Sankofa

Learning objectives

• Promote cultural education, community spirit and brotherhood/sisterhood amongst the Black youth

• Provide them with a strong and confident foundation, deeply rooted in the positive values of humanity and equity that African cultures and traditions have lived with and practiced for centuries

• Learn from the past to ensure a strong future

• Learn about and practice cultural wellness so that The Black youth feel empowered, they feel a greater sense of belonging, and they can better take care of their own emotional wellbeing, within a caring community

Features

• Lifestyle & Traditions (values and community spirit, dress code, food, etc.)

• Traditional arts classes and workshops (music, songs and dances) to broaden participants’ understanding of rhythms and cultural expressions

• African languages classes (Swahili, Lingala, Yoruba, etc.)

• Traditional wellness practices

• Traditional games and crafts (i.e. learning to build traditional music instruments, mask making, traditional houses design, etc.)

• The art of traditional storytelling  

• And more…

program benefits

• This program helps promote positive racial and ethnic identity, which has been linked to higher resilience, self-efficacy, self-esteem and school grades

• The program helps the Black youth learn about themselves, to empower their lives now and in the future

• Sankofa helps increase their sense of belonging by creating a stronger community they can relate to and identify with, which promotes better mental health

Instructor(s)

• AFS Artists, Elders and Knowledge keepers