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Help Your Child Become A Valuable Part of the Community
We are fortunate to live in the Upper Valley where communities strive to provide many opportunities for their youth. Last year alone my children were able to participate in activities like boy scouts, gymnastics, parks and recreation department sports teams, school and library programs, Dartmouth College sponsored events and art classes. However, I wonder if we are doing a disservice to our kids if we as a community only provide them with activities and services and don't encourage youth to find ways to be valuable members of their communities by giving back in some way. Children should not just be viewed as consumers of community resources but also as valuable community builders. Margaret Mead's often quoted saying "It takes a village to raise a child "is true indeed, but let's not forget the child's role in building and sustaining the village. Unless our youth are given opportunities to perform useful roles in their community from an early age, there exists the possibility that the "next generation" will consist purely of consumers, a bunch of "what's in it for me-ers?" William Doherty suggests in his book Take Back Your Kids, that "in the new culture of childhood, children are viewed as consumers of parental services, and parents are viewed as providers of parental services and brokers of community services for children. What gets lost is the other side of the human equation: children bearing responsibilities to their families and communities. In a balanced world, children are expected not only to receive from adults but also to actively contribute to the world around them." What is meant by the term community? For younger children a community might consist of immediate and extended family, peers, neighbors, and school. As children grow older the term community widens to include businesses, teams, clubs, religious congregations, volunteer and political organizations. From a very young age there are numerous opportunities for youth to provide meaningful roles in their communities. BOAST, a local organization that focuses on creating a community-wide commitment to the healthy development of all youth, supports the idea of youth as resources. In a recent survey taken by Upper Valley teens, 48% of the kids reported that they served in their community for one or more hours/week, but only 39% of area high school students felt they were "given useful community roles;" and a mere 22% reported that their "community values youth." The United Way of the Upper Valley cites declining volunteer rates as a possible factor for youths' lack of life skills, and their engagement in risk-taking behaviors such as drug and alcohol use. BOAST has launched the Upper Valley Youth Community Service Network Web site (www.boastonline.org-click on the community service link) to help young people find meaningful ways to give back to their communities. The site is geared toward kids ages 5-18. It offers general information about volunteerism and is divided into sections for different age brackets. There are also links to other volunteer sites, advice about what youth should consider before embarking on a volunteer position, information for parents, books on altruism, and lists of organizations that accept donations and offer one time volunteer opportunities. There is an interactive component that allows the youth to include information about his areas of interest, and pertinent volunteer information like, age, hours of availability, whether he prefers to volunteer alone or with a group, and any specific skills he has to offer. Youth can search the database in a variety of ways including by specific organization, by interest, or by available volunteer opportunities for his age bracket. A hard copy of the database will be available by winter 2002 and distributed free to area schools and public offices and libraries. By the end of the year a section on school volunteerism will be added so that youth can locate opportunities within their schools. This month Make a Difference Day is a big event nationally. Across the country individuals, young and old alike, will take the time to give back to their community. For some it is a one time annual event. For others it is just another day to help out because they have made it regular part of their lives. One person's efforts can make a difference, even if that person is only 6 years old. If you and your child are volunteering for the first time start small. Begin with an area something that interests you. Children can find ways to give back in their school community. Some area schools include community service in their curriculum or as part of after school activities. Lebanon and Hanover high schools have a club called Youth In Action which is aimed at giving students structured opportunities to provide community service The Ray School is starting a monthly after school community service program this year. In Lebanon one elementary school teacher and his class volunteer to maintain a community roadside garden each year. The Richmond Middle School has a year-long unit in eighth grade on community service that includes students actually volunteering once a week during school. Other area schools like Thetford Academy have community service as a graduation requirement.
Leslie Williamson is a certified secondary teacher and parent of two children. She is the co-Director of BOAST, Building Our Assets for A Safer Tomorrow, a local organization with the goal of creating a community-wide commitment to the healthy development of all youth using the asset approach. You can contact Leslie at boast@valley.net or visit the BOAST web site: www.boastonline.org to learn more about asset building or to access the Upper Valley Youth Community Service network.
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