A Kid Changing the World

A Kid Changing the World

JeffreyTorres-226A true story. It was hard to imagine that the clean cut young man at the podium had experienced so much in such a short time. Within four years, he went from a high school kid abusing drugs and in trouble with the law to one who accomplished an amazing physical feat to a youth ambassador and activist. I was fortunate to hear Jeffery Torres speak recently, as he talked about the impact of poverty on the children and families of Africa. As mentioned recently, children in Africa are dying needlessly from preventable childhood illnesses and dehydration, from starvation and HIV/AIDS. The amazing thing though is, even thousands of miles away, Jeffery is making a difference in the lives of these kids. By sharing his story, he affected me and I hope by my sharing it, you will pass it on. A chain reaction of action, so to speak.

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Jeffery was getting into trouble in high school–taking and selling drugs and coming close to having a criminal record for the rest of his life. He knew that if he wanted to fulfill his dream of becoming a fire fighter, he had to change his path. He decided that he needed new goals and challenges; and through these challenges, he developed new competencies. With the daring can-do attitude of so many youth, he decided to train for an Ironman triathlon. While training for the 8-kilometre swim, 180-km bike ride and 42.2-km run, Jeffery decided to use the run to raise funds for a worthwhile cause. He chose World Vision, a child-based charity that fights poverty. When he speaks of finishing the race in 12 hours and 35 minutes as the youngest male competitor ever, he seems proud… but even more proud of the $10,000.00 he raised for children in Africa (photo from World Vision).
Jeffrey’s next opportunity for change came when he attended a World Vision youth leadership retreat, where he met Tanzanian teens in Canada on a World Vision/ Canadian International Development Agency exchange and then applied for and was accepted as one of 6 Canadian youth to visit Tanzania as part of the Youth Ambassador program. His photos of his time in Tanzania are gut wrenching–a hole filled with muddy drinking water, a house made of twigs, children overjoyed to receive a tennis ball. These children and their stories forever changed him and how he saw the world. He spoke of an 8 year old boy, who walked 10 km each way to school and then helped his mother in the fields. How little children watch over babies and grandmothers raise families in shacks.The talk also carried messages of hope. How education, microcredit programs, mosquito nets and basic supplies are making a huge difference.
The Research. It is clear that Jeffery’s efforts are making a difference for both himself and children in Africa. The question begs asking, is community service always a win-win situation?
The impact of community service on youth. Most of the research indicates that community service can have a positive effect on youth: increasing civic responsibility and caring (Billig, 2000; Kenny & Gallagher, 2003; Yates & Youniss 1998), increasing prosocial behavior (Billig, 2000; Eyler, 2000), raising academics (Follman, 1998; Parrini, 2002) and reducing behavioral problems (Youniss et al. 1999; Zeldin, 2004). However, there have been studies that have shown no effect (Eccles & Barber, 1999; Melchior, 1999). This discrepancy has been attributed to small or non representative samples, not controlling for background factors (e.g., SES and race) or not addressing differences in the type or length of service. Schmidt, Shumow and Krackar (2007) designed a study to address these issues. Using the data from the National Household Education Survey, an American cross-sectional survey of high school students and their parent (N=4,306), these researchers looked at how many kids were involved in community service, their backgrounds, the type of service they did and behavioral, academic and civic outcomes. The bottom line was that involvement in community service was positively associated with better grades, increased civic efficacy and knowledge and decreased behavioral problems.
To learn more about community service…
An Asset Builder’s Guide to Service-Learning
A clear and informative strategy for schools, faith communities, and youth organizations to blend the best of effective service-learning programs with the philosophy of youth “asset building” and Healthy Communities.
Children as Volunteers
How to integrate volunteers under the age of 14 into an existing adult volunteer program: multi-age teams, designing work, preparing the agency, liaisoning with schools, and legal issues.Raising Charitable Children
Warmly provides practical tips for adults to share the gifts of generosity, selflessness, and compassion with children of all ages and get past the “gimme-gimme” mind-set.Working Shoulder to Shoulder: Stories and Strategies of Youth-Adult Partnerships That Succeed
Stories and strategies of youth-adult partnerships that succeed, with over 20 reproducible tools to help you engage youth participants to the greatest effect in your organization.
The impact of community service on communities. Unfortunately, less information is available on the impact that youth have on communities as a result of their community service. In 2008, the World Bank released a report entitled, Measuring the Impact of Youth Voluntary Service Programs, where the conclusions of an international group of experts discussed the paucity of well designed evaluations and recommended that clearer definitions and an evaluation framework be developed to measure the impact of youth service. One program that was highlighted was Student Partnership Worldwide (SPW), an organization that supports youth 18-28 years as Volunteer Peer Educators (VPEs). The VPEs live in rural communities for 6-12 months and lead health, environmental, and education programs in eight countries across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Currently, there are 1,000 VPEs expected to impact approximately 400,000 youth. The VPEs are trained to measure the impact of their outreach efforts using both quantitative and qualitative data. For example, to address the spread of HIV in Tanzania by out–of-school youth, SPW delivered sexual reproductive health and HIV/AIDS awareness information in concert with sports and music events. Of the 1200 young people who attended, 79 followed through with counseling and HIV testing.Recommendations for evaluating youth development interventions (as described in the World Bank publication above, p. 15, Cunningham et. al. 2008) include: 1) A description of the intervention, including its planned activities, methods of delivery, duration and expected outcomes; 2) Clearly defined goals and indicators that directly reflect these goals (outcome indicators); 3) Clearly defined indicators of how well the program is being implemented (process indicators); 4) A baseline survey of the population being studied, both beneficiary and comparison (control) groups, which should be conducted before individuals are assigned to each group; 5) The identification of a comparison group that is as similar as possible to the treated group in all key observable characteristics (random assignment is preferable but is not always possible); 6) Periodic follow-up surveys both to monitor process and to evaluate outcomes; and, 7) A careful accounting of all the program’s costs (this is often overlooked, but is necessary to understand whether the program is successful in economic terms as well as in strictly outcome terms). Clearly, evaluating the impact of youth service on communities is an important and emerging area of research.
Learn more
The Unheard Voices: Community Organizations and Service Learning.
This volume explores the impact of service learning on a community, and considers the unequal relationship between the community and the academy. Using eye-opening interviews with community-organization staff members, The Unheard Voices challenges assumptions about the effectiveness of service learning.Share your experience. Do you have examples of youth who have made a difference through community service or volunteering? Have you been involved in efforts to track and evaluate the impact of community service on communities? If so, please add comments below or contact Jayne Pivik at jpivik@aprioriresearch.ca.Resources

Canadian Alliance for Community Service-Learning. The Canadian Alliance for Community Service-Learning provides leadership and support for the development and enhancement of Community Service-Learning in Canada, connects with international networks, and promotes the benefits of this approach to universities, students, and community organizations. Site provides resources, tools and research.

