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+--- Thread: Proactive Solutions: Involving Puna's Youth (/showthread.php?tid=4958)
Proactive Solutions: Involving Puna's Youth - AlohaSteven - 01-09-2009
Rob Tucker commented-
As a bleeding heart I would also like to see improvement in our schools, after school programs for youngsters, things to do besides "hang out". The Pahoa Skate Park was a step in that direction. Our hope was that if we (old folks) showed some respect we might get some back and I believe it works. Somehow I don't think this raft of thefts and break-ins is from the skateboard crowd at all.
Astute observation and quite likely correct, Rob!
As someone who is still learning about local opportunities for volunteering and constructive involvement in Puna's already-established clubs, vocational organizations, and cultural institutions I wonder if there is a listing of such for Puna anywhere?
If not, then perhaps a new Clubs & Volunteering Opportunities in Puna page link under the Living In Puna section header at Punaweb's mainpage could list links provided via folks' suggestions here in this thread for clubs, vocational organizations, and cultural institutions in Puna. These would ideally be outfits which people can volunteer with and through so doing assist in mentoring and working with youth and youth issues. If a one-line descriptive blurb accompanied each link, identifying the name and service focus of the group, that would be great.
Far better to nurture skills and capability in youth, promoting positive qualities early on, than to square off in an adversarial manner later when some percentage of neglected and bored idle minds & hands quite predictably get into trouble.
There must already be service organizations (Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis, et cetera) present and active in Puna; what are their local focuses and projects involving youth and youth issues? Which school-affiliated programs are available locally (such as Model United Nations, 4H, Future Farmers of America, Junior Chamber of Commerce, and so on). Volunteers with expertise in a particular topic and available for assisting teachers & mentoring youth on a particular topic, such as an interest area or interest project (they used to be known as "merit badges") can be useful to the Girl Scouts and other such groups. Are there charter school programs and clubs offering and wanting volunteer assistance in various areas? And so on.
The school and youth programs I am familiar with all require individuals volunteering to work with youth to have a criminal background check, including fingerprint screening via the FBI. This is a relatively quick and inexpensive process which I recommend any outfit not currently requiring such of volunteers put in place.
How does this sound to you, Rob? If this thread runs for awhile and collects a bunch of informed comment on Puna's proactive clubs, vocational organizations, cultural institutions, and so on working with youth and youth issues then would Punaweb be willing to host a page of one-liner name/focus descriptions with a website link (or an e-mail address for a contact person)? Unless, of course, such a Puna-wide "clubs, vocational organizations, cultural institutions working with youth and youth issues" resource site already exists somewhere else and I just have not yet seen it....
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"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
Pres. John Adams, Scholar and Statesman
"There's a scientific reason to be concerned and there's a scientific reason to push for action. But there's no scientific reason to despair."
NASA climate analyst Gavin Schmidt
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RE: Proactive Solutions: Involving Puna's Youth - TheodoreJay - 01-09-2009
Gotta give the teenagers and youth something to do rather than hang out on Main Street wanting to sell pot, school based programs to keep them busy, community based job programs w/ reasonable wages, activities to do during the day (rather than breaking into houses), discourage allot of the pan handling and loitering that goes on, and be good role models. "Bless the beasts and the children"
RE: Proactive Solutions: Involving Puna's Youth - Guest - 01-09-2009
As a staunch Conservative I too want he same thing as Rob.
I think the way to this end is through high standards and accountability.
It is not through pouring more money into our schools.
We need to teach our children pride in workmanship and to lean a trade.
Our schools preach that everyone needs to go to college lest one becomes a bum. That is so far of the mark. Children need to learn to work hard and earn a living through sweat and diligence.
Parents, teachers and our public officials need to behave as examples of virtue.
Some kids that have an academic proclivity should indeed have the opportunity to further their education.
Children need to derive their self worth from contribution to the community, not from the immolating the inane imagery of Paris, Britney or Tupac.
If today the highest praise of a young person was, "Wow what a hard harking honest young man/woman he is", we would be in fine shape but alas this does not seem to be the case.
Perseverance, self denial and thrift should be the order of the day.
Oh yeah and, spare the rod, spoil the child.
RE: Proactive Solutions: Involving Puna's Youth - Jon - 01-09-2009
LOL...
First thing that need to happen with the Schools is that no Administrative employee should have a teaching degree. I have watched great teachers leave the profession because of the big shots in the administrative side did approve of actually teaching. If a teacher does not follow the {broken) model of teaching, the PhD's want to run them off, despite the facts that the kids are learning. Teaching is teaching, managing is managing schools need to follow the same business model as the rest of the world.
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I do not believe that America is better than everybody else...
America "IS" everybody else.
RE: Proactive Solutions: Involving Puna's Youth - oink - 01-09-2009
I can't agree with much of that Jon. My father started (in education) as a math teacher. He was loved as a teacher by his students. He eventually became principal at a large highschool. He was loved by the students, the teachers and the community as a whole. His school became nationally known in education circles for scholastic achievements (kick ass football too, and band). He did have the advantage of having been a WWII and Korea army officer. I think many teachers can make the very best administrators.
I do agree that much more emphasis needs to be placed on trades. Perhaps a Boys and Girls Club type thing for older kids that gets them involved in trades with good job prospects. Most boys would love to learn welding or another good trade. Girls too.
I also firmly believe that youth need to be held strictly accountable for their crimes early. Often, by the time they are given a punishment that might be a deterrent to future misbehavior, it's too late and they are already hardened. Being easy on them during the early stages of their misbehavior is not doing them any favor. By being soft on them you are killing them.
Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.
