Dear Editor,
Why is the support United Way provides for our County’s youth so invaluable? United Way has their finger on the current education “pulse”, evidenced by their choices when allocating funding for youth programming. San Juan Island Prevention Coalition’s (SJIPC) Youth Leadership Initiative is a fortunate example, partnering with United Way to develop skills youth need to be community leaders in the 21st Century !
United Way supports SJIPC to help youth acquire skills for navigating our globally competitive information age. Learning and Innovation skills are what separates students who are prepared for increasingly complex life and work environments in today’s world and those who are not.
Through the SJIPC Youth Leadership Initiative, creative, hands-on “Challenge” experiences for children in grades K-12 help youth rediscover their own strengths and leadership skills and to identify and acknowledge the gifts of others. Challenge develops Learning and Innovation skills through team-building activities that focus on group connection. Objectives to instill essential skills of Communication, Creativity, Collaboration and Critical Thinking (Four C’s) are applied during problem-solving scenarios, based in metaphor, which assist youth in enhancing these attributes for success in today’s world. Yoga Calm, a unique component of “Challenge” offers children “Four C’s” tools to manage stress and develop school and home habits that improve their physical, emotional and mental well-being, and ultimately, enhance their academic achievement.
Through these experiences, young and older Teen Leaders are taking charge of the direction of their lives and their community, while supporting younger youth to do so, too. The health of our community climate as well as the health of our natural environment are benefitting from our Young Leaders.
Community organizations have partnered with San Juan Island Prevention Coalition to bring this critical education to youth- San Juan Island Library, XYZ Movement Arts, San Juan Island School District, Island Rec, San Juan County Conservation Corps, WSU San Juan County 4-H, Spring Street International School, San Juan County Fair, San Juan Island Community Foundation, and others.
Please join the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition in thanking United Way for its vision to create a healthy community through the conscious education of our children.
Students were “Challenged” to listen to cues from their partner, as they were blindfolded, they had an obstacle course to traverse, meanwhile all teams were doing the same thing! The youth really had to listen and those speaking really had to give clear directions.