The seven principles or topics taught as part of the training fill a need in every aspect of life. What makes the diversity of these principles so significant is that the concepts directly contribute to one's completeness. A satisfying, bountiful life requires us to know and love ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually; to educate ourselves and understand that education is a never ending process that goes above and beyond schooling; to be responsible for creating, supporting and maintaining a safe and healthy community; to have pride, knowledge and understanding about our ancestral past; to know who our friends and enemies are; to seek truth and wisdom; to embrace our rich history and traditions; to find and achieve our purpose and; to exercise our right to vote among many other things.
The program leadership astutely devised the Blue Nile’s education topics in order to establish a lifelong framework that our youth can be grounded in, expand upon and use as they grow and learn for years to come.
You can view some of the topics covered within each of the seven principles taught:
1. PERSONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
- Getting to Know Yourself
- Discovering Your Purpose
- My Relationship With Myself/ My Relationship With Others
- Conflict Resolution
- Role Playing
- Importance of Self-Esteem
- Power of Words
- Public Speaking
- What You Think, Is What You Say… What You Say Is What You Do
- Time Management
- Oral/Written Culminating Topic Project
2. HEALTH AND WELLNESS
- Process required for emotional, physical, mental, spiritual and social wellness
- Meaning of being Sexually Active
- Understand Sexual Activity and its Consequences
- Strong emphasis on abstinence
- Ailments/disorders that plague African-American adolescents and adults
- Medical and Holistic approaches to prevention and/or healing
- Concept of Nutrition
- Physical Fitness
- Connection between diet/nutrition and Physical and/or Mental Wellness
- Issues up for discussion and reporting by youth:
- Teenage Pregnancy
- Drug/Alcohol Abuse
- Obesity
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- HIV/AIDS
- Diabetes
- Sickle-Cell Anemia
- Cancer
- Healthy male/female relationships
3. SPIRITUAL GROUNDING
- History of Abyssinian Baptist Church
- Understand we are spiritual beings having a human experience
- Differentiate between ‘Religion' and ‘Spirituality'
- Personal relationship with God / Allah / The Creator / Jehovah
- Intro to World's Major Religions/Faith Practices
- Christianity
- Islam
- Judaism
- Yoruba (Native to Africa )
- Prophets for Three Major World Religions
- Yoruba's Country of Origin
- Respecting Religious Freedoms: Tolerance and Understanding
- Importance/Role of the Black Church in America
- AME Church and its Founder
- Spiritual transformations in African American history
- Faith / Grace / Prayer
- The Lord's Prayer
- Types of Prayers
- Create Own Prayer
4. COMMUNITY CONSCIOUSNESS
- Meaning of Community
- Meaning of Consciousness
- Types of Community (Starting with Self)
- Being a Conscious Member of Your Community
- Elements of a Community
- Needs of Residents in a Community
- Elements for a Functioning Community that Services its Residents
- Political Office that Represents a Community
- Leaders in Your Community
- What makes something a “Landmark”?
- Examples of Landmarks in NYC
- Positive/Negative Objects and Issues that Affect your Community
- How to organize for change in your community
- How a Community Works
- English Meaning of ‘Kwanzaa'
- Meaning of ‘Nguzo Saba'
- Principles of Kwanzaa
- Visits from local community activists/leaders
5. HISTORICAL BLACK EXPERIENCE
- The Richest County in Africa
- Number of Countries in the Continent of Africa
- Difference Between Ancestors and Relatives
- Black Liberation Flag
- Creator of the Black Liberation Flag and His Belief
- Location of Kemet/Egypt in Africa
- Longest River in the World
- Creator of Black History Month/Negro History Week
- Year Negro History Week Began
- Reasons You Should Know Your Own Culture and History
- World's Largest Desert and its Location
- Origins ‘ Blue Nile ' Name for Our Program
- Location of Nile River
- Names of Rivers that Produce the Nile
- Peters Projection Map
- The Middle Passage
- Economic Reasons Behind Slavery
- Differentiate Between Types of Slavery
- Ancient African Civilizations
- African /African American Contributions to Our World
- Visit to Riker's Island Correctional Facility
- Written/Oral Topic Project on African Diaspora Experience
6. ECONOMIC AWARENESS
- Define Economics
- Cost of Urban Wear
- Needs vs. Wants
- Budgeting for Life
- Concept of ‘Pay Yourself First'
- Income
- Gross Pay
- Net or ‘Take Home' Pay
- FICA
- Saving
- Reasons to Save
- Low-Risk Investments
- High-Risk Investments
- Values
- Stocks
- Bonds
- College & Career Day
- Trips – NASDAQ, Navios International (Worldwide Cargo Shipping)
7. POLITICS
- Define Politics
- Role of Politicians
- Elected Officials for Your Home Borough/District
- Importance Media Plays in Politics
- Three Levels of Government
- Where Tax Dollars Go
- How Laws Come to Be
- An Example of Abuse of Political Power (Past or Current)
- Why Voting and Politics are Important to your Life
- Mass Media
- Types of Mass Media
- Changes in Politics
- Sources of News
- Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.
- The Political Office Held by Powell
- Important Accomplishments Powell Attained for Harlem
- Visits from local politicians/lobbyists/activists
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