"Ten Days in the Life" : Youth Program Development

Background Context

Upon arrival in Keewatin, I found that the Sunday School was all but collapsed. They had arranged to combine on Tuesday nights with the Anglicans which bought them a little time. that experiment ended suddenly when "Ringettes" was invented for girls on Tuesday nights.

I had told the Superintendent that I would support him whatever happened, I said I would not stand between the organization and the ground. I believed that the organization required a new paradigm for a new day.

Approach Used

• We called a moratorium for one year on all Children's programs
• As a group we set about researching the situation over the next year:
  • What if any needs were not already being addressed for each age group of children
  • Who should be meeting those needs?
  • If it was somebody in the community what could be done to assist that happening?
  • If it was our responsibility, how should we do it?
  • If all need were being addressed, we should stop worrying about it.

  We articulated a specific unmet need, developed a program based upon that as outlined below.

  Current Status

  The research project was finished within the year, results were considered, and an innovative program was carried out to meet the needs of teens after a brief hold-back while a School teacher attempted unsuccessfully to address the same needs. The program was repeated once again prior to my departure from that town.

  Findings To Date

  The teens needs were all being met with one glaring exception. Teens were in the habit of being "different persons for different contexts", and were somewhat confused as to which "persona" was closest to being "the real me". They were also very heavily scheduled.

  Lateral Connections

  Required for Completion

  The program was completed. A "live-in " was scheduled for one week and the two adjoining weekends, at a house, and the kids used that as their "home" and carried on their normal lives. Input was fed in during a nightly session just before bed, with a time to "dialogue" and reflect on their day. Opening and closing sessions on the weekend rounded out the fare. Emphasis in the content was on personal integrity issues, as well as relationship and vocational concerns.

  The program absolutely exploded in popularity, with many very positive spin-off effects in the community. With the addition of the later-developed "Framework" material this program would be extremely potent.

  Some form of dissemination of results needed.

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