A rites of passage and personal change training that cultivates, activates, and nurtures innate abilities and gifts of young women and men labeled “at-risk” or in “gangs” to achieve overall wellness and healing.  Wellness meaning a healthy balance of the mind, body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-ness, and as an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a more successful existence.

The intention is for participants to experience the beginning stages of a paradigm shift in consciousness, building healthy relationships and to begin to think in the realm of possibilities through an intensive immersion with positive mentoring, mental health counseling and rites of passage programming.  Utilizing a holistic approach to education, “gang” intervention, Spreading Seeds works on the de-constructing and re-building of the mind, body and spirit of participants through personal change workshops, consistent mentoring and indigenous rituals.

At the culmination, participants will journey to different areas of nature (river, mountains, ocean, forest, dessert), to experience a final ceremony ending their rights of passage training.  Ultimately, the goal is for participants to acquire life skills and knowledge that will enable them to begin to have a better understanding and belief in themselves, resilence; regardless of past choices made, and the holistic discipline to make conscious choices despite traumatic life experiences.

Through collaborations with Homeboy Industries, Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission, Los Angeles County Probation Department, and a vast network of educators, artists, community organizers, gang intervention and prevention specialist, yoga and martial arts instructors, mental health workers, business owners and elders, Spreading Seeds represents an innovative and active paradigm that builds relationships with various organizations and individuals working towards dignity with “at-risk” and “high-risk” youth and their families living in Los Angeles, California.

Organizational Information