DCPNI respectfully and mindfully engages the community through outreach and support, health and wellness, community building and organizing, and strengths-based case-management services. We also provide multigenerational programming to ensure parents succeed, healthy and safe places exist and communities thrive. works closely with community leaders and civic associations to encourage greater and higher levels of parent participation in school related activities, community activities, and advocacy for improved services. We also provide specific programs aimed at strengthening families and the community.
Moms on the Move (MOTM)
Moms on the Move provides mothers in the KP community the opportunity for personal growth and the development of skills that will make them successful in goal attainment to achieve a greater levels of self-sufficiency.
The MOTM curriculum is divided into three distinct areas to address internal drive of the participants to achieve their goals for personal transformation.
Self Care: Intentional practices that align the mind, body and spirit for increased productivity as a woman driven to become successful in all facets of her life.
Personal Development: The process of self-empowerment through increasing knowledge and interpersonal skills to build efficacy to enhance her quality of life.
Goal Attainment: Taking ownership of the responsibilities needed to achieve goals that build capacity personally and professional for individual success.
The content that supports these areas are delivered using a coach approach method to achieving success. The coaching model imposes accountability on individuals for the change they want to experience in their lives and they are primarily responsible for reaching their highest potential. MOTM provides this motivation through interactive activity based sessions that are led by the program director, certified life coaches, and staff training in coaching techniques.
Brothers Reaching Up Higher (B.R.U.H.S)
Mission: Brothers Reaching Up Higher is an initiative that supports the Kenilworth-Parkside community in reaching the next level of their career, education, and life aspirations.
Vision: Cycles of thriving young men in the Kenilworth-Parkside Community who support, educate, and motivate following generations
The curriculum for this program will be the B.R.U.H session initiatives paired with the Transformational Leadership theory.
Curriculum:
- Networking
- Financial Literacy
- Mock Interview
- Active Citizenship
- Resume Construction
- CoBRUH (Celebration of Brothers Reaching Higher)
The transformational leadership theory, builds on one’s need for meaning, is preoccupied with purposes and values, morals, and ethics, transcends daily affairs, is oriented toward long-term goals without compromising human values and principles, focuses more on missions and strategies, releases human potential – identifying and developing new talent, designs and redesigns jobs to make them meaningful and challenging and aligns internal structures and systems to reinforce overarching values and goals (Covey, 1992)
Promise Mapping
Promise Mapping is designed to meet the challenges and needs of the community by providing resources and services that allow families to better manage their personal well-being and overall family stability. We intend to meet those needs by using a case management approach and connect families to external community support services, internal DCPNI programs and emergency financial assistance. Through a combination of direct practice and unique partnerships that include public charter schools, DC Public Schools, private corporations, community leaders, service providers, and community based organizations; Promise Mapping seeks to build wrap-around services and support for individuals and families living in the Kenilworth-Parkside community.
Our unique program model uses a Strengths Based theoretical approach that combines direct practice skills with coaching techniques and strategies that empower transformative change. Case managers (Promise Advocates) play a primary role by providing powerful life coaching and community resource connections to individuals and families faced with a myriad of challenges. Promise Advocates work to identify negative behavior patterns by uncovering disempowering beliefs to help promote a motivational context for change.
NatureFest
NatureFest engages youth and families from economically stressed communities in outdoor and nature-based experiences in order to increase their time together for physical and mental wellness and bonding. Considering the role that family engagement plays in not only academic success, but also life success, programming aims to positively affect their attitudes and behaviors towards each other and their environment.
Additionally NatureFest offers opportunities for trainings and work experience for teens and adults as well as opportunities for partners to learn how to respectfully engage economically stressed communities.
NatureFest Programming Menu:
- NatureFest Spring Break
- NatureFest Family Days
- NatureFest Day Camps
Promise Elders’ Tea
The Promise Elder’s Tea are held monthly and devoted to encouraging seniors in the community to share their experiences of life and foster a dialog on ways to bridge the gap between generation buildings a stronger Kenilworth-Parkside community.
We use an open dialogue format to engage the seniors in their home environment to develop a strong base to form a community partnership. We bring in a guest speaker that has expertise in the “Sankofa” principle. We use the principles of “Sankofa” which teaches us that we must go back to our roots in order to move forward. That is, we should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward. Whatever we have lost, forgotten, forgone or been stripped of can be reclaimed, revived, preserved and perpetuated. Learning from the past as a basis for cultivating strong relationships between the elders and youth using a two generation approach. We have honest dialogue surrounding the following topics:
- Using Eldership to transform the community
- Knowledge is Power (utilizing wisdom of the Elders to educate youth)
- Principles of Social Engagement
- Elders Taking Action In the Community (Elders in Action Series)
Community Health and Safety
DCPNI is working to encourage and support activities that increase healthy and safe practices in the community such as healthy eating, exercise, safe streets, public safety advocacy for the community and school safety practices. We are engaged in helping to increase food security and food access by bringing fresh fruits, vegetables and other staples to neighborhood families. We are also helping families in our footprint utilize better health practices and establish a medical home in the community. We assist families in the development of good prenatal care, stress management, health monitoring and prevention and increased levels of healthy activity. We were also instrumental in establishing Unity Health Care’s new facility dedicated to bringing health care services to residents.
Volunteer Recruitment and Training
Volunteers are recruited from the local community, colleges and universities, and service organizations such as Lutheran Volunteer Corps and AmeriCorps/VISTA, and are an important part of DCPNI’s team. Although volunteers work without pay, or for a modest stipend, they gain the experience working with a dynamic organization that is focused on making positive community change in an under-served area of the District of Columbia. All volunteers participate in trainings that teach the requisite skills needed to deliver a high level of performance as well as the understanding of how to respectfully engage community. DCPNI is looking for volunteers who are able to commit to participating over a set period of time as opposed to one time “service days.”
To get in touch with our Family and Community Engagement staff, click here.
