SoulLight Saplings
Nature-Based Mentorship Circles for Middle School Youth
Creating a culture of belonging.
Program Overview
Tuesdays (6th-7th grade) & Wednesdays (7th-8th grade), 3:30-6:00 p.m.
September, 2024 - May, 2025
SoulLight Saplings gathers adolescent girls and nonbinary youth in safe, outdoor settings to connect with nature, self, and community in support of their mental, emotional, and physical well being.
Give your tween the gift of friendship and belonging in a close-knit group of mentors and peers to be seen, supported, and celebrated for exactly who they are!
Who is this for?
This program is great for kids who:
Have a sensitive nervous system, and struggle with anxiety, self-doubt, screen addiction, and/or depression.
Want to form and strengthen connections with peers who support their interests and can relate to their struggles.
Enjoy socializing and spending time in nature, but struggle to initiate doing so on their own.
Refuse to go to talk therapy but want support; OR are in therapy and want to apply what they learn in a group.
This is NOT a good fit for kids who:
Strongly dislike (or don’t have the resourcing) to participate in conversations that include emotional content.
Adamantly refuse to spend time in nature, participate in facilitated exercises, or socialize.
Have been diagnosed with a severe mental illness or display anti-social tendencies (i.e. unable to show empathy).
Are too busy with other extracurriculars to make the commitment show up consistently to the group.
Program Benefits
Parents of youth enrolled in SoulLight nature-based mentorship programs consistently report their kids returning home from sessions “more grounded” and in better moods.
Some parents have gone so far as to describe the programs as “life saving.”
Over the course of the school year, participation in a Soul|Light program helps kids feel more happy and socially confident, and less anxious, depressed, or isolated on their screens.
After spending time in their Soul|Light group, you may notice that your adolescent kid or teen:
Returns home from sessions happier and more socially engaged.
Displays a sense of calm, grounded-ness, and relaxation.
Utilizes effective communication skills to express their feelings and needs!
And you may also find joy when your kid or teen…
Recognizes local plants, animals, and fungi in their backyard and local trails.
Asks to go hiking or to spend more time in nature.
Seems more confident, comfortable in their skin, and engaged with life!
Societal/Community Benefits:
Besides helping kids feel better, there are many societal benefits to raising a generation of young people who care about nature. While many teens experience anxiety and pressure related to climate change and ecological collapse, Soul|Light offers them concrete skills and inspiration to take action for planetary healing and to protect our watershed, food-shed, and wildlife habitat… in community!
We protect what we love… when the land thrives, we thrive!
How it works
Group Dates & Times
Groups meet once a week, after-school, for 2 ½ hours in a local park or garden.
September, 2024 - May, 2025
No sessions during winter, spring break, or holidays.
There will also be two weekend camping trips, fall & spring.
Group Location
Each group has two East Bay program locations in local parks and gardens, with occasional field trips (1x/mo). Locations are selected to be easily accessible from participant home schools and neighborhoods.
Group Size & Mentors
Groups are small, consisting of 4-6 youth of similar age plus an adult and, when available, 1-2 older teen mentors, allowing for focused, individualized attention and care.
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Sample Schedule
3:30pm Drop-Off and Get Settled*
3:45pm Guided Nature Walk and Observation
4:00pm Group Check-Ins over Herbal Tea
4:30pm SEL Curriculum or Nature Activity
5:30pm Solo-Sit Spot in Nature
5:45pm Closing Circle & Gratitude Share
6:00pm Depart*
*Carpooling available
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SoulLight groups provide a safe and supportive container for young people to socialize, express their feelings, and have fun learning & spending time in nature.
Program Highlights
Guest educators visit 1x/ month to share skills such as herbal medicine, wild crafts, music & performing arts, embodied movement, sexuality & gender identity, and other topics of interest.
SoulLight offers a laid-back, socially rewarding, and somatically engaging setting for youth to practice social emotional learning (SEL), nervous system regulation, and community service.
The curriculum is dynamic, diverse, and curated to meet the unique learning style & interests of each kid. Fall & spring camping trips provide a chance for deep bonding and to apply the skills learned!
Parents & Caregivers
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to connect for carpooling, get-togethers, and shared child-care.