Opportunity International provides small business loans, savings, insurance and training to people living in poverty in the developing world. Clients in over 25 countries use these financial services to start or expand a business, develop a steady income, provide for their families and create jobs for their neighbors.

One Hen, how one small loan made a big difference, the internationally acclaimed true story of micro crediting. Supporting site for those wishing to discuss and teach about micro crediting with children.

References

Billig, S.H. (2000) Research on K-12 school-based service learning: The evidence builds. Phi Delta Kappan, 81, 658–664.

Eccles, J.S. & Barber, B.L. (1999). Student council, volunteering, basketball, or marching band: What kind of extracurricular involvement matters? Journal of Adolescent Research, 14(1), 10–43.

Eyler, J.S. (2000). What do we most need to know about the impact of service-learning on student learning? The Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, Special Issue: Strategic Directions for Service-Learning Research. Retrieved April 16, 2010, from http://www.umich.edu/∼mjcsl/volumes/2000sample.html.

Follman, J. (1998). Florida learn and serve: 1997–98 outcomes and correlations with 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97. Florida State University, Center for Civic Education and Service, Tallahassee, FL.

Kenny, M.E. & Gallagher, L.A. (2003). Teenagers and community service: A guide to the issues. Praeger: Westport, CT.

Melchior, A. (1999). Summary report: National evaluation of learn and serve America school and community-based programs. Brandeis University Center for Human Resources: Waltham, MA.

Parrini, M. (2002). Law-related education and delinquency prevention. ERIC Digest ED466442. Bloomington, IN: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education.

Schmidt, J.A., Shumow, L., & Kackar, H. (2007). Adolescents’ participation in service activities and its impact on academic, behavioral and civic outcomes. Journal of Youth Adolescence, 36, 127-140.

World Bank, Human Development Network, Children and Youth Unit, HDNCY & Innovations in Civic Participation (2008). Measuring the impact of youth voluntary service programs. Summary and conclusions of the International experts’ meeting. See http://www.icicp.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/6722, Accessed May 11, 2010.

Yates, M. & Youniss, J. (1998) Community service and political identity development in adolescence. Journal of Social Issues, 54(3), 495–512.

Youniss, J., Yates, M., & Su, Y. (1997). Social integration: Community service and marijuana use in high school seniors. Journal of Adolescent Research, 12, 245–262.

Zeldin, S. (2004). Preventing youth violence through the promotion of community engagement and membership. Journal of Community Psychology, 32(5), 632–641.

Youth Creative Solutions to World Problems

Youth Creative Solutions to World Problems

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weday1Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it. Begin it now! Goethe.
In many respects, kids are bolder and dream bigger than adults. They are not as burdened by a fear of failure or the idea of the impossible. This open-mindedness is reflected in how they see the world, their preferences and often solutions for making improvements.Twelve year old Adora Svitak, in a recent TED talk, What Adults Can Learn from Kids, describes how children have a unique perspective that deserves attention. Listen to her explain the value of “childish” thinking composed of bold ideas, wild creativity and optimism.
Perceptions
Children perceive the world differently than adults. Take for example a study recently published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology by Pivik (2010). The purpose of the study was to see how principals, special education resource teachers (SERT) and students evaluated their schools for accessibility barriers (barriers that impede individuals with disabilities). The first study looked at schools where the student evaluator had a physical disability. In 29 different schools, the principal, SERT and student, independently walked around their school and noted down any accessibility barriers they saw. As expected, the students who had a disability and lived with these barriers daily, were able to identify significantly more barriers than their principal or SERT. What was unexpected though was that the students identified barriers in more areas of the school than the other two, particularly classrooms, libraries and recreational areas. The second study in this paper looked at how students without disabilities compared to their principal and the SERT in identifying accessibility barriers. Across 22 schools, the students once again identified the most number of barriers and in the greatest number of school areas. Essentially, this paper suggests that even though one spends a considerable amount of time in a place, as does the principal, teacher and student, different groups see the same place differently and youth were considerably better at identifying barriers for people with disabilities in schools.Reference: Pivik, J. (2010). The perspective of children and youth: How different stakeholders identify architectural barriers for inclusion in schools. Journal of Environmental Psychology, doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.02.005. Visit www.aprioriresearch.ca for more information.
Preferences
As well, children have shown to have different preferences for places than adults. Since adults were once children, we often assume we know what kids would like. Not so, as seen in a study conducted by Ward Thompson (1995) who found significant differences in how students and teachers viewed a prospective school environment. Teachers were asked to imagine the type of playground that students would want and then their responses were compared to those of their students. Significant differences were found between the two groups, with students wanting natural elements that could be manipulated or studied, whereas the teachers felt they would prefer attractive, soft and comfortable landscapes.Reference: Ward Thompson, C. (1995). School playground design: A projective approach with school pupils and staff. Landscape Research, 20(3), 124-140.

Problem-solving
I would like to share a personal experience which highlights the unique perspective of youth and its connection to problem-solving. In my community, which is a small coastal island, a group of us were working together to start a re-use it shop, so goods would not have to be shipped off island if they were still usable. On this committee were 6 students, ranging in age from 9 to 14 years old. The municipality had donated a piece of land for the store and we were at the stage of designing the space and determining public access in a 1000 square foot forested area. A few of the adults on the committee had experience in this area and were leading the meeting. However, they got stuck when it came to figuring out how to allow people to get to the building from the parking lot, since that path crossed over a ditch and municipal land that could not be built upon. Many options were discussed such as moving the parking lot, building a path from the busy road or rearranging the building site. After about an hour of going back and forth, discussing the pros and cons of each plan, Kate, a grade 9 student spoke up. “Why not build a bridge over the ditch?” Stunned silence filled the room. Then everyone started talking at once, saying things such as “of course, why didn’t I think of that? Or “amazing, so simple”. This example was just one of many that highlighted the unique problem-solving abilities of our student representatives over the 2 year project.

