Reinforcing Community
What is a community? MIKE youth responded to that question as part of their virtual classroom this week. The youth and their mentors discovered the concept of community has many different meanings. The discussion question was inspired by an Oregon Department of Education (ODE) campaign, Elevating the Voices of Young People and Children. The campaign is geared toward youth defining their current situations and reactions to what’s happening around them.
MIKE youth at De La Salle North Catholic High School shared their ideas during their weekly Google Classroom. Health Teacher David Mickola coordinated with MIKE to embed the question into the lesson plan to encourage the youth to express their thoughts while schools remain closed.
Jacqueline shared that community is “a group of people that you can talk to, which is important because they can support you in many ways.” Chloe said community was “a group of people that you care about and build strength together—and can feel welcome.”
MIKE mentors helped reinforce the youth’s concepts of community by joining in the conversation. Then the youth flipped the lesson and began asking the mentors for their impressions about community.
William asked how the mentors were staying positive. Jimmy responded that he maintains a daily routine to help him realize his accomplishments. “I know how stir crazy it can be staying at home for so long,” said Jimmy. “Creating a schedule to be productive has really helped me stay positive. And exercising helps improve my mood.”
Liz asked her mentor Zoe what makes her happy about her community. Zoe responded how staying in contact with others helps. “I’ve been trying to stay in contact with my friends, many of whom had to leave campus due to the virus,” said Zoe, a student at Pacific University. “Talking to them always cheers me up!”
Nevajah may have summed up the concept of community the best. “I think community is important because we need people in our lives,” said Nevajah. “We were not meant to be distanced like this!”