By: Crystal Mayo, BABESWORLD Special Projects/Media Specialist
Deb O’ Rah Mitchell with children at a BABES presentation
Deb O’Rah Mitchell and Frederick Smith at a BABES presentation
In 1996, Detroit won an implementation grant to improve the health and safety of its youth and to create “systems change” or, to establish “lasting change” in policy funding and procedures of various Institutions. The Youth Connection was identified as an organization to provide after-school programs and activities that would be accessible with a mandate of reaching 75% of Detroit’s youth.
Not only did the Youth Connection meet that 75% mandate in 2007, to date they have continued to be steadfast to their mission of providing information, resources, training and other needed services to youth and their families. Besides their after-school programming, they also offer the following services to the community:
- Career Academies: Provides career and college prep training to youth ages 14-24
- The I2D2 Fit ‘N” Family Clubs : A fitness and nutrition evidence-based program for parents and youth
- Substance Abuse Prevention Program: Presents research based life-skills and critically-important peer pressure and conflict resolution strategies. These research-driven programs have shown that youth and parents who complete the training are far less likely to use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
- Under this umbrella they now offer BABES (Beginning Awareness Basic Education Studies) training (PreK-5) along with the Strengthening Families training (ages 10-14).
- Annual After-School/Back-to-School/Off-to-College Fair: Highlights local after-school programs and prepares youth to return to school with supplies, backpacks and shoes.
- Ticket To Float: A program in partnership with the River Raisin National Battlefield Park where each summer 1,000 youth and their chaperones learn about water quality, environmental stewardship and kayaking. Youth also learn the history of the Wyandotte Indians, about the war of 1812 and the role that African Americans played.
THE BABES CONNECTION…
In mid 2017, a connection would be made between the Youth Connection and BABES when Karra Thomas, SUD Initiatives Prevention Manager, Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority, passed an email along to Youth Connection Substance Abuse Prevention Manager Deb O’Rah Mitchell.
Thomas’ first introduction to BABES was in 2005 at a Detroit Health Department Monthly Prevention Roundtable meeting.
“My first impression of the BABES presentation was how I wished that my children could see this. The puppets truly shared real life stories with children – stories with situations that they may someday be confronted with that also affected our community . . . I remember thinking that BABES represented a great prevention model that would be a good fit for the Youth Connection,” recalls Thomas.
“When I got the email from Karra, I had just returned from a training in Iowa regarding Strengthening Families,” explains Mitchell regarding the BABES connection. The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is a nationally and internationally recognized parenting and family strengthening program for high-risk and general population families, servicing children ages 6 to 11.
“Shortly after getting the email, I found out that BABES had an upcoming Basic BABES training at BABESWORLD Home in Detroit. Naturally, I thought about our younger children who could also use some life-skills training . . . The Strengthening Families’ program would be great for our older children and the BABES program a perfect fit for our younger children,” Mitchell recalls thinking. “We are now able to introduce effective evidence-based prevention materials to children of various age groups, while extending some needed services to their families,” added Mitchell. Both BABES and Strengthening Families are evidence-based programs.
Mitchell and co-worker Frederick Smith, Social Media/Website Coordinator and Substance Abuse Prevention Program Trainer registered for the September, 2017 training which was funded by the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority.
“The BABES training was unique. By the second day, we were able to channel the child within us which helped us to better understand those that we would be presenting to,” recalls Mitchell. “The idea of ‘suspending belief’ was also an important part of enjoying the BABES training experience. The training was hands-on with lots of activities which made the lessons easy to learn and very impactful. From the training curriculum the materials provided in the teacher’s manuals are great visual aids and very user-specific. I appreciated the fact that after the training, it was easy to execute what we had learned. It was really a pleasure to have been trained by the creator of BABES, Dr. Lottie, who spent a lot of time explaining the motivation behind BABES (her personal story) and each puppet’s character.”
Another unique part of BABES is that children learn that the puppets live in the magic of their minds. They discover through the lessons learned and the puppets’ messages that at anytime, throughout their lives, they can reach within themselves to seek out good advice and positive direction from each of the puppets. There are so many stories shared by BABES Certified Presenters and Trainers of encounters with children (now teenagers and young adults) who credit making better decisions due to their BABES training at an early age. This is the true magic of BABES.
I’m always curious to the reaction of the children once introduced to the puppets. “They love the puppets and the activities. They want to play with the puppets and are very engaged during the lessons. They are also very excited to be little helpers, too. Even the older children have found an interest in BABES — always asking if they can help,” states Smith.
As for favorite puppets – It’s something about that Buttons that children (particularly boys) love and his sister, Bows, is also a favorite amongst the girls. As for another favorite, it’s Donovan Dignity; and this holds true for the children at the Youth Connection.
It appears that the children aren’t the only ones excited about BABES and its puppets. According to Mitchell and Smith parents are saying that, “the kids are always asking if they are going to class today.”
It is collaborations like this that CONNECT organizations that are on the same mission of addressing the needs of children and their families.
We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with other agencies and organizations in need of our 40 year experience in Beginning Awareness, Basic, Education Studies designed for grades PK-12th.
BABES is hosting its next Basic BABES training March 14-16, 2018 at BABESWORLD Home in Detroit for those interested in becoming Certified BABES Presenters. This training would be particularly helpful for organizations, businesses, and educators that service/teach children Grades K-3; ages 5-8.