Reference: Pivik, J. (2008). A child friendly perspective on community service and learning: The story of the Knick Knack Nook. The Community Psychologist, 41(3/4), 71-74.

Resources
Other examples of youth problem-solving:

The Green Dream Initiative is a multi-media website developed by Victoria Maraví and Zach Komes. Its aim is to provide information and support to youth for enhancing environmental sustainability.

Apathy is Boring Project is a youth-run, nonpartisan organization that aims to use art, media, and technology to re-engage youth in the democratic process.

One World Youth Project builds and connects communities of youth action through cultural understanding, leadership training, and service learning by linking middle and high school student groups throughout the world together in learning partnerships.

If you have examples of how kids see the world differently or would like to share a youth led initiative of how they are changing their world, please leave a comment below.

Children Using Innovative Methods for Evaluating Neighborhoods

Children Using Innovative Methods for Evaluating Neighborhoods

child photographerInterest in acquiring children’s opinions about their neighborhoods has surged as researchers connect the health benefits of neighborhood activity and the built environment, understand the psychological and social influences of community cohesion and networks and attempt to fulfill the international agreements The United Nations Convention on the Right’s of the Child (1989) and the Child Friendly Cities Movement (2004). Since the late 1970’s, from pioneering work by Roger Hart and Kevin Lynch, we know that children are capable of evaluating their neighborhoods but how does that information get used or understood by community developers and planners? What methods can be used to provide a clear picture of “good”, “bad”, “scary” or “favorite” places? Relatedly, how can this information assist in determining how to modify neighborhoods so kids are more likely to play outside, walk or ride to school, connect with their neighbors or develop a sense of pride and ownership in their community?

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A recent research study by Janet Loebach and Jason Gilliland (2010) in London, Ontario, provides an example of some of the innovative strategies being used today to engage children in community assessments. Working with grade 3 students from a local elementary school, they combined three strategies for child engagement and community assessment: child tours, photovoice and geographic information systems (GIS). The child-led walks were the main strategy employed by the research team. Pairs of children decided on a route to take that would highlight their favorite and least favorite community places and features. The students then led a researcher and city planner around their neighborhood and described its characteristics. As well as a verbal description, students took pictures with a digital camera. These pictures were part of the photovoice component of the project. Photovoice is a participatory method used to describe places, events and situations. Typically associated with social change initiatives, photovoice involves taking pictures and then describing them either in groups or individually in order to identify themes. Finally, at points of interest to the children, the adults tracked the location with a portable GPS unit. In total, 16 children participated in this exercise to describe their neighborhood. A week later, after the researchers conducted preliminary analyses on the data and narrowed down the number of pictures into potential themes, the adults and children met together as a group. Pictures were presented to the entire group of children and they were asked to discuss their importance. After this elicitation phase, all of the data were then analyzed, compared and contrasted.
Ten main themes emerged from the data: 1) community features that evoked a sense of ownership, belonging or pride; 2) sites associated with recreational activity; 3) features that reflected good community design or aesthetics; 4) how far and where children were comfortable venturing; 5) what installed fear, a sense of danger or annoyance; 6) sites of commercial interest to the children (or not); 7) community features associated with accessibility and mobility; 8) elements that reflected poor community design or aesthetics; 9) natural elements; and 10) features that reflected environmental or community advocacy. Quite a lot of information from grade 3 students! Watch for future posts about neighborhood likes and dislikes identified by these children and others.
Back to methods. The routes that the children took, their descriptions of what they liked and disliked, the photos they took, the group discussion about the photos and the use of maps (aerial and GIS generated) together provided information about mobility, neighborhood perceptions and use. A few highlights are worth mentioning. The maps of the routes chosen indicated that certain barriers existed that impeded the children’s mobility such as train tracks and busy streets. Most of the children’s favorite places were close to their homes, which makes sense for this age group. Available services and amenities were also easily identified when mapped, such as the school or local park as favorite places to play. The use of photovoice provided a visual aid in the group discussions and was a method identified as useful for less verbal children. As well, it served to illustrate the children’s preferences and thus was important for information dissemination. The child-led tours were considered very successful for identifying important places in neighborhoods. Having pairs of children give tours provided additional information as their discussions about specific places added additional detail (although it also added difficulty to data capturing–authors suggest audio taping instead of writing down notes). The larger group discussions also added another layer of information and assisted in confirming or enhancing preliminary themes. The GPS units were not shown to be as effective as originally thought, resulting in inconsistent data, perhaps due to the technology used or satellite interference. The authors did however find the aerial photographs very useful for place and route tracking.
All in all, the children’s neighborhood assessments provided valuable information and lessons for the researchers and city planners. As the authors indicate “The exercises were effective in demonstrating to both the researchers and the urban planners that children are capable of shrewd and sophisticated evaluations of their neighborhoods, in addition to providing an evocative profile of their neighborhood perspectives and priorities. Both methods were well-received by the planners, but the intimate nature of their dialogue with the children during the guided walks made a particularly favorable impression for the rich picture of experience that they evoked. The exchanges with the children also highlighted for the planners the more localized nature of the children’s activities than those of adults, and the more personal and intimate relationships they have with their neighborhood spaces and places than is likely true for adult residents” (p 81).
Reference: Loebach, J., & Gilliland, J. (2010). Child-led tours to uncover children’s perceptions and use of neighborhood environments. Children, Youth and Environments 20(1), 52-90.

