|
Community Involvement: The Key to Character Involvement Young people don't develop at home, at school or in a program. They grow up in a community. Whole community involvement greatly increases the chance of success for a character-education program. Easier said than done. Meeting academic standards and implementing character development is asking a lot of teachers. Why should they have to involve the community, too? Is it really that importtant? You bet. Local businesses and civic groups will often support your character-education activities. They can underwrite programs, sponsor events, publicize festivities, donate food or materials, provide an activity site, display posters, offer prizes, you name it. With high school dropout rates soaring across the country, students clearly aren't getting what they want and need from education. As a result, our society won't get what it wants and needs from them when they become adults. Something needs to be done to engage our youth. In the past, the solution was to plan tons of activities and groups for youth. The mistakes with that approach are manifold: (1) it paints young people as a problem rather than a resource; (2) kids aren't involved in the planning; (3) they don't participate as a result; (4) adults conclude that they don't care; and (5) communities miss out on eager and talented resources who could make a real difference. The answer, many believe, is to encourage schools, students and communities to work together because no single entity, on its own, can solve educational challenges and create positive community change. In its white paper, Community-Based Youth Leadership: A Pathway to Civic Engagement, the Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development outlines ways that community-based agencies can help facilitate youth civic engagement. * Recognize that young people are assets to, and experts about, their community. Giving students key roles in shaping their community lets them know that they're important stakeholders. * Bring young people and adults together to work as equal partners. In many youth programs, young people feel they aren't respected as partners, aren't listened to, aren't encouraged to suggest ideas, and aren't trusted with decision-making or leadership positions. Such attitudes can segregate youth from adults, promulgate negative beliefs about young people and their capabilities, and alienate adolescents, particularly those who are already disenfranchised from society's mainstream for a variety of reasons. * Connect young people to their identity, culture, and community. By helping youth understand who they are, we can help them appreciate their heritage and understand how history has affected them. They can use this knowledge to change their school and community for the better. * Engage young people as community leaders on issues that matter to them. Students are eager to take on leadership roles, learn new skills, and take on challenges outside the classroom. Those who do so feel more valuable, gain self-confidence, and learn that they can make change happen. By Michael Josephson, CHARACTER COUNTS Sports!
|
