KYCC hosted its first “Culture of Respect” Celebration at the California Science Center on July 30 as the culminating event of our Building Stronger Families (BSF) project. Over the last 10 months, BSF parent participants\u2014the program is heavily parent-led\u2014worked together to address the issue of violence inside and outside the home. Over 600 parents and children attended the daylong event, in the atrium of the Wallis Annenberg Building for Science Learning and Innovation.<\/p>\n
BSF is a project of Best Start Metro Los Angeles, the largest of 14 BSM communities funded by First 5 LA. KYCC is the lead partner for the BSF initiative, which also includes All Peoples Community Center<\/a>, California Science Center<\/a>, Center for the Pacific Asian Family<\/a>, Children\u2019s Bureau<\/a>, Esperanza Housing Corporation<\/a>, Korean American Family Service<\/a>, Pathways LA<\/a>, Peace Over Violence<\/a> and Worksite Wellness LA<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis event was a great accomplishment for the Best Start Metro LA (BSMLA) partnership because it gave parent leaders the opportunity to engage their community using the skills they have developed,\u201d said Sam Joo, KYCC Director of Children and Family Services. \u00a0\u201cAnd BSMLA parents were absolutely the driving force.\u201d<\/p>\n The \u201cCulture of Respect\u201d Celebration also kicked off the Core Pledge campaign, highlighting the values\u2014Respect, Positive Raising of Children, and Equality for All\u2014identified and developed by BSM parents. They closed their eyes and placed their hands over their hearts as they solemnly\u2014and collectively\u2014made their personal pledge.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a call to action,\u201d explains Edith Bedolla, KYCC BSF and Prevention Education Manager. \u201cThey want people to make the pledge and uphold these values to work actively towards safer and healthier communities.\u201d<\/p>\n A yearlong process<\/strong><\/p>\n Starting in October 2015, seven different community groups within the BSF collaborative each received nine trainings on how to engage and motivate their communities around how violence affects families and women. The trainings also emphasized how to take action to prevent and stop violence.<\/p>\n The majority of participants were Latina mothers, with a smaller percentage of Latino men, Recently, the newest trainings, located at KYCC\u2019s Menlo Family Apartments, were the most diverse and also the only English-speaking group, with African American, Korean and Latino participants.<\/p>\n Many of the parents are not only involved with the BSF project, but also other aspects of community involvement, such as their children\u2019s schools or with local council district offices.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first year really involved capacity building,\u201d said Bedolla, who led all of the trainings. \u201cWith this project, the hope is that parents will be able to address these issues and others that arise on their own.\u201d<\/p>\n After the trainings ended in May 2016, a smaller group of 50 participants were selected to continue with leadership training, conflict resolution and facilitating. And yet another subset was created for a peer learning group.<\/p>\n Why violence?<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2012, the BSMLA collaborative went through a yearlong process to identify the prevailing issues in the community. Violence inside and outside the home were affecting most of the communities in Los Angeles, and were contributing to social isolation.<\/p>\n Through the trainings, the communities became more aware of violence as an issue affecting many families, and of the myriad of resources, such as domestic violence counseling, that are available.<\/p>\n \u201cMany of the parents weren\u2019t accessing the resources available to them, because they either don\u2019t know about the resource, or they don\u2019t even know what they are experiencing is violence,\u201d Bedolla points out. Now resource sharing is common at events, from counseling to health care, to child care and job opportunities.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been inspiring to see the parents\u2019 strength and time commitment,\u201d says Bedolla. \u201cThey have so many other responsibilities, yet they are so invested to make changes in their communities and help others be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n The\u00a0Culture of Openness<\/strong><\/p>\n At the culmination event, families got to put their leadership and event planning tools to work. Parents were given long-stemmed roses when they made the Core Pledge, and children sat at the tables coloring, or playing with the water in the atrium\u2019s fountain.<\/p>\n The morning was split into three workshops: \u201cThe Effects of Domestic Violence,\u201d \u201cHealthy Relationships\u201d and \u201cExploring our Cultural Values.\u201d And in the afternoon, parents put on skits. One was called \u201cSay No to Machismo\u201d and another was about respecting your elders.<\/p>\n \u201cThe families are more open,\u201d says Bedolla. \u201cIn the beginning, we had some parents who were not as open, but over the year, after hearing information, learning about domestic violence, and starting to see that their peers have had similar experiences to their own, there is a natural openness that occurs.\u201d<\/p>\n Bedolla says that she repeatedly witnesses this transformation. \u201cI want to say it has happened in every group,\u201d she says. \u201cSomeone will say, \u2018Thank you for sharing what you have gone through.\u2019 And then, they have the courage to share their own personal story.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" KYCC hosted its first “Culture of Respect” Celebration at the California Science Center on July 30 as the culminating event of our Building Stronger Families (BSF) project. 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