Equalizing Schools for All

Equalizing Schools for All

pre-ada-problems-for-wheelchair-users-include-steps-rather-than-wheelchair-rampsFor children and youth, school is their ‘world’ for at least six hours a day, five days a week. Imagine then, if that world was full of obstacles that stopped you from moving around, being part of groups, having fun or learning new things. For many children with disabilities, this is a daily reality. In a study conducted in Ottawa, Canada, children with disabilities shared with researchers the many different types of school exclusions (Pivik, McComas & Laflamme, 2002). Through a series of focus group meetings with youth between the ages of 9 and 15 years, and their parents, four categories of barriers were identified across eight different schools: 1) the physical environment (e.g., hallways and doorways too narrow); 2) intentional attitudinal barriers (e.g., isolation, bullying, intentional emotional or physical harm); 3) unintentional attitudinal barriers (e.g., lack of knowledge, understanding or awareness); and, 4) limitations inherent to the disability (e.g., difficulty with manual dexterity).

The most obvious barrier type is environmental or architectural. The reported environmental barriers included the following categories: doors, passageways, elevators, washrooms, stairs and ramps, lockers, water fountains, and recreational areas. Physically getting into school was a major problem for many of the students. Often the only door which had an access ramp was located at the rear of the building; requiring the student to traverse around the building in order to enter. If the ramp was not too steep or did not have a ledge that created obstacles, then often the doors were too heavy for the student to open unaided. Most often, the doors did not have automatic door buttons for easy access. Fire doors were of particular concern for the students and many expressed fear about being trapped in the school in the event of a fire (students are asked to meet in a pre-identified area and wait). Within the school, doorways were often not wide enough for wheelchair access or they had lips and/or ledges on the frame which make access difficult. All students reported a lack of access to recreational facilities and opportunities such as playgrounds, gyms, social events such as dances, physical education, and field trips. Simple things like locker hooks being too high or cluttered hallways limiting access became a source of daily frustration.

All of the students in the focus groups reported instances of intentional attitudinal barriers: isolation, physical bullying and/or emotional bullying. Isolation took the form of either being ignored or having difficulty forging friendships. Physical bullying usually related to people pushing the student’s wheelchair without permission, and in one instance, being purposely knocked out of their wheelchair. The most frequent attitudinal barrier mentioned was that of emotional bullying. The students indicated that this was the most hurtful and included name calling, people pointing, mouths dropping open, being made fun of, being labeled as “stupid”, condescending attitudes by teaching staff, and generally being treated differently from other students.

Unintentional attitudinal barriers relate to a lack of knowledge, education, understanding, or effort on the part of the educational system or staff. From the entire sample, the most frequently reported barrier was a lack of understanding by teachers and support staff. This took the form of being given inappropriate substitute work when too busy to adapt the curriculum, always being assigned as a teacher’s helper in physical education classes instead of adapting or equalizing the playing field, excluding children with special needs from certain classes without reason or, not understanding their physical capabilities or limitations.

Along with the environmental and attitudinal barriers faced by these youth, they also bear the difficulties associated with their condition or disability. For example, many of the students require a personal assistant or teaching aide for such basic activities as getting dressed for recess, personal care, remedial education efforts, or maneuvering within the school. The other major barrier noted by the students was their need for extra time to get to class, eat lunch, or complete school work. Along with information about their disability or condition, these physical requirements were the type of information that the students wanted school staff to understand.
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Inclusion in school means more than incorporating children with disabilities into the present structure and system. It means ensuring accessibility and full participation by altering physical structures, educating teaching staff and students and providing the necessary methods and materials for optimal learning and social experiences.

For more information on the barriers identified and the students’ recommendations for solutions, please see the following article:

Pivik, J., McComas, J., & Laflamme, M. (2002). Barriers and facilitators to inclusive education as reported by students with physical disabilities and their parents. Exceptional Children, 69 (1), 97-106. See https://www.aprioriresearch.ca/resources.htm

Resource

The Inclusive Schools Checklist. This checklist includes information from this and other studies as well as an extensive literature review of accessibility barriers, environmental design, universal design, inclusive education and standardized building codes. The Inclusive Schools Checklist covers 76 potential architectural barriers, 44 potential inclusive classroom practices and 23 potential school/school board inclusive policies. It addresses both physical and social inclusion for students with many different types of special needs. Administration requires a tape measure and takes about an hour to complete. The specifications for the measurements are based on standardized child and adult dimensions and anthropometrics identified in standardized building codes and are applicable for both elementary and high schools. This measure has undergone extensive reliability and validity testing and is available from Apriori Research—see https://www.aprioriresearch.ca

Children’s Rights

Children’s Rights

child-rightsA Future in Jeopardy.
The year is 1989…thirty years after the United Nation’s ‘Declaration of the Rights of the Child’ and ten years after the ‘International Year of the Child’. According to UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children, 1989:

  • Every year, fifteen and a half million children are dying before the age of 5 (14 million children from common illness and malnutrition).
  • Seven million, four hundred thousand children a year die from dehydration, even though oral rehydration therapy is available, easily administered by parents and can prevent these deaths.
  • Vaccine preventable deaths kill over 1.5 million children a year in the Asian countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
  • In rural areas of developing countries, 60% of children live without safe drinking water and 85% do not have adequate sanitation.
  • 20% of the world’s babies are born weighing less than 2,500 grams.
  • Only 39% of children in the most vulnerable countries complete primary school.

Along with these health statistics, children are also experiencing other horrific circumstances. It is estimated that 60 million children between the ages of 5-11 years and 250 million between the ages of 11-14 years participate in child labour. At least 60 million of these children are forced into debt bondage, slavery, prostitution, pornography or armed conflict. Asia, excluding Japan, has the highest number of economically active children (5–14 years of age) at 61 per cent, followed by Africa at 32 per cent, and 17 % in Latin America and the Caribbean (Beyond Child Labour-Affirming Rights, UNICEF, 2001).
The leaders of the world realized that the future was at a tipping point.

An International Law on Children’s Rights is Developed
On November 20th, 1989, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Currently, every country in the world (193 Nation States) has ratified the CRC (except for Somalia and the United States), making it the most universally ratified human rights treaty. It is also the most comprehensive international law ever developed, covering the social, economic, cultural, civil and political rights of children up to the age of 18. According to UNICEF, the CRC is composed of 54 articles and 2 optional protocols that are based on four core principles: non-discrimination; devotion to the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival and development; and respect for the views of the child. UNICEF’s summary of the CRC:

Article 1 (Definition of the child): The Convention defines a ‘child’ as a person below the age of 18, unless the laws of a particular country set the legal age for adulthood younger.

