Alecia
Rachel
Our Story
Hello! We are Rachel and Alecia. We are based in Calgary, and met in High School. We continued growing our friendship through University, where we studied English and are both currently working towards our Education degree to pursue teaching!
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The Sunflower Sessions - founded in 2018 - grew out of our desire to reach and empower young girls in a world where we have struggled with finding ourselves, and have learned through mindfulness, music, and art how to grow as strong women. Through our own younger struggles with confidence, self-esteem and anxiety, we want to provide young girls with the tools to explore themselves and their relationships in healthy ways. We are hoping to build a community of girls to grow together, and to be able to provide skills that will build a foundation of self-love and independence. We look forward to sharing our hearts with you.
The Basics
SESSIONS
Our sessions are 6 weeks long, with meetings once a week for 90 minutes. These sessions will vary week-to-week, with overarching themes of mindfulness, nature, creativity, and healthy life skills.
The cost to attend a session is $175.
AGE
We are going to be grouping our sessions by age, with one group aged 9-12, and another aged 13 and up. Depending on parent comfort with the subject matter discussed in the age groups, moving up or down in Chickadees or Sunflower Sessions is possible.
WHO CAN COME?
Sunflower Sessions embrace girl power in all forms. We welcome and encourage anyone who is female-identifying to attend our meetings.
Our Experience
Besides having over 20 years of experience being a girl, we both have given our energy to plenty of forms and outlets that provide us with the necessary foundation for creating Sunflower Sessions. Both of us work tirelessly on our mindful practices, such as yoga, meditation, counselling and therapy, as well as journalling and self-reflection. Alecia's experience in art and creative expression through various mediums has given her experience in working creatively and with purpose. Rachel's experience with songwriting and performances in music has provided an emotional outlet that is healthy and productive. On top of all this, our experience in childcare and in practicums in our Bachelor of Education degrees has given us the experience working with girls of all ages. We look forward to answering any questions you may have :)
RACHEL
Through my degrees in English and Education from the University of Calgary, I have had many experiences and accessed many professional learning and development resources that have provided me with the necessary skills to lead this program. As a pre-service teacher, I have had months of work in classrooms in various learning contexts providing guidance and teaching lessons that are engaging and challenge thinking. Through my educational practices, I have participated in many certification programs to add to my expertise and learning as a student and teacher. I have completed Alberta Health Service's Teaching Sexual Health 101 certification program which gave me resources to teach sexual health in age-appropriate ways for any age group. I have also completed my Alberta Family Wellness Brain Story Certification program, which investigates the ways in which stress and trauma at young ages affect growth in adolescence, and provides strategies to cope with stress and anxiety during growth. I have also completed PILOT: Through ADHD certification through Foothills Academy Outreach which provides insight and training in working with individuals who are diagnosed with learning disabilities such as ADHD. Professional Development courses that I have completed and received certification from include Engaging Aboriginal Youth, Technology in the Classroom, The Art of Questioning, The Power of Play: Engaging Students of All Ages, and Classroom Management: What Works. If you have any questions regarding my qualification to lead this program and the content matter within it, do not hesitate to contact me at 403-971-6043.
ALECIA
I am presently in the process of completing my education degree at the University of Calgary and am every so grateful to be pursuing a life practice wherein I can be inspired by the young people of this world. My goal as a pre-service teacher is to provide a safe space for my students to express themselves and support one another. After returning from a semester abroad in Munich, Germany, I began my work as a clinician at The Reading Foundation providing literacy and numeracy support to students in need. This work absolutely affirmed my love of being around children. I currently am a research assistant at the University of Calgary, exploring the concept of wellness through literacy in rural junior high students. As of the middle of February, I will be considered a candidate for the University of Calgary’s PURE award, an award granted to undergraduate students pursuing research. My proposal is concerned with how Alberta curriculum approaches wellness through education and how this relates to junior high students’ concept of wellbeing. Personally, I practice my own wellbeing through sketching, plucking at my guitar, walking with my mom and her dog, and being outside close to my Rocky Mountains. If you have any questions regarding my life path or qualifications, please feel free to contact me on my cell-phone at 403-604-0980.
Mindfulness
Each of our sessions will begin and end with mindful practices, such as yoga, Shavasana, breathing techniques, meditation, and other brain-calming activities.
Art
Exploring feelings and themes in our life through art is an extremely productive and healthy way to process the world around us. We will be providing our girls with supplies to create art projects such as terrariums, vision boards, and other creative work.
Nature
Our sessions will take place in the beautiful Wolf Willow Studios, where we will honour the natural surrounding to enhance our learning of ourselves and our environment. Our creations will usually involve natural objects to honour our space and world.
Music
As music was a driving force in our growth, we want to provide a safe space and outlet for our sessions to be supported by music and songs. Music will also be used as a mindfulness tool, helping us focus our intentions and calm our hearts.
Reflection
Guided journaling is a big part of our classes, as it gives our girls the opportunity to check-in with themselves and reflect on where they're at in the moment. Opportunities for sharing will be offered but are not mandatory.
Life Skills
Being able to cope with anxiety is a large feat. As we have both been able to manage and overcome aspects of our own anxiety, we aim to pass our experiences on to our girls, and provide skills to assist in the growth of our emotional strengths.
Relationships
Our sessions focus on the strength we can build as girls, and teach us to trust and support one another in a safe, respectful, and loving environment. We hope to extend our community to the city around us, by being involved in various programs supporting girls and women.
Health
Healthy relationships with ourselves also extends to our bodies. Being able to know our emotional, mental, and physical health is a vital tool to find success as a girl and woman in the world.
Get in Touch
Calgary, AB