ciation Horizons Com-

mittee, 7 yr partnership

5

Program funding provided

by:

Where: Edison Park Elementary

Where: Media Center

500 NW 67th St., Miami, FL 33150

When: Mondays Time: 3:10-5pm

Where: B. T. Washington, Sr.

1200 NW 6th Ave. Miami, FL 33136

When: Tuesdays

Time: 2:30-5:00pm Room: 203

Rites of Passage Girls Clubs!

For Who: Girls ages10-18

Closed: Holiday and Spring Break, Teacher

Planning, Early Release Days and inclement

weather

*For more information: Call (305)586-6694

Work America, Inc.

430 NW 9th St. Miami, FL 33136

When: Mondays Time: 6:30-8pm

Where: Edison Eduplex SHS

6161 NW 5th Ct. Miami, Fl 33127

When: Wednesdays and Thursdays

Time: 3–5pm Rm: C-149

Girl Power

6015 NW 7th Ave., Miami, FL 33127

When: 2nd/3rd Fridays Time: 4:30-6pm

Rites of Passage Youth Development Girls Club Meetings

Mi-Lola—Miami Interna-

tional Latinas Organizing

Leadership and Advocacy,

3rd year partnership

IT Women—Information Technol-

ogy, 3rd year

partnership

9 yr partnership

Thank you for re-funding

Rites of Passage for

2012-2013

The Rites of Passage Program is generously

funded by The Children’s Trust. The Chil-

dren’s Trust is a dedicated source of fund-

ing created by voter referendum in 2002 to

improve the lives of children and families in

Miami-Dade County by making strategic

investments in their future – because all

children are our children.

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