Sisters of Nia presents a unique cultural enrichment program designed to reinforce and bring out the strengths of African American preadolescent and adolescent girls.
In the Kiswahili (Swahili) language, the word nia means purpose or goal. This group counseling program helps girls plan and achieve their future goals as they make the transition from elementary to middle school and from middle to high school.
Group sessions cover topics such as African and African American culture, positive female role models, leadership, relationship skills, analyzing community and media messages, personal hygiene, health, and education.
The program helps girls in achieving the direction, identity, and critical consciousness that lead to more positive self-esteem and relationships with others, greater ethnic pride, and higher expectations for future accomplishments.
A forms and handout CD is included, but downloadable forms are also available through the Reproducible tab above.
Book Reviews
“Sisters of Nia captures an Africentric approach to group therapy for adolescent girls, ages 10–14. . . . Each week highlights a specific session focusing on Eight Principles for African American Living such as Umoja (creativity), Kujichagulia (self-determination), Ujima (collective work and responsibility), Ujamaa (cooperative economics), Nia, (purpose), and Kuumba (creativity). . . . Overall, Sisters of Nia is a well-thought-out program that celebrates cultural strengths and heritage.”
—Guerda Nicolas and Billie Schwartz, Psychology of Women Quarterly
“Sisters of Nia is a program that can be used to support the development of positive adolescent identity. The program is designed to empower African American girls. It is aimed at reinforcing and instilling black girls with self-confidence, self-respect and self-reliance while encouraging them to dream big every step of the way in becoming a fulfilled and successful young woman. The curriculum is designed for preadolescent and adolescent girls. This is a very important time in a child’s life, they are transitioning from being a child to becoming an adolescent, and they are transitioning into puberty, transitioning from elementary to middle school and from middle school to high school. . . . Sisters of Nia is a program that could support and compliment other efforts within the family, school, church or community. . . . The program components work to affirm positive identity in young black girls by helping them to learn more about their ethnic and cultural heritage, and by providing a trusting and safe environment where they can communicate and share their dreams. It also provides opportunities for girls to connect with positive role models through the development of intergenerational relationships.”
—Dr. Karen Hayes, Education Review
“Sisters of Nia is easy to read and follow . . . . The book is meant to provide girls with a group-based environment to focus on topics important to adolescent female development while also introducing girls to African culture, about which they may or may not have been aware. . . . Overall, Sisters of Nia is a well-thought-out program that celebrates cultural strengths and heritage. Ultimately this approach appears to be effective for fostering group bonding and effective communication . . . a useful tool for creating a culturally meaningful intervention.”
—Guerda Nicolas and Billie Schwartz, Psychology of Women Quarterly
“Grounded in the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa . . . . this facilitator’s guide offers a framework for helping young African American girls, age ten to fourteen, realize their potential, strength, and beauty. . . The book is easy to read, the goals and objectives are clear and admirable, and the authors argue that the program is supported by research that involved more than 300 girls in Washington, DC and Richmond, VA.”
—Kaa Vonia Hinton-Johnson, VOYA, Voice of Youth Advocates
“The guide is filled with a reservoir of useful and productive team building, gender education, and self-supporting activities. . . . Session topics are aimed at providing the girls with a better understanding of the principles of unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, faith, and respect assisting them to incorporate the principles into their day-to-day lives. The program focuses on self-respect and confidence, African American history, self-love, and care.”
—Jean Bacon, Social Work in Groups