Special
Programs
Southwestern
College is honored to initiate and sponsor special programs
where students serve as active participants. Some of these programs
are described below.
The Body + Project
The Body + Project is an outreach and prevention program of
Southwestern College that promotes positive body esteem by addressing
body image, diets, nutrition, media literacy and eating disorders.
In addition to programs throughout the school year, The Body
+ Project sponsors National Eating Disorder Awareness Week in
Santa Fe and the surrounding counties. Held annually since 1987,
NEDAW is the nation’s largest eating disorder outreach
effort. During NEDAW, healthcare providers, social workers and
counselors, students and eating disorder professionals work
to promote healthy body image and prevent eating disorders by
distributing educational materials and organizing awareness-raising
events on their campuses and in their communities. This year,
NEDAW was February 28th – March 5th.
Recent
studies estimate that between five and ten million girls and
women, and a million boys and men in the United States suffer
from anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders. Due to the
secretiveness and shame associated with eating disorders, many
cases are not reported. In addition, many individuals struggle
with body dissatisfaction and disordered eating attitudes and
behaviors.
The
Body + Project aims to spread the message of health, moderation
and size acceptance in a culture that is obsessed with diets
and the 'perfect body.'
The
Body + Project operates on grants, so thanks to our generous
donors all services
are free of charge!
Director
Anne Tidmore, LPC and Southwestern alumni, created this project
with Southwestern College due to her own past history with an
eating disorder. She saw the need in the community and decided
to use her experience as a way to help others.
Touching
Peace
Touching
Peace is an innovative community mosaic project developed by
Sara Jordan ‘04 for her art therapy
internship at SWC. The intent of Touching Peace is
to make visible the many ways
we touch peace within our community and ourselves,
and the goals are to foster healing and self-esteem
through working as a group
while learning the ancient craft of mosaic.
Sara,
along with fellow student Jen Horne, had the opportunity to
work in three art therapy group settings with wonderful success
during her internship at The Children’s Museum 'Los Amigos'
summer camp at Agua Fria Elementary. The children created a
Touching Peace mural made from individual mosaic pieces that
were designed, created, glazed and fired by the children at
Casa Milagro, a holistic, therapeutic community for special
adults, which includes artists, musicians, philosophers and
spiritualists, where a labyrinth was created of individual mosaic
plates; and at Open Hands, a day program for the elderly and
people with Alzheimer’s.
Sara
recently completed leading a Touching Peace mosaic mural project
with Hands On Community Art (founded by Betsy Millard ’97),
which received a contract from the New Mexico Arts Commission.
The work began in October, 2004 at the Youth Shelters &
Family Services Counseling Center and involved 25 disadvantaged
youth as the designers and artists from three YSFS programs:
La Otra Puerta Emergency Shelter, Casa Libertad Transitional
Living and Juvenile Community Corrections programs.
Caring
Can Be Shared
A program that entails organizing a Volunteer Care-Sharing Group,
For a Loved One Who is Seriously Ill. This is a community outreach
service of Southwestern College's program in Grief, Loss and
Trauma.
What
we do:
