Strong African American Families focuses on goal setting, positive interactions

CEDAR RAPIDS - A new program aims to help African American families set goals, plan for the future and interact in a positive environment.

The fourth seven-week session of Strong African American Families, or SAAF, kicked off April 1. Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County coordinates the program.

The free program is for parents and children between the ages of 10 to 14. Sessions are held at 5:30 p.m. each Wednesday at the Broadway Neighborhood Center, 2105 Broadway St., Iowa City and include a meal, interactive programming and childcare.

During the meal, staff check in and see how families are doing, according to RaQuishia Harrington, head facilitator of the program and director of the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County.

Then, parents and children are separated into different rooms.

Parents discuss the same topic as their children and afterward, everyone comes back together to review what was discussed.

'For example, the first session will be about goal setting,” Harrington said. 'At that time, the youth are doing projects where they're cutting out magazine clippings ... they're designing what their future goals look like.”

Parents discuss goals they have for their children, or even goals they may have had when they themselves were younger and may not have gotten a chance to accomplish.

After the conversation is complete, organizers put youth projects on display. Parents guess which one was made by their children.

'Which one of these is something my kid would say they want to do?” Harrington said. 'The parents have to guess it and the kids can't give them any answers.”

Also during sessions, there are cards with topics designed to prompt conversation. For example, children can ask parents: 'What did you want to be when you were my age?”

Another interactive activity allows participants to create a family tree.

Harrington said it is important for people to realize that SAAF is unique, because it specifically focuses on issues African American families face.

'There is a section that talks about racial pride and it really addresses the parenting struggles I have as a minority parent is way deeper than just my concern of my kid going out, but what else is happening while they're there,” she said.

The program is being funded with a grant from the Iowa City Community School District and Johnson County Social Services. For more information or to enroll, contact Harrington at (319) 354-7989 or via email at raquishia-harrington@ncjc.org.