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Article 2 (Non-discrimination): The Convention applies to all children, whatever their race, religion or abilities; whatever they think or say, whatever type of family they come from. It doesn’t matter where children live, what language they speak, what their parents do, whether they are boys or girls, what their culture is, whether they have a disability or whether they are rich or poor. No child should be treated unfairly on any basis.
Article 3 (Best interests of the child): The best interests of children must be the primary concern in making decisions that may affect them. All adults should do what is best for children. When adults make decisions, they should think about how their decisions will affect children. This particularly applies to budget, policy and law makers.
Article 4 (Protection of rights): Governments have a responsibility to take all available measures to make sure children’s rights are respected, protected and fulfilled. When countries ratify the Convention, they agree to review their laws relating to children. This involves assessing their social services, legal, health and educational systems, as well as levels of funding for these services.
Article 5 (Parental guidance): Governments should respect the rights and responsibilities of families to direct and guide their children so that, as they grow, they learn to use their rights properly.
Article 6 (Survival and development): Children have the right to live. Governments should ensure that children survive and develop healthily.
Article 7 (Registration, name, nationality, care): All children have the right to a legally registered name, officially recognized by the government. Children have the right to a nationality (to belong to a country). Children also have the right to know and, as far as possible, to be cared for by their parents.
Article 8 (Preservation of identity): Children have the right to an identity – an official record of who they are. Governments should respect children’s right to a name, a nationality and family ties.
Article 9 (Separation from parents): Children have the right to live with their parent(s), unless it is bad for them. Children whose parents do not live together have the right to stay in contact with both parents, unless this might hurt the child.
Article 10 (Family reunification): Families whose members live in different countries should be allowed to move between those countries so that parents and children can stay in contact, or get back together as a family.
Article 11 (Kidnapping): Governments should take steps to stop children being taken out of their own country illegally.
Article 12 (Respect for the views of the child): When adults are making decisions that affect children, children have the right to say what they think should happen and have their opinions taken into account.
Article 13 (Freedom of expression): Children have the right to get and share information, as long as the information is not damaging to them or others. The freedom of expression includes the right to share information in any way they choose, including by talking, drawing or writing.
Article 14 (Freedom of thought, conscience and religion): Children have the right to think and believe what they want and to practice their religion, as long as they are not stopping other people from enjoying their rights.
Article 15 (Freedom of association): Children have the right to meet together and to join groups and organizations, as long as it does not stop other people from enjoying their rights. In exercising their rights, children have the responsibility to respect the rights, freedoms and reputations of others.
Article 16 (Right to privacy): Children have a right to privacy. The law should protect them from attacks against their way of life, their good name, their families and their homes.
Article 17 (Access to information; mass media): Children have the right to get information that is important to their health and well-being. Governments should encourage mass media – radio, television, newspapers and Internet content sources – to provide information that children can understand and to not promote materials that could harm children. Mass media should particularly be encouraged to supply information in languages that minority and indigenous children can understand. Children should also have access to children’s books.
Article 18 (Parental responsibilities; state assistance): Both parents share responsibility for bringing up their children, and should always consider what is best for each child. The Convention also places a responsibility on governments to provide support services to parents, especially if both parents work outside the home.
Article 19 (Protection from all forms of violence): Children have the right to be protected from being hurt and mistreated, physically or mentally. Governments should ensure that children are properly cared for and protect them from violence, abuse and neglect by their parents, or anyone else who looks after them.
Article 20 (Children deprived of family environment): Children who cannot be looked after by their own family have a right to special care and must be looked after properly, by people who respect their ethnic group, religion, culture and language.
Article 21 (Adoption): Children have the right to care and protection if they are adopted or in foster care. The first concern must be what is best for them.
Article 22 (Refugee children): Children have the right to special protection and help if they are refugees (if they have been forced to leave their home and live in another country), as well as all the rights in this Convention.
Article 23 (Children with disabilities): Children who have any kind of disability have the right to special care and support, as well as all the rights in the Convention, so that they can live full and independent lives.
Article 24 (Health and health services): Children have the right to good quality health care – the best health care possible – to safe drinking water, nutritious food, a clean and safe environment, and information to help them stay healthy. Rich countries should help poorer countries achieve this.
Article 25 (Review of treatment in care): Children who are looked after by their local authorities, rather than their parents, have the right to have these living arrangements looked at regularly to see if they are the most appropriate.
Article 26 (Social security): Children – either through their guardians or directly – have the right to help from the government if they are poor or in need.
Article 27 (Adequate standard of living): Children have the right to a standard of living that is good enough to meet their physical and mental needs. Governments should help families and guardians who cannot afford to provide this, particularly with regard to food, clothing and housing.
Article 28: (Right to education): All children have the right to a primary education, which should be free. Young people should be encouraged to reach the highest level of education of which they are capable.
Article 29 (Goals of education): Children’s education should develop each child’s personality, talents and abilities to the fullest. It should encourage children to respect others, human rights and their own and other cultures. It should also help them learn to live peacefully, protect the environment and respect other people.
Article 30 (Children of minorities/indigenous groups): Minority or indigenous children have the right to learn about and practice their own culture, language and religion.
Article 31 (Leisure, play and culture): Children have the right to relax and play, and to join in a wide range of cultural, artistic and other recreational activities.
Article 32 (Child labour): The government should protect children from work that is dangerous or might harm their health or their education. If children help out in a family farm or business, the tasks they do be safe and suited to their level of development and comply with national labour laws. Children’s work should not jeopardize any of their other rights, including the right to education, or the right to relaxation and play.
Article 33 (Drug abuse): Governments should use all means possible to protect children from the use of harmful drugs and from being used in the drug trade.
Article 34 (Sexual exploitation): Governments should protect children from all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse. This provision in the Convention is augmented by the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
Article 35 (Abduction, sale and trafficking): The government should take all measures possible to make sure that children are not abducted, sold or trafficked. This provision in the Convention is augmented by the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
Article 36 (Other forms of exploitation): Children should be protected from any activity that takes advantage of them or could harm their welfare and development.
Article 37 (Detention and punishment): No one is allowed to punish children in a cruel or harmful way. Children who break the law should not be treated cruelly. They should not be put in prison with adults, should be able to keep in contact with their families, and should not be sentenced to death or life imprisonment without possibility of release.
Article 38 (War and armed conflicts): Governments must do everything they can to protect and care for children affected by war. Children under 15 should not be forced or recruited to take part in a war or join the armed forces. The Convention’s Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict further develops this right, raising the age for direct participation in armed conflict to 18 and establishing a ban on compulsory recruitment for children under 18.
Article 39 (Rehabilitation of child victims): Children who have been neglected, abused or exploited should receive special help to physically and psychologically recover and reintegrate into society. Particular attention should be paid to restoring the health, self-respect and dignity of the child.
Article 40 (Juvenile justice): Children who are accused of breaking the law have the right to legal help and fair treatment in a justice system that respects their rights. Governments are required to set a minimum age below which children cannot be held criminally responsible and to provide minimum guarantees for the fairness and quick resolution of judicial or alternative proceedings.
Article 41 (Respect for superior national standards): If the laws of a country provide better protection of children’s rights than the articles in this Convention, those laws should apply.
Article 42 (Knowledge of rights): Governments should make the Convention known to adults and children. Adults should help children learn about their rights, too. (See also article 4.)
Articles 43-54 (implementation measures): These articles discuss how governments and international organizations like UNICEF should work to ensure children are protected in their rights.

