fbpx

How The Journey helps children in schools increase their grades

The Kids Journey is being used by school teachers, school counselors and children’s therapists all over the world. The goals of the program encompass academic development, social awareness and life skills, the development of broad competencies such as problem solving, critical thinking and communicating. The work has been shown to improve and strengthen students’ school performance, attendance, and emotional well-being as well as the impact it has on increasing teacher’s motivation and enthusiasm in the classroom.  For detailed studies reference our reports section.

The Kids Journey process is completed individually or with a group through an interactive story telling and guided visualization process. The story process allows children to find their way to a quiet space within where they may uncover memories that could be troubling, and it helps them work through these memories in a safe place, in their own way, with positive support.

The school program is primarily implemented through the training of school teachers, counselors, and therapists with follow up support in the classroom from Journey Practitioners. The goal is to allow teachers that have been through basic Journey workshops to become comfortable using The Journey in their classrooms and to allow the program to grow and become self-sustaining in their school. Overall improvement in academics for children receiving a 30-45 minute Classroom Journey process once a week is 40% to 60%, including reports of fewer referrals and less absenteeism.

Research from www.schoolempwell.org shows that, compared to other professionals, teachers exhibit high levels of cynicism and exhaustion, the core dimensions of burnout. Teachers report that The Journey courses are rejuvenating and inspirational for finding the strength to continue service in their profession.

Assess how well is your school doing with Social Emotional Leaning (SEL):  http://casel.org/in-schools/assessment/needs-and-outcome/.


Flinders University Social Emotional Impact Study — Australia

FLINDERS HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND HEALTH RESEARCH UNIT (FHBHRU):  In 2009 Dr Jill Beattie of Flinders University – in collaboration with Journey Practitioners Suzanne Dowd, Susan Leeder-Morale, Cecile George and Jan Henderson – conducted a program and research focused on the impact of Journeywork on the social and emotional wellbeing of the children.  

The program used Journeywork strategies and tools, including mindfulness, guided introspection, and imagery, to support and grow the social and emotional wellbeing of children in a primary school in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.  The research included the impact of Journeywork on daily lives, emotional wellbeing, physical problems, despressed feelings, positive feelings, interpersonal relationships, prevelence of symtoms of greatest challenge and academic progress, as well as parents’, teachers’ and childrens’ views and perceptions of the impact.   The report of the study is now available.

Download a copy of the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY of the report.


Journey in the Classroom — South Africa

The Journey in the Classroom Pilot Program began with one teacher and in one school. As a teacher, Jayshree felt that the children in her class could benefit from the Journey as much as she did. She developed a method for the whole class to undergo a Journey process one on one and in a group.

The results were astounding! At the end of the year, the class who received no Journeywork at all were averaging a 67 percent pass rate. Those who underwent occasional Journeywork were averaging 76 percent pass rate and those who received regular Journeys, once a week – were averaging an amazing 91 to 93 percent pass rate.

Her love of children gave birth to an informal pilot study in study in 2004 involving four schools; headed by Dr Nirmala Devi Gopal, University of KwaZulu Natal, and supported by a team of researchers, fieldworkers, and translators. The results of the study showed that children had:

  • Greater interest in their academic work
  • Significant improvement in their relationships
  • More respect for one another
  • Become calmer, more resourceful, and more self disciplined
  • Better problem solving and learning skills
  • Reduced rates of absenteeism and late coming
  • Better behavior and no more bullying

In Alexandra, violence, rape, substance abuse, and poverty are familiar.  Pass rates in the schools are low; anger and aggression are commonplace.  Through Journey Outreach, many children and adults are learning to release their pain and discover the brilliant diamond within.
 
The Alexandra Schools Project was initiated in 2008 at the Kwa-Bhekilanga Secondary School.  The efforts of three Journey Practitioners, Junior Morudu, Juditte Nthabiseng Schlebusch, and Jay Bhana, have grown to a full time focus over the last 3 years.  Today five Journey Practitioners work daily to serve over 1,000 children in 35 classes.  In addition to weekly processes in the classroom, one-on-one work is also available to students, teachers and parents.
 
Teachers report reduced violence, less drug use, fewer student pregnancies, improved learning, improved behavior in and out of the class room, and improved self-esteem.  According to one teacher, “If this Journey programme can get to our learners, we can have violence free schools and good citizens.”
 

Alexandra Schools Project — South Africa

In Alexandra, violence, rape, substance abuse, and poverty are familiar.  Pass rates in the schools are low; anger and aggression are commonplace.  Through Journey Outreach, many children and adults are learning to release their pain and discover the brilliant diamond within.

The Alexandra Schools Project was initiated in 2008 at the Kwa-Bhekilanga Secondary School.  The efforts of three Journey Practitioners, Junior Morudu, Juditte Nthabiseng Schlebusch, and Jay Bhana, have grown to a full time focus over the last 3 years.  Today five Journey Practitioners work daily to serve over 1,000 children in 35 classes.  In addition to weekly processes in the classroom, one-on-one work is also available to students, teachers and parents.

Teachers report reduced violence, less drug use, fewer student pregnancies, improved learning, improved behavior in and out of the class room, and improved self-esteem.  According to one teacher, “If this Journey programme can get to our learners, we can have violence free schools and good citizens.”


Phelophepa Health Care Train Journey in the Schools — South Africa

This project was initiated in 2007 with Transnet Foundation’sPhelophepa Health Care Train in rural South Africa. The Health Care Train is a mobile clinic providing primary health care, dental, eye, education in basic health care and mental health services along with The Journey in the Classroom for community volunteers and educators. An accredited Journey Practitioner travels with the train as part of the health care services and to implement The Journey in the Schools program.

