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About Academy Noire
Academy Noire is a wellness coaching program that aims to improve the experience of matriculating through a doctoral program for those who identify with the Black cultural experience, ultimately leading to better retention rates, improved life satisfaction, decreased need for critical mental health services, and ultimately, higher graduation rates. This is a carefully curated, evidence-based, culturally responsive community of support.
“Our students must be equipped to face the challenges inherent in any doctoral program. They must believe that they possess the resilience and fortitude to overcome them, as well as to thrive.”
What the research says...
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McMillan and Chavis’ (1986) theory of psychological sense of community argues that a sense of belonging, mattering, and integration within a community is one of our most critical social needs. Further studies have demonstrated the impact of this fundamental need of persistence in higher education.
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Negative perceptions of campus racial climate have been linked to a diminished sense of belonging and low integration to the campus community (e.g., Alonzo et al,. 2015; Johnson et al., 2007; Johnson, 2012; Strayhorn, 2015), higher rates of mental distress, and lack of persistence (e.g., Caldwell & Obasi, 2010; Johnson et al., 2007; Museus et al., 2008).
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Academic programs that adopt culturally responsive mentoring and advising models with Black graduate students in particular, have resulted in student report of increased connectivity to the campus community, to being academically challenged, feeling supported in their academic pursuits, thriving, and persistence through degree completion (Alonzo et al,. 2015).
College & University Membership
We offer an annual membership for colleges and universities that provides access to our community for doctoral students on your campus across all disciplines. Our simple and affordable pricing makes enrolling your institution practical for an administrator at any level. Your membership includes:
“I needed to share what it felt like to be the only Black woman in my building, in my classes, the cafeteria, parking lot, graduate lounge, lecture halls and countless other spaces where my Blackness froze in the icy waters of the ivory tower.”
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2 group wellness coaching sessions each month. Students gain access to our bi-weekly interactive coaching group led by our team of doctoral level mental health experts.
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Access to our extended network of Black mentors and advisors for professional development. Students engage with special guest mentors and advisors who provide guidance and training on advancing careers across various industries.
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Daily interaction in a private online community. Students experience daily conversation prompts, inspirational messages and quotes, uplifting music and art, etc. all in a familial atmosphere of collegiality, accountability, joy, purpose, and encouragement.
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Ongoing network of collective capital. Real relationships form in our private community of soon-to-be doctors where they'll be encouraged to network, share their goals, and build genuine relationships with doctoral students from across the country representing various disciplines. ​
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High touch approach. We intentionally keep coaching group sizes small and intimate. Your students will work with a coach who knows their name, who will truly invest in getting to know them, encourage them to care for their wellbeing, and push them to dream bigger and live bolder.
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Partnership in executing a sustainable wellness program that centers Black Mental Health. The Black Girl Doctor is committed to elevating Black mental health and helping professionals align with their highest value. We operate from a strengths based approach that is research based and data driven. We empower institutions to cultivate sustainable investments in Black mental health so they are able to actualize an optimal learning culture for communities of color, with the understanding that this in turn, equips institutions to reach their fullest potential.
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Marketing support, tech support, and evaluative data. We offer full program management that includes the development of marketing and promotional material for you to disseminate formatted for email, social media, and print. We provide tech support and respond to all student inquiries. We use our own survey tools to measure utilization, self-report satisfaction, and overall effectiveness of our community at meeting wellbeing outcomes. We deliver quarterly summaries of the assessment data.
What Topics are Discussed?
Coaching topics cover mental health and wellbeing, professional development and skill building, and mentorship and networking. Specific themes for each week are customized based on the needs of the enrolled students, but past topics have included:
Exploring doctoral student life at the intersection of race, gender, sexual orientation, and other social identities
Navigating the barriers to getting your STEM grant funded
Eliminating self-limiting beliefs so students can stop playing small, reach higher, and go further
Preparing for the professoriate
Beyond the tenure track: exploring career options outside of academia for the Social Sciences
Navigating racism in a supposedly anti-racist environment
Dealing with rejection, failure, and imposter syndrome
Navigating microaggressions or a hostile campus environments
Finding work-life balance in the midst of a culture that glorifies toxic productivity and hustle mentality
Being the only or one of very few people who look like you in academia
Coping with stress and anxiety, and finding culturally competent therapists
Navigating cultural stereotypes and garnering respect as a professional student
Exploration of career paths, finding purpose, and clarifying values
Leveraging professional relationships and building thriving networks of mentors, sponsors, and collaborators
Achieving personal goals related to money, love, and happiness
Getting recognized and setting yourself apart in the Humanities
How to Enroll Your Students
We are excited to begin our long-term partnership that centers Black mental health and wellbeing for doctoral students. Getting started is easy as pie!
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Submit an inquiry to request custom pricing.
We'll respond with additional details and a membership quote. Our simple pricing model is based on campus size.