RE: Proactive Solutions: Involving Puna's Youth - Jon - 01-09-2009
I watched as a math teacher was drummed out of teaching because the Administration did not like his way of teaching... even though they could not dispute his results... there were also other teachers upset and claimed he taught his class above of the "state" level (Meaning he was teaching more than he was allowed), and he had to deal with a board review about that. He proved that not only was he teaching what was required but that the other teachers were not. You can guess how that went over.
His peers thought is kind of strange that he had his kids building bridges and boats in a math class, but the kids got it.
I am sure there are exceptions, but so far every teacher I have talked to said that their management was forcing them to "teach to the test". Which is great if you want a bunch of kids with memorized facts.
I get the impression that your dad was in education many years ago. He would have been a principal when I was in school... back when kids were taught and not filled with facts.
I remember lessons in history class that did not teach as much about history as it did about how to research history. And I am talking 6 grade here not collage.
Or high school physics were we were taught to never trust the experiment, just because it happed once does not make it a fact and why it still might be just a theory.
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I do not believe that America is better than everybody else...
America "IS" everybody else.
RE: Proactive Solutions: Involving Puna's Youth - Hawaiibound - 01-09-2009
What if a few people that had the same interests... such as music or football, put together a non-profit program for the Pahoa high-intermediate schools?
I see that Kea'au has music programs, or at least assume so by reading their placards out front of the schools. It would be awesome to get some people versed in singing, drums, guitar, bass... etc. to start a program for the kids.
Programs could be started for just about theme however, and I'm sure the school could come to an agreement with some school space "after hours" to hold the programs. Othwerwise, it shouldn't take much more than volunteers to run the classes and it wouldn't hurt to maybe find some donations! [8D]
As a start I've got a guitar (although I don't know how to play it, lol) I can donate to the program, and my husband who plays drums is willing to put time into mentoring. I play a little bass, and would love to cheerlead the kids at least! Anyone else interested in something like this?
~ Rachael
RE: Proactive Solutions: Involving Puna's Youth - AlohaSteven - 01-10-2009
Thanks for your positive energy and willingness to contribute tangibly toward this issue, Hawaiibound Rachael!
Regarding your question "What if a few people that had the same interests... such as music or football, put together a non-profit program for the Pahoa high-intermediate schools?" and comment "Programs could be started for just about theme however, and I'm sure the school could come to an agreement with some school space "after hours" to hold the programs. Otherwise, it shouldn't take much more than volunteers to run the classes...." here are a couple of thoughts and suggestions.
While home-grown enrichment program efforts put together by purely by local adults for local kids have potential for positive contribution, in every successful effort there is usually a fair amount of time invested behind the scenes with aspects like setting up insurance coverage, coordinating activities, and maintaining records (e.g., contact info, emergency medical releases, FBI criminal background check clearances for volunteers, MOAs with the schools, 501©3 paperwork, financial paperwork, and taxes). Partly because of all this, if a program already exists which folks can sign up with then there can be a considerable conservation of effort -which benefits the kids, since the less time volunteers need to spend reinventing the bureaucratic wheel the more time can be spent in productive direct contact focused on music, welding, science, voc ag, or whatever.
The other real advantage to working through existing organizations (surely there must be at least 4H/FFA and a music program in the local schools already?) is in their network allowing kids with real interest and talent to go farther in an area than would be possible locally. Whether clarinet, Model United Nations, an area in science, or all sorts of other directions if a youth has great interest and ability then the existing structures of many youth organizations foster their advancement and cultivation at higher and higher levels. Often this skill training and recognition leads to travel, internships, job offers and/or scholarships for the kids.
By all means, if there is a total lack of anything already existing locally in an area then folks who have some experience and want to contribute in that area by starting an effort up from scratch would be doing good work. My impression is the Pahoa Skateboard Park is an example of just such a totally local homegrown effort, from scratch, which has produced real benefits for youth and the community.
Connecting up with existing organizations within the schools and community --when they already do exist, or starting up a local chapter of an existing successful program where they do not-- could save on volunteer burnout in the long run and give the kids being served many potential advantages.
I just do not know which organizations, youth programs (both in and out of the schools), and so on already exist in Puna. As far as I know there is no one comprehensive site where all the various clubs, service organizations, and school/church/whatever-affliated youth programs are listed for Puna. Seems like it would be a mighty big contribution toward connecting up potential volunteers with the kids who could benefit from their mentorship if such a resource existed. Thus this suggestion--since nobody knows Puna better than the folks of Puna--if people contribute:
-the name of the organization, program, or other volunteer opportunity,
-a one-line description of the organization serving youth and its youth service program or activity focus, and
-a website link or other contact info (e-mail address, snail mail address, time/place of regular meetings)
...then this thread could serve to gather all of this useful directory information together. It would then just be a matter of anyone and everyone who wants to do so sifting through posts to this thread, taking the data (or whichever fraction of it is useful to his or her purpose), and displaying it neatly on a webpage.
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"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
Pres. John Adams, Scholar and Statesman
"There's a scientific reason to be concerned and there's a scientific reason to push for action. But there's no scientific reason to despair."
NASA climate analyst Gavin Schmidt
)'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'( )'(
RE: Proactive Solutions: Involving Puna's Youth - Hawaiibound - 01-10-2009
From what I understand there is an afterschool ukulele class offeref through Pahoa high school, that is about all. However maybe something can be worked out with expanding the class to different instruments, etc.? I'll have to look further into that.
The other organization I know of is the boys and girls club held at the high school everyday after school until either 5 or 6pm (I forget the exact time)... this might be another way to add some type of club, etc. Another thing to check out once school starts again!
I'll post whatever I find out.
~ Rachael