While the train is in town community workers and educators are undergoing empowerment training in The Journey tools to empower them to take The Journey into their classrooms and communities. In 2007 & 2008 two Accredited Journey volunteers visited the communities again to support those that have undergone training to implement what they have learned and to assist in classroom Journey processes. In 2007 over 600 adults were trained and more than 16,000 children received processes. A study in 2007 completed with 4700 children showed that the number of students that passed increased from 52% to 78%.

In 2008 over 29,000 children participated in the program, and now hundreds of communities and schools in rural communities benefit from The Phelophepa Health Care Train and Journey Outreach program.


Teachers for Transformation — United States and Canada

Since 2001 The Journey North America has been providing training for working with children, focusing on the self first and how to help dissolve the unconscious separation and internal barriers that can impact a child’s ability to learn effortlessly, joyously and effectively. The instruction has been received by over 600 people working with children. It teaches a variety of skills that can be used with children of all ages, and also give educators an opportunity to “recharge their personal batteries.”

In 2009 The Journey Intensive, Advanced Skills, and Liberating Kids Shining Potential workshops were combined and accredited for 40 clock hours of continuing education called Teachers for Transformation. This program is offered yearly in Washington State and soon will also be provided in Washington DC, Denver CO, and other locations. After receiving the training, teachers may request in-classroom assistance from Journey Outreach. Feedback and results from using the Journey in the Classroom in the United States and Canada has been phenomenal. Journey Outreach also assists teachers in collecting informative data about improvements in academics, referrals, attendance, and social-emotional wellness.


Children of Mother Earth ‘Apna Ghar’ — India

Children of Mother Earth (COME) was founded in 1998 by Ravi Rai to rescue orphans in India. Most of the children he finds at the railway stations, and some come to him from other places as well. His lead operation is in Delhi, with additional operating locations in Lucknow and Gorakhpur. He contacted The Journey office independently after hearing about the work. He was looking for a way to help his children cope with and forgive their pasts and personal traumas. Most of his children are orphaned, abused, and abandoned. They vary in age from infants to teenagers.

Ravi was sponsored through The Journey practitioner’s program in 2009 and has trained 5 of his staff members to do the Kids Journey with the children. Currently he has 250 children staying with him permanently at the COME orphanages, and 322 have been reunited with their families. Ravi educates, feeds, clothes, and shelters these children, and he and his staff give them Journey processes regularly. They are provided with a traditional education and/or they are taught a trade or skills so that they can contribute, gain employment and acceptance in society, and build lives for themselves.

‘Apna Ghar’ means ‘Our Home’ and is the name the children have given to the program.


Journey in the Classroom – Kenya

The Journey in the Classroom Kenya emerged during the 2009 Outreach tour of UK based Journey Practitioner Naraya and a team of dedicated Kenyan Training Journey Practitioners. At the specific request of local chiefs the team visited and worked with more than 20 schools located in Rachuonyo District, Nyanza Province, reaching in excess of 1200 primary and secondary school pupils aged 5-19 years plus an estimated total of around 70 teachers who also received the full Journey in the Classroom process.

Testimonials from both pupils and teachers are phenomenal and as one result of many, God Agulu Primary School which was worked with most intensely, involving all children in the school, the entire teachers team plus interested parents and community members, achieved No.1 in the exams following three weeks after the Outreach teams visit and was able to maintain that status way into the next academic year without having received any follow-up visits. Corporeal punishment, which is the norm in Kenyan schools, has been abolished by the teachers as through The Journey process they realized more appropriate ways to deal with problem behavior. Teachers of the school also reported that only a week after the visit, there was no absenteeism any more and “the adamant pupils created for themselves an environment enticing for the teachers”. Another school, Kanga Omuga Primary School, where John Odida, one of the Kenyan training Journey Practitioners, teaches and tentatively introduced the Journey to his exam class (8th Grade) jumped from it’s traditional place of No.21 out of 23 in the location to number 8 – the biggest academic leap ever witnessed in this location; while nothing had changed in the school at all but that The Journey had been introduced!


Hill Breeze Orphan Support School — Kenya

In October 2011, Sandra Lindon was drawn to volunteer some time living in the local community and working at Hill Breeze Orphan Support School in South-Western Kenya. In spite of the difficulties she had faced in her life, there were many blessings for which she felt so grateful. The time had come to give something back in gratitude. Sandra’s training as a Journey practitioner had given her precious insight into the awesome potential that lies inside every human being. She knew that if we can open this awareness in children, we have the best opportunity to create a healthy and supportive future world society.

Sandra’s service to the school was through teaching and mentoring; she used some of the Journey tools and passed on life skills and wisdom she had acquired over the years. Knowing that most of these children are orphans she also played games, to bring fun and laughter to their day.

Sadly, Nyanza province has a high incidence of HIV/Aids, leaving many children without parents and further impoverishing the community. These children are part of a community who see no real tangible way out of their impoverished circumstances. Through Journey Outreach we hope to open their awareness to the limitless possibilities born of self-belief, self-awareness and the power of positive intention.

Sandra did process work with the Director of the school and used Journey techniques to encourage the children to be aware of their emotions, to welcome and release any negative feelings. The children used real balloons to breathe in supportive resource qualities such as love, forgiveness, courage, protection.

On Sandra’s last day they had a joyful celebration, with the children singing and dancing around the compound waving their ‘resource balloons’.  She felt very honoured to have been a part of this small community and thankful for the opportunity to contribute towards the continued success of the school.


Junior Journey Program — United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa

The Junior Journey Program was created in Australia specifically to provide Journey workshops to teenagers so they can work with and support each other. It has recently grown to also be offered in the United States and Canada. The program has been extremely successful in attracting young people and empowering them to help themselves and others through the challenges and pressures of school and early adulthood. It has helped many youth to claim back their lives, recover from suicidal tendencies, and feel healthy and whole again.

>