The Cherished course is a retreat from the pressures of teenage life. We offer a quiet, non-judgmental space for girls to explore their identity and understand that they have the freedom and ressponsibility to make positive choices.
Our goal is that all girls who complete the Cherished course will leave with the confidence, self-worth and aspirations to fulfil their potential and be an inspiration to those around them.
TESTIMONIALS
“The one thing which I feel Cherished has helped me with the most is to know that it doesnt matter how big your dreams are, as long as you want them enough there is always a way for them to become reality.”
Becky, 17
“The girls involved in Cherished are more confident in the classroom and with their peers. We have noticed academically the girls have improved. We would recommend the Cherished course to schools."
Year 6 Teacher, Birmingham
Cherished Course
Over the 8 week course, the girls are rewarded with a charm to remember each module. On the final day, our Cherished girls keep their completed bracelet as a reminder of their strength, beauty and unique value.
Our girls look fantastic in their individual Cherished hoodies. Once a Cherished girl, always a Cherished girl!
Just one example of the activities you might find us doing in a Cherished course session. We use hands on, creative and active methods to visualise the topics covered each week.
Love is a strong theme throughout the Cherished course. We discuss protecting our heart, building positive relationships and friendships, and learning to love our own quirks and 'imperfections'.
Recreating the iconic 'Cherished head' is another example of the creative ways we engage with our girls. This Primary Cherished group thought about their unique virtues and attributes that make every girl special and cherished!
The Cherished girls summed up their 'Protecting Your Heart' session on heart-shaped balloons. Using visuals helps the girls to remember to 'protect' and 'respect' when they encounter difficult situations in their lives.
The Course
Cherished is currently delivered in 15 Primary and 6 Secondary schools in the Midlands. Each course is run with small groups of girls in Years 6-9. The group setting allows the girls to learn important teamwork and communication skills, as well as becoming more confident voicing ideas and opinions, knowing that every contribution is valued and listened to.
Over eight weeks, we spend time focusing on:
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Family
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Protecting Your Heart
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Friendship
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Self-esteem
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Hopes & Dreams
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Managing Emotions
The girls get stuck into creative activities to explore these topics, such as craft, drama and creative writing. Above, you can see examples of some of the ways we approach these issues and different groups of girls who have completed the Cherished course.
Primary
The Primary Cherished course equips young girls with the self-assurance and knowledge to provide them with protection from entering teenage schools with harmful and dangerous naivety. Over the 8 week course, we explore confidence, self-esteem and relationships, with a focus on identifying personal values and attitudes.
Secondary
Many of the issues faced by girls in Secondary school are not discussed as openly or constructively in school or at home as we believe they should be. The Secondary Cherished course adapts the key topics to tackle real life problems and experiences head-on. During our time together, the girls have the opportunity to speak about these issues freely and explore their emotions without pressure, judgement or rejection.
Mentoring
Once the course comes to an end, each girl is paired up with one of Cherished's trained mentors. The one-to-one sessions continue to develop the skills and thought processes each girl has gained from the Cherished course and provides a valuable experience for both mentor and mentee. Find out more about Cherished mentoring sessions on the Mentoring page.
Through acceptance, fun and love, we see girls recognise their real worth and accept new possibilities and visions of their lives. The Cherished course leads girls towards finding empowerment and freedom from the adverse pressures others would put on them.
To book the Cherished course, or find out more about our work in schools, please get in touch.
