What is the Berkshire Childhood Community Circle (BE3C)?
The Berkshire Early Childhood Community Circle (BE3C) is a community-driven coalition that prevents future substance misuse and addiction by elevating protective factors for children ages 5-11 in higher-risk situations due to environmental factors. The program was brought to life through collaborative efforts from Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) and multiple valuable community partners.
The coalition’s primary programs incorporate social emotional learning (SEL), STEAM education, and career modeling to help participants ages 5-11 imagine multiple futures for themselves while building supportive relationships among peers with similar backgrounds. By facilitating an evidence-informed brave space that empowers participants to build resilience, refusal skills, and positive self-identity, these programs aim to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors to influence not only the participants but also their peers beyond the programs.
Girls Unity Squad (GUS)
GIRLS UNITY SQUAD (GUS) is a group for youth, ages 5 through 11, who identify as girls of color. In partnership with Berkshire Community College and Rites of Passage & Empowerment (R.O.P.E.), GUS aims to create a “brave space” and inspire confidence, empowerment, and representation. GUS consists of monthly educational and activity-based sessions that promote social emotional learning (SEL) skills, resilience, and more. The main goals of the program are to allow the girls to see opportunities for themselves through career modeling with women of color in various career paths (medicine, aviation, the arts, science and more), build identity, build resilience, and build community.
BRIGHT FUTURES CLUB (BFC) is for youth (ages 5-11) who are impacted by familial substance use (active use or recovery). The group will focus on games and activities that incorporate social emotional learning (SEL), with a goal of building resiliency and camaraderie among the participants while helping them imagine multiple bright futures for themselves. Developed through a coordinated effort among behavioral health, youth services, and treatment and recovery agencies, weekly sessions are planned to begin in July 2025 at the Gladys Allen Brigham Center.
