After reading Chillaxing, I thought about how many programs are affected due to funding and partnering up with other programs. I noticed that the Urban Arts program changed due to partnering up. The program changed due auditing reasoning and having to justify “constructive activities”. The reason many of these youth attended this program was not strict with activities . The youth had time to just chillaxed while being in the studio. I believe that many times there is no room for youth to just “chill” because it has to be structured. The students like to go to the “ Zen Zone” where students were able to go when they did feel like doing art or just talk about things that matter to them. I believe that programs should be different and let the youth decide what is best for them and what interests them. I believe some programs should be structured but also have room to chill. Program should be a balance of both. While working in the after school program we let the youth play. We had board games, coloring and a sport ( flag football or basketball). During the morning time we let the youth chill. We noticed an increase in youth wanting to come to the program to participate in these activities.
While reading Shall We play ( part one) by Henry jenkin talked about the importance of playing. During school time I feel that teachers and administrators forget what is like to be a youth. Youth should be able to play. During play there is so much to be learned it not just about the game it’s about the learning experience. As a youth worker I like playing card games, board games with the youth. As they are learning we are learning as well. During the reading I liked the part of the six P’s ; permission, process,passion, productivity, participation and pleasure. While reading the six P’s you get a better understanding of the importance of play.
Hi Hecmy, I agree that there aren't many places for students to just go and "chillax". Everything is so focused on learning and education that even in after school programs, students still feel the same pressure to learn that they face in their everyday school environments. I'm glad that you have programs that focus more around youth having fun and put less force and stress on structure.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post Hecmy and for your reflections on how these two articles resonate with your own experiences and beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI love how you capture how important this type of activity is and yet there is no sense of urgency to it. While reading this piece, I kept thinking "there needs to be a program that is built on this without pretense of being something else!' Last week we discussed care and how hard it is to ask for because we don't teach it and we don't learn it.
ReplyDelete