Alongside Noa’s core one-to-one keyworking support, mentoring, therapy programme and our work with families, we have a diverse range of supplementary programmmes designed to help you thrive.
Everyone has different interests and talents and, at Noa, we want to give everyone a chance to find and develop those. It may be a hobby you enjoy or a new skill you would like to learn or even activities that test your limits. Noa has a number of programmes to help you do this.
Life can get busy, competitive and pressured and sometimes it’s good to do something completely for yourself, for fun. At the same time, learning a few skills on the way can give you a new sense of purpose, renewed energy and empowerment to face the challenges and decisions in your life with strength and confidence. Equally, some of our programmes are there to provide a little extra help with areas you might be struggling with in a more relaxed environment to enable you to succeed.
OUR PROGRAMMES INCLUDE:
School (or college) can take up the majority of our time in adolescence. Studying, revising, exams; if these feel like a never ending battle you are not alone. A lot of people struggle with academic study, it can be overwhelming and lead to anxiety and a feeling of failure. Whether you have a learning difficulty (known or undiagnosed), or you missed school for prolonged periods due to illness, family situation or other causes or you just haven’t ‘got it’, a little extra help can make a huge difference to your ability to catch up or keep up with your class.
Noa offers one-to-one tutoring in the subjects you need. In some cases, the tutoring programme can mean the difference between leaving school empty handed with feelings of ‘failure’ and moving onto higher education or vocational training and, ultimately, financial independence and wider life choices.
Some of the tutoring is done within Noa through mentors or volunteers. We are also grateful to the Gateways programmes, whose collaboration in many cases, makes access to tutoring possible.
The different forms of expression are as varied and individual as people themselves. Through our art programme you can choose numerous mediums and techniques in visual art to express yourself, or just let loose and have fun. Whether it is graffiti, crayon art, mindfulness art, sculpture, painting or photography, take a chance to explore both creative skills and your feelings at your own level and pace. For many girls it is a chance to put thoughts, fears or experiences into tangible form for the first time. Some of our girls discover or refine talents and skills leading to exhibition of work in a public forum. Or simply take the chance to escape and put aside the chaos and pressures of daily life for a brief period of time.
Our in-house gym is always popular, and it’s easy to see why. Many of our girls struggle with weight and body image issues, and who doesn’t make the occasional resolution to become a little more active (even if we don’t always follow through). Exercise is also great for producing endorphins and giving that ‘pick me up’ feeling, fighting mood disorders or just a bad day. However, joining a gym can be inconvenient or expensive. The Noa gym enables you to access equipment in a women only and private environment. We help you set targets you can meet and challenges to stretch you.
We also offer one-to-one personal training and exercise classes if you are looking for help building your skills and want to see which fitness routines work best for you. For those of you who prefer other types of activities, we offer dance classes, kickboxing, yoga… we can work with you to find the activity that motivates you to get moving!
Many of our girls feel like they want to eat more healthfully, but they don’t know how. Our nutritionist can help you figure out which foods make you feel good, pitfalls to avoid and how to set up healthy eating habits that fit your lifestyle and budget.
Whether you’re well known for your musical abilities or are just interested in exploring something new, there is a reason music is called the language of the soul. Learning to play an instrument or improving your voice capabilities through professional training are great ways to develop a fresh talent and find new ways of expressing your thoughts, experiences and dreams. We offer dance classes for girls who feel more comfortable expressing themselves through movement. You can also sharpen your acting skills in our therapeutic drama classes. Sometimes seeing the world through someone else’s eyes can give you a valuable perspective on the issues that are clouding your headspace.