About ROPE
Rites of Passage Education (ROPE) is a six-month faith-based mentorship program for young men and women ages 13 to 18 providing biblical principles of manhood and womanhood. The ROPE program is designed for churches, community organizations and social service agencies to provide no cost mentoring to mentees and their families. The ROPE objective is to assist mentees with defining what a man or woman of God should be using scripture in seven spiritual leadership categories. Development of high self-esteem, independent, mature, critical and morally responsible thinking is at the core of this objective. The mentorship and facilitation is led by church mentors, community members, leaders and professionals using a talking circle format allowing learning through interpersonal sharing of ideas without lecturing or proselytizing.
The biblical principles and curriculum of ROPE are covered in seven leadership categories as a foundation for spiritual maturity:
I. God
II. Wisdom
III. Service
IV. Leadership
V. Manhood & Womanhood
VI. Health
VII. Wealth
During the six-month period, parents are instructed on how to provide support for the mentee over their adolescent development. ROPE provides Africentric based learning and history. Mentees and parents or guardians are asked to design a Kente Cloth choosing Andinkra symbols with spiritual meaning and values in colors. The Kente Cloth will be presented to the mentee during the ROPE graduation ceremony.
Upon completion of the ROPE, the church will convene a ROPE Ceremony to symbolize transition into spiritual manhood/womanhood for the mentees. The congregation acknowledges and verbally accepts them as such. The ROPE matriculation ceremony is of high honor for the mentee and their family and extended family.