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Schedule a call to discuss the details or opt to sign up immediately via electronic invoice.
Our team is available to answer your questions and talk through the details of becoming a campus vendor. Alternatively, you can sign up immediately by paying your membership fee online by credit card.
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Promote the service!
As soon as your invoice is paid, your students can enroll and start benefitting from the community. You will receive an onboarding kit that includes promotional material for email, website, and social media so you can spread the word.
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When does the program start and how long is it?The program starts as soon as you enroll. For 2019 we'll be teaching live classes each Wednesday through December 17th. When you join, you will get access to the course calendar which will detail what topic is being covered each week. There are 10 unique classes in the series which you can take in any order. You will have completed the series once you have taken all 10 classes (but you can repeat classes any time you like). Each class is between 60 and 90 minutes long.
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I'm not Black... can I still register?Yes! This class is open to all women who are seeking to get out of their own way when it comes to love and relationships!
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What if I identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual? Will this course work for me?"YES! The concepts we teach apply regardless of sexual orientation. You are welcomed and encouraged to sign up! Please know that your participation and experiences will be affirmed throughout the course.
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Will this course help me find a husband (or life parnter)?Girl, we hope so! If you are open to changing your current beliefs about love and relationships, willing to complete all the coursework, and fully engage in the process, you will undoubtedly be different. You will increase the likelihood of finding and maintaining a lasting relationship, and your confidence to do so will soar. Now, we can't promise when and how soon this will manifest into a life partner because... well, we're not Jesus! We know there are blessings out there for you but we can't pinpoint the date! However, we can tell you that to date, ALL of the women who've completed this course report to either being in a relationship, happily dating, or to have significantly improved the quality of their current relationships.
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What are the courses like?Uuummmm..... they're bomb diggity duh! LOL The courses are taught by our Black Girl Doctors who are licensed psychologists. The lectures are highly interactive and you will be required to participate throughout. This is how we make sure you are getting the concepts well enough to apply them to your own life! We limit the class sizes so you get lots of attention. Over the course of 10 weeks, you'll bond with your instructor and hopefully build close relationships with the other women in the course!
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What if I have to miss a class?We're hoping you won't miss a class! We want each of you present to experience the courses live. You will get the most out of it if you are with us while we're teaching and can get your questions answered on the spot. However, we know stuff happens and over the course of 10 weeks, and you might need to miss a class (hands on hips). If that happens, no worries! The course recordings along with any handouts and materials will be provided for each class so you can catch up in between sessions.
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Do I need to prepare anything in advance?Just bring an open mind and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone and grow! We'll take care of the rest ;-) Oh! and you'll also want to make sure you have a strong internet connection during the video calls. You will be able to use your computer, phone or tablet to join. If you plan to use a phone, we recommend you make sure you have it on a stand so you are hands free!
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What if I'm unhappy with the course?We believe in the power of this program and are personally invested in the success of all of our students. We also don't believe in pressure sales tactics that leave you feeling regret! So, here's our guarantee -- You'll have two weeks after your purchase to attend your first class. If after that time you have a change of heart, or simply don't think this course is a good fit for you, you can request to withdraw from the course and we'll gladly issue you a refund. Requests for refunds after this introductory period will not be honored. Lastly, you'll have an opportunity to complete a course evaluation after each lesson to provide direct feedback on the course content and our teaching style. We regularly incorporate feedback received and continuously make improvements.
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How is this course different from therapy?Please be advised that while we are licensed psychologists, this course is NOT group therapy and you will NOT be under our care as a client. This IS an educational course where you will learn new skills you can apply to your life to improve your experience with dating and relationships. If you are in emotional distress, this course should not be used as a substitute for seeking therapy for your emotional pain nor should our advice take the place of your current therapist or physician. Therapy is the process of meeting with a licensed professional in a confidential environment for the purpose of resolving problematic behaviors, beliefs, feelings and related physical symptoms that are causing mental distress or illness. Therapy includes a full psychological evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment plan, and relies upon the interpersonal relationship between you and the therapist to facilitate healing. While we will interact in the course, you will not recieve a psychological evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment plan. While we will ask the members of the group to keep what happens in the class private, the space is not legally bound by confidentiality and we won't know you well enough to help you with specific emotional distress. If you need help with emotional pain, we offer three resources: Work one of the Black Girl Doctors in 1:1 therapy (California residents only) Click Here Find a Black female therapist in your area Click Here Search our favorite national directory Click Here
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Do I have to join the Facebook group?Of course not, it's completely voluntary! The private Facebook Group is meant to be a space where women who are going through the course and actively practicing eliminating their blessing blockers can give and get support from each other. If this isn't something you're into (or if you're on team #nonewfriends), there's no pressure to join.
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What if I have more questions?We're always available to answer questions. Email us any time at Info@theblackgirldoctor.com