How Nations have Addressed the CRC
The Human Rights Education Association describes how countries have addressed this international law. Countries that have ratified the CRC agreed to review their laws relating to children and adolescents and to assess their social services, legal, health and educational systems as well as funding commitments to ensure that the best efforts are being made to meet their obligations under the convention. Examples include:
– Developing comprehensive national agendas.
– Developing permanent bodies or mechanisms for promoting coordination of all sectors of government, monitoring and evaluation.
– Ensuring that all legislation is fully compatible with the CRC by incorporating it into domestic law or that its principles take precedence in cases of conflict with national legislation.
– Carrying out child impact assessments to ensure children are taking into account in planning and policy decisions.
– Analyzing government spending to determine the portion of public funds spent on children and to ensure that these resources are being used effectively.
– Carrying out data collection.
– Raising awareness and disseminated information about the CRC.
– Involving civil society including children in the process of implementing and raising awareness of child rights.
– Setting up independent statutory offices – ombudspersons, commissions or other institutions – to promote and protect children’s rights.

What has been the impact of the CRC after two decades?
The CRC put children’s rights in the forefront across the world. A Progress Report by UNICEF (2007) indicates the following improvements:
Health

  1. In 2006, the number of children dying before their fifth birthday was estimated at 9.7 million; down from 15.5 million in 1989.
  2. More than four times as many children received the recommended two doses of vitamin A in 2005 as in 1999.
  3. All countries with trend data in sub-Saharan Africa made progress in expanding coverage of insecticide-treated nets, a fundamental tool in halting malaria, with 16 of these 20 countries at least tripling coverage since 2000.
  4. In the 47 countries where 95 per cent of measles deaths occur, measles immunization coverage increased from 57 per cent in 1990 to 68 per cent in 2006.
  5. Rates of exclusive breastfeeding of infants have significantly improved in 16 countries of sub-Saharan Africa over the past decade, with 7 of these countries making gains of 20 percentage points or more.
  6. Between 1990 and 2004, more than 1.2 billion people gained access to improved sources of drinking water and sanitation coverage also increased during this same time period.

Education

  1. Almost all regions have made significant progress in education. The gender gap at both primary and secondary levels began closing between 1990 and 2005. Increases in enrolment and attendance reduced the number of primary-school-age children who are out of school from 115 million in 2002 to 93 million in 2005–2006. Many countries are close to providing universal primary education, although some regions – the Middle East/North Africa, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa – have net enrolment/attendance ratios of less than 90 per cent. Progress has also been made in secondary education, although less than in primary education. In sub-Saharan Africa, only one out of four children of secondary school age attends secondary school; throughout the world, one out of six children of secondary school age is still in primary school.

Protecting against abuse, exploitation and violence

  1. Many child protection issues are now part of the measurement obtained through Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). About 51 million children born in 2006 have not had their births registered; yet, important improvements in birth registration rates have occurred in such countries as Cambodia, the Gambia and Viet Nam. The prevalence of female genital mutilation/cutting has declined slowly but steadily during the past 15 years, and older girls and younger women are less likely to have undergone any form of this harmful traditional practice than older women. Child marriage is becoming less common in some countries, but the pace of change is often slow. UNICEF estimates that 158 million children between ages 5 and 14 are engaged in child labour. The challenge is in making use of household survey results to improve the lives of children affected by exclusion, abuse, exploitation and violence.

What is next?
Doek (2009) is his review of the CRC for the past 20 years indicates that children still need the world’s attention. He indicates that more than 9 million children died in 2008 of preventable diseases; more than 90 million children never go to school; more than 100 million children are involved in the worst forms of child labor; and many millions of children are victims of violence or abuse. His recommendation is a focus on poverty.

“Chronic poverty remains the single biggest obstacle to meeting the needs, protecting and promoting the rights of children. It must be tackled on all fronts, from the provisions of basic social services to the creation of employment opportunities, from the availability of microcredit to investment in infrastructure, and from debt relief to fair trade practices. Children are hardest hit by poverty because it strikes at the very roots of their potential to development—their growing bodies and minds.” A World Fit for Children (United Nations, May 2002, para. 18).

Reference: Doek, J. (2009). The CRC 20 years: An overview of some of the major achievements and remaining challenges. Child Abuse & Neglect, 33(11), 771-782.

New goals have been developed by the UN, entitled the Millennium Development Goals. One of these goals is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger by reducing by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day and of those who suffer from hunger by 2015. For more information on the other initiatives, see www.un.org/millenniumgoals/.

