On December 9, 2016, CECC teacher Jashmina Thapa and Suman Poudel led a two-hour workshop on “Team-building” for NOH kids in classes 6 through 9. Fifty-two kids divided into groups to write and perform songs, compete in a relay race, and make newspaper outfits in a competition.
On December 9, 2016, volunteer Dhiren Ratanji led two sessions of a workshop on “Personal Finance” for 60 women. The workshop included two hands-on activities, one focusing on needs vs. wants and the other on monthly household cash flow.
On December 2, 2016, volunteer Mackenzie Perras followed up on our “Feeling Good and Dealing with Stress/Emotions” workshop series by leading 94 women in a “Creative Art Therapy” workshop. During two 75-minutes sessions, women learned about the positive effects of making art and then each had the opportunity to draw their own pictures.
Throughout the third week in November 2016, NOH advisor Laurie Levine taught several “Living Your Best” workshops to over 70 NOH children and young adults. Working with NOH kids in classes six through ten, Laurie taught them how to manage stress, understand their emotions, and what to do to help them feel better when they feel frustrated, upset, angry, or stressed.
On November 20, 2016 the Chelsea Center threw a party filled with games, dancing, and awards for its women members to welcome everyone back to the Center after the long Dashain/Tihar vacation.
On November 26 and 18, 2016, Laurie Levine led a two part workshops series on “Feeling Good and Dealing with Stress/Emotions” after many of the women expressed interest in learning about depression and mental health. With everyone laughing, saying ohm, and doing breathing exercises, the workshops were a huge success with over a hundred women in attendance.
On September 30, 2016, volunteer Dr. Amanda Hill led two ninety-minute workshops on pregnancy for 66 women who were eager to learn about what happened to their and other women’s bodies during pregnancy. The workshop covered the stages of pregnancy, good practices during pregnancy, and what to expect during childbirth.
During September of 2016, Andrea conducted a workshop series on menstruation for the women of Chelsea. Part one of the series covered the biology of menstruation, female anatomy, what occurs during each part of a female’s cycle, and why females menstruate. Part two of the workshop series dived into a discussion of whether menstruation is a biological or social phenomenon with 68 women participating.
On May 20, 2016, the women enjoyed their first field trip with the Chelsea Center. They arrived in their finest clothes with huge smiles and great anticipation for the day's events. Seven buses rolled out of Dhapasi headed for the National Botanical Gardens with conversation, laughter, and songs emanating from the open windows. The sudden downpour upon our arrival did nothing to dampen spirits, and the rain quickly subsided. It was a joyous occasion for all 200 women who attended!
On May 4, 2016, the Chelsea Center hosted a “Bring-a-Friend Day” by encouraging our current adult students to spread the word about the Center to other local women and encourage more women to enroll. Our enthusiastic and eager-to-try-anything teaching staff planned fun and engaging activities for their classes, so the newcomers could easily join in. The halls and classrooms were packed with new faces, and the sign-up sheets for classes were overflowing with new names. Enrollment increased in many of our existing classes, and we also added four new classes to the schedule.