AKOBEN PASSAGES
Akoben Enterprise offers opportunities for affirmative and transformative development through “passages”.
A list of passages includes:
Akoben Ritual and Ceremonial Passages
Akoben facilitators guide communities (learning institutions, faith based institutions, community centers, etc.) through indigenously inspired rituals, ceremonies and community development practices that support the healthy maintenance and sustainability of a community’s mission, core values and identity.
Akoben Wisdrum Circle Passages
Embracing the philosophy of Sankofa (Retrieve the past in order to create the future), Akoben Wisdrum Passages utilizes the indigenous voice of various drum traditions to create order, harmony and balance to communities interested in maintaining healthy relationships and restoring conflicts that inevitably will surface in all communities. Through the ancient practice of ritual, music, rhythm and sound, Akoben Wisdrum Passages establishes transformative and restorative spaces that help people connect and reimagine what it means to be a community.
Akoben Restorative Circles Passages
Through restorative practices, Akoben facilitators are able to engage communities with rituals, virtues and exercises that promote healthy relationships among community members. In the Akoben Restorative Circle, participants are able to share their goals, aspirations, fears, and insights and are celebrated for their accomplishments. Additionally, participants learn how to support each other and address conflict in an amicable manner that is centered on community restoration methods that are inspired by indigenous approaches.
Akoben Brotherhood Cyphers
An all male community circle where boys and young men reason and contemplate wisdom that can help to build and maintain a healthy brotherhood and community. The Akoben Brotherhood Cypher is a sacred space where all brothers are viewed as equal and everyone has something valuable to share. The brotherhood will strengthen kinship bonds, clarify values and support life-directing commitments that each brother will hold each other accountable to achieving.
Akoben Sisterhood Cyphers
An all female community circle where girls and young women reason and contemplate wisdom that can help to build and maintain a healthy sisterhood and community. The Akoben Sisterhood Cypher is a sacred space where all sisters are viewed as equal and everyone has something valuable to share. The sisterhood will strengthen kinship bonds, clarify values and support life-directing commitments that each sister will hold each other accountable to achieving.
Akoben In School Rites of Passages
Borrowing from the ancient transformative rites of passage practice, learning communities can infuse elements of the rites of passage discipline to help teachers and students connect learning to the optimal levels of identity development, social and emotional learning, purpose driven teaching and learning, and problem solving as a process for identifying, claiming and living one’s purpose. The embedded challenges and trials that are inherent in schools can be contextualized in the lexicon and transformational practices of rites of passage.
Akoben Professional Development Passages
This professional development series will prepare educators to establish classroom and school wide practices that are informed by cultural relevant methods, rites of passage pedagogy, social and emotional learning, affirmative development, transformative disciplines, restorative practices, academic motivation and identity repair.
Akoben Retreats
Akoben retreats are safe spaces to participate in deep reflection about one’s life journey and purpose. Also, Akoben helps school communities reconnect with their vision, mission, core values and culture by guiding educators through exercises that cultivate identity restoration and transformation. Utilizing the ancient rites of passage process, participants are engaged in safe trials that enable them to confront their life experiences and derive meaning to the lessons that have been learned. Participants are encouraged to reinterpret the narratives that they have been attaching themselves to and begin to rid themselves of thoughts, emotions, attitudes and behaviors that no longer serve a purpose at this phase of their lives. Akoben offers rites of passage retreats for educators and students. Additionally, Akoben facilitates reflective retreats for educators and school communities that are interested in reimagining the teaching and learning experience in their respective schools.