Resources
(Courtesy of Human Rights Education Association)
Children’s Rights Here and Now (Amnesty International-USA). This lesson plan can be used to examine the situation regarding children’s rights, using the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Fields of Hope: Educational Activities on Child Labor. Teacher’s Guide (American Center for International Labor Solidarity, AFL-CIO). This guide includes eight lessons intended for ages 12-15 (grade levels 6-8). The lessons are intended to enhance students’ knowledge and understanding of child labor issues internationally, to develop skills in organising and using the information contained in the Fields of Hope web site and other sites devoted to child labor, and to foster attitudes of social responsibility.
Lesson plan on refugee children (UNHCR). Lesson and Unit plan for teachers on refugees developed by UNHCR for ages 9-11 for civics.
Raising Children With Roots, Rights & Responsibilities: Celebrating the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (by Lori DuPont, Joanne Foley, Annette Gagliardi).
This guide for a 12-week human rights curriculum builds on the power of the parent-child relationship. Themes of the sessions are: sharing a vision; whole child; equality; name and nationality; adequate standard of living; special protections; consideration and care; free education; play and culture; protection; expression and association; ratification and review.
Teaching for Human Rights: Pre-school and Grades 1-4 (Ralph Pettman, with Joan Braham, Lynette Johnston, Elke Muzik, Kath Lock, Stephanie O’Laughlin Peters, Diana Smythe).
This teacher manual provides specific suggestions, proven in practice, of what to do and why, for pre-school and lower primary teachers who want to foster children’s feelings of self-esteem and social tolerance.
Teaching for Human Rights: Grades 5-10 (Ralph Pettman, with Colin Henry). This teacher manual provides specific suggestions, proven in practice, of what to do and why, upper primary and secondary teachers who want to foster children’s feelings of self-esteem and social tolerance.
Ten messages about children with disabilities (UNICEF). Practical tips for to help children with disabilities learn in a safe and equitable environment.
Our Book of Child Rights (Human Rights Education Programme-Pakistan). This colourful picture book is based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and is intended to be used by students and teachers as an introduction to children’s rights and responsibilities.

Community Service and Learning: Tips for Schools

Community Service and Learning: Tips for Schools

service learning world handsHow can schools engage students in meaningful learning opportunities through community service ? Community service and learning differs from community service or volunteering in that it has learning and reflective components.

According to Wilczenski and Coomey (2007), community service learning not only involves engaging students for some common good and using the skills and energy of students to address real-life issues (service) but also engaging the students in thinking about the larger issues associated with the service (learning) and exploring meaning and knowledge associated with the experience using critical thinking skills (reflection).

Research
 The Search Institute provides some of the most extensive research on how service learning supports children’s development. In their “Assets Builder’s Guide to Service Learning” (2000), service learning can influence the following: supportive and caring relationships, a sense of empowerment, an understanding of boundaries and limitations, a constructive use of time, a commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies and a positive identity. For the recipients of the service, it meets real needs and provides an opportunity to engage with young people. For the wider community, service learning provides the opportunity to showcase youth as capable, caring and able to address community needs and helps in developing future citizens who care about their communities.

Tips for service learning in schools

  1. Involve the students in deciding what needs to be addressed in the community and solutions for change. Encourage students to be part of engaging community members to identify their needs, to plan the service and consider the reflection exercises. Ensure the service is wanted by the community, is age appropriate and well organized.
  2. Choose a service that supports and enhances curriculum standards. For example, a recycling project may be linked with health, biology or science and technology. Clearly identify goals for student learning with how the service is conducted.
  3. Identify how participation in the service is linked to the student’s social, emotional and academic growth. The learning component may include questions such as: what is an individual’s responsibility to… (the earth, other people, civil society)? What other solutions would work or complement the service? What impact did the service have on others? What values does the service promote? What impact did the service have on the student, his/her friends or family?
  4. Use the opportunity to teach the students how to measure the impact of the service. This may involve training in giving surveys, interviews or recording behavior of the service recipients and the larger community.
  5. Ensure opportunities for reflective exercises are provided throughout the service project. Discuss at the beginning of the service what might be expected from others and how the project might change their own thinking.
    viagra order canada discover for more Hence it is used in diseases which occur due to vitiation of vata. They brand cialis 20mg believe sex is a powerful weapon to keep a relationship positive and durable and if they fail to get ejaculate. You do not have cialis generico uk to say good-bye to your sex life. Wither you can visit the store and get the viagra sale india or Herbal cialis in a package with absolutely no indication of what’s inside. Use a method for tracking student thinking and progress such as journaling or photo essaying. Discuss experiences, successes, and difficulties for the group and from a personal perspective. Think about how the service has made a difference and can be continued or enhanced. Discuss how the results of the service will be presented and to whom. Explore how service activities are linked to student learning and potential careers.
  6. Plan for inclusion of all students, regardless of exceptionality or ability. Determine how to equitably involve students with disabilities or impairments. This may involve prior planning for travel, assistant support, one-on-one opportunities for learning or reflection or determining a valued role that meshes with the student’s strengths.

Resources
The National Service-Learning Clearinghouse (NSLC) offers high-quality, practical resources to aid in the development and implementation of service-learning programs, including information for parents, teachers and students.

The Complete Guide to Service Learning: Proven, Practical Ways to Engage Students in Civic Responsibility, Academic Curriculum, & Social Action.

The Institute for Global Education and Service Learning (IGESL), a non-profit training organization which creates service learning programs and initiates activity based education in collaboration with schools and organizations around the world. Provides information such as toolkits, guidebooks and student portfolios.

The Kid’s Guide to Service Projects: Over 500 Service Ideas for Young People Who Want to Make a Difference.

Service-learning: empowering students with special needs. Article describing how students with special needs can make a difference and be empowered by service learning.

Child Friendly Communities

Child Friendly Communities

20140820_141547Child Friendly Communities: Background and Definitions

 The phrase ‘child friendly’ has come to mean many things: restaurants who serve families, safety-proofed environments for babies, toys without lead, and community design, development and planning that promotes child wellness. Although all are important for children, the last example is the focus of this post. The child friendly cities movement is a world-wide initiative to build and evaluate environments that promote child-environment congruence (UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, 2004, 2007). This movement evolved from the global commitment to improve child well-being, particularly, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1989). See previous post for a description of this international legal agreement.Launched in 1996, the Child Friendly Cities movement was based on a resolution passed during the second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, to make cities livable places for all, particularly children. A Child Friendly City or Community is actively engaged in fulfilling the right of every young citizen to:

  • Influence decisions about their city
  • Express their opinion on the city they want
  • Participate in family, community and social life
  • Receive basic services such as health care and education
  • Drink safe water and have access to proper sanitation
  • Be protected from exploitation, violence and abuse
  • Walk safely in the streets on their own
  • Meet friends and play
  • Have green spaces for plants and animals
  • Live in an unpolluted environment
  • Participate in cultural and social events

    Staying away from alcohol and smoking greatly decreases the pharmacy canada cialis chances of heart diseases, lessen depression. Avoid taking a diet which contains oil levitra 40mg and cheese. Urinary infection causes cheap soft viagra pdxcommercial.com a lot of uneasiness to the patient. What then? There are many sales cialis pdxcommercial.com other drugs that serve the same purpose.

