Program

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Program entitled Traditional and Contemporary
Skills for Living Created and Facilitated
by Carol McKenzie and Rosa Medicine-Traveller
Length of Program 12 weeks/48 days Weekly
Schedule Tuesdays to Fridays Daily Time
Schedule 930 a.m. to 430ish p.m. Number of
Adults per Program 10 20 adults Note The
program and all activities pertaining to it are
for adults only.
Mission Statement of Rosa and Carol Rosa and
Carols mission is to make a positive difference
in the lives of others by helping as many people
as they can learn to live a balanced life
according to their values, beliefs, guiding
principles, and authentic self. They have chosen
to do this by bringing their hearts, shared
values, love of people, personal/professional
experiences, and skills to the workshops and
programs they offer. Qualifications of Rosa and
Carol Rosa is a Siksika Nation member,
counsellor, mediator, facilitator, trainer, and
business owner. Carol is a Certified Professional
Coach, retired special education teacher, public
speaker, facilitator, and business owner. Both
women have had years of experience helping people
in their lifes journey to achieve a balanced,
healthy lifestyle and to accomplish the goals
they set out for themselves.
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Medicine Wheel Living Skills for a Holistic and
Balanced Self

• Life Skills Processing,
• with patience and kindness

• Creation of traditional arts and crafts projects

Physical Self
Emotional Self

• Values, Beliefs, Guiding Principles

• Relaxation Exercises

• Feelings Identified, Acknowledged, Understood,
  and Valued

• Daily Living Skills

• Authentic Self, Congruency

• Nutrition and Healthy Eating

• Self-Esteem, Self-Empowerment, Encouragement

• Field Trips related to Education and Employment

• Relationship-Building Heartfelt Connection
  with Self and Others

• Personal Development

• Healing support and stress management

• Behavioral Awareness and Practices

• Academic Reading, Writing, and Research skills

• Prayer according to individual/cultural
  beliefs and practices (traditional and/or
  contemporary)

• First Nation Language Classes

• Effective Communication Skills

• Traditional Spiritual Practices smudging, etc.

• Self-Management and Decision-Making Skills

• Individual/Cultural Spiritual Practices

• Application and Resume Processes
• Educational and Employment
• - Interviewing Skills

Spiritual Self

• Feeding Your Spirit Workshops

Mental Self

• Goal-Setting and Completion

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Purposes of this Program (1) to create a
safe, inspiring, up-building, and fun environment
where people can learn and practice traditional
and contemporary skills for living at home, at
work, in large and small communities, and in
educational institutions (2) to give people an
opportunity to create a sense of balance and
wellness in their spiritual, mental, emotional,
and physical self (3) to offer skills that are
geared for success and personal empowerment
(4) to help people develop transferable skills
that are sustainable and applicable in the six
key areas of life (self, family, friends,
community, employment, and leisure). Benefits to
Participants - a comprehensive set of
traditional, contemporary, daily living, life,
organizational, goal-setting, academic (reading,
writing, research), and communication skills
- skill sets that are transferable to all areas
of life - skill sets to help people make and
cope with changes - skill sets that help people
obtain and retain jobs, choose and complete
educational goals, and take care of a home and
family - establishment of portfolios for work
and/or higher education - practice in making
choices and decisions that are in alignment with
personal/cultural values, beliefs, and guiding
principles - ability to choose a lifestyle that
is healthy, balanced, spiritually uplifting,
emotionally satisfying, enjoyable, manageable,
and sustainable (physically, emotionally,
spiritually, and mentally) - a highly developed
sense of self Participants Leave With - a
portfolio for work and/or higher education
(generally includes things like a completed
application, resume, cover letter, letter of
support/reference letter, and educational
transcripts) - a portfolio of writing samples
and exercises (including several writing
assignments and a completed 5-page research essay
the entire process from start to finish)
- completed personal projects (a
traditional/cultural project, a journal) - a
completed group project (a workbook/manual of
daily activities and exercises) - a Certificate
of Program Completion
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Medicine Wheel Four Goals for a Holistic and
Balanced Program

• learn about and take
• personal responsibility for
• choices and decisions in the
• six key areas of life
• manage personal, professional, and
• academic lifestyles
• know and learn to live by personal/cultural
• values and guiding principles
• live an authentic and values-based life
• evaluate situations/information in order to make
  informed decisions/choices and to take healthy
  risks
• manage change and stress effectively
• prevent burn-out
• understand and be aware of the stages of change
  that people go through
• create balance and wellness in the four parts of
  self

Personal Development Goals
Traditional Goals

• the creation of traditional projects (outfits,
  crafts, artwork)

• classes in the traditional native language of the
  group

• traditional practices, such as talking sticks,
  use of feathers, the medicine wheel, and
  smudging, in order to convey and/or learn
  traditional and/or contemporary teachings

• achieving balance and earning a living in this
  contemporary world
• highly effective communication, listening, and
  questioning skills
• academic and employment readiness
• ability to read behaviors and connect with others
  in a heartfelt way
• household care and management skills on a budget
• survival skills at home, work, and school
• dressing for work/school on a budget
• creating win-win situations
• organizing skills and events
• team-building skills
• earning a living
• networking skills
• coaching skills

• Education/employment choices that align with
  beliefs, guiding principles, and
  personal/cultural values

• enhanced skills in reading, writing, and research

• familiarity with the educational and employment
  application and portfolio preparation processes

• creation of educational/employment portfolios

• tour of educational campuses, places of
  employment, and program-related places

• development of effective
• interviewing and questioning skills

Contemporary Goals
Educational and Employment Goals

• special guest speakers

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• BASIC PROGRAM OUTLINE This is a basic
  outline, which allows flexibility in a way that
  the facilitators can respond and work effectively
  in order to meet participants needs or wants.
• BASIC DAILY SCHEDULE
• Daily Opening Exercises, which may include
  Traditional Practices (1 2 hours everyday)
  prayers centering updates/leftovers/clearings
  note-taking review and editing (for the
  culminating project)
• Academic Work (2 hours per day, Tuesday,
  Wednesday, Thursday) such as, reading, writing,
  and researching academic assignments will be
  assigned as homework and graded by Carol.
• Skill-Building Exercises (3 4 hours, Tuesday,
  Wednesday, Thursday) these are chosen according
  to what the participants want and to what the
  coaches notice the participants may benefit from
  they will be related to personal development,
  educational, employment, traditional, and/or
  contemporary goals.
• Daily Note-taking for the Group Culminating
  Project
• Daily Clean-up of the Facility (by participants
  and coaches)
• Daily Journaling (done as homework) submitted
  to Coaches weekly
• FRIDAY CLASSES
• Traditional Native Language Class (1 to 2 hours
  on Fridays)
• Traditional Native Arts/Crafts a major project,
  which is due one week before the end of the
  program
• INTERMITTENT FIELD TRIPS
• The group is responsible for arranging rides to
  program-related field trips for example, to
  educational institutions, employment offices,
  and/or to daily living skills-related places.
• FUND-RAISING ACTIVITIES and GROUP RESPONSIBILITY
• Graduation Celebration The group is responsible
  for raising funds for the Graduation Celebration.
  The activity must be agreed on by everyone, and
  it is held on the last day of the program. If
  the group agrees, one adult significant other
  may be invited.
• Field Trips The group is responsible for
  arranging transportation to the program-related
  field trips.
• Relevant Guest Speakers If the group wishes to
  bring in speaker, it is up to them to make this
  happen.
• CULMINATING PROJECTS (Due one week before end of
  program)
• Traditional Native Arts/Craft Project

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