Using America's Promise Alliance curriculum to raise civic awareness among youth
Abstract
The Volunteer Center of the United Way of Wyandotte County's Power of Five program incorporates curriculum produced by America's Promise Alliance and introduces middle school students to the concept of the five promises. As part of the Volunteer Center's Youth Impact program, the five promises curriculum offers a way to connect youth to their community through service, consequently increasing awareness of their civic responsibilities.Issue
Increasing civic awareness for middle school students, at a time of life when the focus is usually on self, can be a challenge for educators.Action
The Volunteer Center's Power of Five program has partnered with the National Youth Sports Program, a five-week summer program delivered for children at the local community college, that combines coaching and life skills classes. Students spend half the day at the community college in citizenship classes — learning the curriculum produced by America's Promise Alliance — and the other half engaged in sports activities facilitated by the National Youth Sports Program. The program is divided into six one-hour sessions, facilitated primarily by the director of The Volunteer Center of the United Way of Wyandotte County program (a Learn and Serve America grantee), an AmeriCorps*VISTA serving Kansas City's Promise, and the Volunteer Center's RSVP Director. Occasionally the Promise Fellow serving with Kansas City's Promise also helps out.
Session structure is as follows:
Session 1
The youth learn about America's Promise and the five promises. They identify how the promises are at work in their lives (i.e. who are the caring adults in their lives) as well as how they can deliver the five promises to younger children they know.
Session 2
Have youth think about what community is and to identify problematic issues (i.e. homelessness or hunger) in the community.
Session 3
Introduce youth to the differences between neighborhood and community and get them thinking about ways that they can and should help their neighbors.
Session 4
Talk with youth about skills and needs. Help them identify their skills and then match them to needs they identified in Session Two.
Session 5
Lead youth through a small service project that addresses one of the issues they identified in Session Two.
Session 6
Reflect on all the lessons, as well as the service, and seek to help youth find someplace to serve on an ongoing basis.
Context
In April 1997, former Presidents Bill Clinton, George Bush, Sr., Jimmy Carter, and Gerald Ford met together at the President's Summit for America's Future. At this meeting, a challenge was issued to communities to give their young people access to five fundamental resources:- An ongoing relationship with a caring adult - mentor, tutor, or coach
- Safe places and structured activities during non-school hours
- A healthy start and future
- A marketable skill through effective education
- An opportunity to give back through service
Outcome
- As part of the Volunteer Center's Youth Impact program, the five promises curriculum offers a way to get youth connected to their community through service.
- Additionally, the program is a great example of cross-stream partnership.
- As an ancillary part of the project, the students are creating coloring book pages about the 5 Promises and these will be compiled into one coloring book. The book will be donated to some of the local Promise sites.
Evidence
- In 2003, 89 Wyandotte County agencies, schools, business, and faith communities have made promises to the youth of Wyandotte County.
- There are approximately 250 youth ages 11-14 enrolled in the Volunteer Center's Power of Five program for the summer of 2003.
Posted On
July 3, 2003For More Information