Event: 2023 Self Care Summit for Ohio Foster Care Youth and Alumni
Date: Friday, Sept. 8, 2023
Location: The event will be held at:

• Hope Valley (which has a fire pit, outdoor grill, residential kitchen, walking paths and a theater)
• Address: Hope Valley Retreat Center, 4560 Gratiot Rd SE, Newark, OH 43056
• Thanks to the Ohio Supreme Court for sponsorship

Draft Schedule:

• 9:00 am – Facilitators arrive and set-up
• 10:00 am – Participant arrival: Icebreaker Balls and Working on Shirts
• 10:45 am – Participants separate into groups, each with adult staff members assigned. They discuss the eight aspects of self-care and begin to explore stations
• Noon – Participants reconvene for Food Activity
• 12:30 – Participants separate back into their groups to explore stations
• 3:00 pm – Participants reconvene to debrief about the day, their experiences and what they learned
• 3:30 pm – Departure

Stations are still being finalized by the OHIO YAB and ACTION Ohio Planning Committee, but will likely include:

• Red Flags activity, with physical red and green flags – Violet and Jamie
• Self Calming activities (yoga, etc.)
• Artistic Expression opportunities (i.e. rock-painting) – Nikki and Raven
• Food Activity (with stations) – Trevor Donaldson, Antonio Sledge and Dauntea Sledge
• Creation Station (make-your-own bath bombs, scrubs)
• Lifeboat Activity (facilitated by ACTION Ohio, and covers the topics of boundaries, cognitive dissonance, forgiveness vs. reconciliation)
• Labyrinth Activity (facilitated by Hope Valley staff) – Violet and Jamie

Planning Committee:

• ACTION Ohio: Dauntea and Antonio Sledge, Bethany Workman, Lisa Dickson, Nikki Chinn and Deanna Jones
• OHIO YAB Ambassadors: Jewel Harris, Regine Turner and Raven Grice
• OHIO YAB Alumni: Gabby Young, Melissa Stroud, and Cieria Rodriguez
• Hope Valley Blessings: Violet Queen
• Ohio Alumni: Janel Young, Genesis Shine and Aiden Tucker
• Ohio Allies: Juanetta Burch, Laura Gaines
• Support from Other States: Stephanie Byrd, Tori Shuler, and Natalie Lers

Topics will include:

• Boundaries
• Cognitive Dissonance
• Domestic Violence and Red Flags
• Ending the Cycle of Abuse
• Forgiveness vs. Reconciliation
• Navigating Interpersonal Conflict (i.e. roommate situations after foster care)
• Self-Calming Techniques for Anxiety
• Trauma Responses: Recognizing and Coping With Them
• When Helping You Is Hurting Me
• 36 Vertical Leap vs. Jar analogy

Supplies will include:

• Shirts
• Icebreaker balls that focus on self-care
• Make-up donations
• Fairy lights
• Calm strips