  • Be an equal citizen of their city with access to every service, regardless of ethnic origin, religion, income, gender or disability (UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, 2007).

Actually, when you think of it, cities and communities that are safe, unpolluted, have green spaces, promote equality, support empowerment and provide basic services are good for everyone; children, adults, the elderly and individuals with disabilities.

The evidence linking health and environmental interaction is mounting rapidly. Health, as defined by the World Health Organization “is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (World Health Organization, 2007). Communities that are not safe, do not have green spaces and inhibit physical activity and social interactions are not healthy and negatively affect children and adults alike.

Research and Policy Implications
For instance, there is an epidemic of childhood obesity in many developed nations and the research is finding that our communities are partly to blame (Basrur, 2004; Pouliou & Elliott, 2009). Being obese increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease and hypertension and has the potential for negative influences on one’s psychosocial state and quality of life (Raine, 2004). Basrur (2004) concludes that more than half of Canada’s youth are not active enough for optimal growth and development, in part due to increased screen time, less time interacting with the natural environment or exploring and moving about in their communities.

Michelle Obama, the First Lady of The United States, has recently worked with the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity to identify 70 recommendations to reduce childhood obesity. The recommendations relate to early childhood care, supporting parents and caregivers, providing access to healthier food in schools, access to healthy, affordable food, and increasing physical activity. The following recommendations support Child Friendly Communities:

  • Considering transportation that enhances livability and physical activity
  • Developing guidelines and plans for promoting safe walking and bike riding to school, parks, libraries, transit, and recreation centres
  • Increasing the number of safe and accessible parks, playgrounds, forests, national parks and refuge lands
  • Increasing children’s access to community recreation facilities
  • Creating and supporting school gardens
  • Promoting access to healthy food, particularly in underserved communities

Along with addressing obesity, many of the recommendations are likely to improve kids’ cognitive, emotional and social health. For example, adding green spaces such as parks and natural areas has shown to promote more outdoor play and enhance positive social interactions among children (Moore, 1986). Kaplan and Kaplan (1989) found that natural settings are more restorative, reduce cognitive fatigue and enhance positive affect. As well, in natural settings, children engage in more creative play (Faber Taylor, Wiley, Kuo, & Sullivan, 2001; Kirby, 1989), and develop better motor skills (Fjortoft, 2004). Natural settings have also been shown to enhance attention (Wells, 2000) and reduce symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Kuo & Faber Taylor, 2004). Watch this blog and Kids Helping Communities for more information and research on other environmental influences on children’s health.

For more information on the importance of nature for children see
Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.

References
Basrur, S. (2004). Chief Medical Officer of Health Report: Healthy Weights, Healthy Lives. Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care: Toronto, Ontario.

Faber Taylor, A., Kuo, F., & Sullivan, W. (2001). Coping with ADD: The surprising connects to green play settings. Environmental Behavior, 33, 54-77.

Fjortoft, I. (2004). Landscape as playscape: The effects of natural environments on children’s play     and motor development, Children, Youth and Environments, 14(2), 21-44.

Kaplan, R. & Kaplan., S. (1989). The Experience of Nature. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Kirby, M. (1989). Nature as refuge in children’s environments. Children’s Environments Quarterly, 6(1), 7-12.

Kuo , F. & Faber Taylor, A. (2004). A potential natural Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Evidence from a national study. American Journal of Public Health, 94(9), 1580 – 1586.

Louv, R. (2005). Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder. New York, NY: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill.

Moore, R.C. (1986). Childhood’s Domain: Play and Place in Child Development. London: Croom Helm.

Pouliou, T., & Elliott, S.J. (2009). Individual and socio-environmental determinants of overweight and obesity in Urban Canada. Health & Place, doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2009.11.011.

Raine, K.D. (2004). Overweight and obesity in Canada: a population health perspective. Canadian Population Health Initiative and Canadian Institute for Health Information, Ottawa, ON, Canada.

UNICEF (2007). Child Friendly Cities, http://www.childfriendlycities.org/ [accessed on: January 11, 2009].

UNICEF: Innocenti Research Centre (2004). Building Child Friendly Cities: A framework for action. UNICEF Florence, Italy.

Wells, N.M. (2000). At home with nature: Effects of “greenness” on children’s cognitive functioning. Environment and Behavior 32(6), 775-795.

World Health Organization (2007). Constitution of the World Health Organization: Basic Documents. 46th ed. Geneva, Switzerland.

Services

Services

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Balancing Community Needs and Assets

Balancing Community Needs and Assets

assets map

 

Qualitative and quantitative approaches are used to evaluate community impacts of the physical environment, community cohesion and programs and services.  These include:

 

 

  •  Surveys
  • Population level data analyses
  • Community level data analyses
  • Photo essaying/PhotoVoice
  • Neighborhood tours (windshield and walking surveys)
  • Asset-based Community Mapping
  • Cognitive mapping
  • Focus groups
  • Town hall meetings
  • Group discussions
  • Key Informant interviews

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An example of a community-wide assessment conducted with children, youth and adults (parents, teachers, principals, social service workers, youth workers, health professionals and municipal government) is the Bowen Island Child and Youth Well-being Project. Multiple methods were used to ensure all voices had the opportunity to explain why their community was important to them, the issues that needed to be addressed and potential solutions for improvement. To see the process and results, click on the Community Report or the Publication- Living on a rural island: Children identify assets, problems and solutions for health and wellbeing

Nurturant Environments

Nurturant Environments

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