Parent support circles meet bi-montly (4 x total) to build community and engage with themes arising in the Saplings group.
Parents are allocated several 20-min check-ins with Sammy throughout the program year, with further coaching and support available at Sammy’s sliding scale rate of $125/hr - $200/hr.
Core Values & Competencies
SoulLight’s custom curriculum blends social emotional learning (SEL) with place-based learning (ecology, biology, & wild skills) to meet students where they’re at.
SoulLight Values & Competencies
Care & Belonging
Confidence & Self-Worth
Empathy & Compassionate Listening
Vulnerability & Self-Expression
Mindfulness & Social Awareness
Healthy Boundaries & Non-Violent Communication
Creativity & Vision
Purpose & Pride
Gratitude & Celebration
Intimacy & Kinship (with Animal, Fungi, & Plants)
Harmony with the Four Elements
Earth Care & Ecosystem Advocacy
Tending the Fire (inner & outer)
SoulLight’s Commitment to Youth:
You will feel seen, heard, & included. ✓
You will receive loving, positive regard. ✓
You will be encouraged to share your feelings & needs. ✓
You will experience a sense of freedom & sovereignty. ✓
You will learn to trust your instincts & intuition. ✓
You will be supported to explore your passions. ✓
You will learn to set boundaries that support your well-being. ✓
You will be celebrated for what sets you apart. ✓
You will know that you belong in nature, and in our community…
About your Mentor: Meet Sammy!
Sammy Kanofsky is a Bay-Area born nature lover and guide, with a passion for ecological care and youth empowerment that has been alive in her for over three decades.
Sammy is known for her warm and inclusive facilitation style and for her love of mentoring young people to feel proud of who they are, meltdowns and all!
She holds a BA in Environmental Analysis from Pomona College and a Certificate in Conflict Resolution from AIES (Arava Instite for Environmental Studies), as well a Certificate in Ecopsychology from the Holos Institute. Sammy brings over 20 years of experience working in experiential education, community building, leadership development, and communication coaching with training in conflict mediation, mindfulness meditation, yoga, reiki, and motivational interviewing.
As a young person, Sammy struggled with anxiety and panic until she found her way to the forest, where her nervous system was able to truly relax. She takes pride in having learned how to truly love and listen to her self, the land, and other living beings. She created Soul|Light to draw from her overflowing cup and invite others to find joy, peace, and belonging in nature.
As a mentor, Sammy is committed to supporting the unique gifts and sensitivities in each kid, and helping kids to feel seen, cared for, and appreciated exactly as they are. Through facilitating groups in a playful and caring way, kids begin to feel confident expressing their feelings and needs, while learning to listen with care and empathy to their peers. As this small-group intimacy and trust emerges, SoulLight kids find themselves experiencing a profound sense of belonging and acceptance, thus creating the emotional safety they need to thrive.
What Parents & Participants are Saying…
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“I can’t begin to express how happy I am my daughter was a part of this program! I was brought to tears hearing her say things like, ‘I'm so happy,' and 'I look forward to my days!’ I see her light shining in a way I hadn't for a long time."
- Amber, SoulLight Parent
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"Sammy shares challenges from her own life that she's overcome, and has an amazing network of peers to teach things young people are excited to learn, like how to find food and medicine that are right under your feet..."
- Taj, SoulLight Parent
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“I love the way you hold space with confidence and compassion. I am SO happy our girls get to work with you ... you are the biggest silver lining of COVID in our lives!”
- Jackie, SoulLight Parent
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"If every teenager could talk to Sammy for an hour, the world would be a better place."
- Charla, SoulLight participant
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"I love Sammy. Whenever I'm with her, I feel safe."
- Rickie, SoulLight student
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"Sammy is a great listener and a great help. She's helped us create a community where we can truly be open about anything."
- Sophie, SoulLight participant
Program Fees
All Soul|Light programs are offered on an equity pricing, sliding scale basis, with no kid turned away for lack of funds. Here are the payment tiers, with payment plans available upon request.
Full Program Fee: $5,250
Medium Program Fee: $4,750
Low Program Fee: $4,250
Abundant Scholarship: $1,200 - $3,650