21st Century Community Learning Centers Annual Statewide Out-of-School Time Conference November 2, 2014

21st Century Community Learning Centers Annual Statewide Out-of-School Time Conference November 2, 2014

OUTCOMES   Engage in presentation, discussion, and activity to consider why it is important to intentionally develop a sense of community and what that looks like in an afterschool program.   Explore personal, philosophical, professional, and ethical reasons for intentionally creating a safe and supportive afterschool environment.   Empower ourselves to be intentionally inviting in our programs.

We are here

Think about young people with whom you work. Now think of them 20 years in the future. What skills, qualities, and attributes do you want them to have 20 years from now?

ACTIVE AT PEACE CARING COMPASSIONATE CONFIDENT CONTRIBUTOR CREATIVE CRITICAL THINKER EMPATHETIC EMPLOYED FORGIVING GENEROUS GET ALONG W/ OTHERS GOOD COMMUNICATOR GOOD PARENTS HAPPY HEALTHY HONEST INDEPENDENT INTEGRITY LITERATE LOYAL MOTIVATED PATIENT PERSEVERENCE POSITIVE ATTITUDE PROBLEM SOLVERS PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS RELIABLE RESILIENT RESOURCEFUL RESPECT RESPONSIBLE SELF DIRECTED SELF ESTEEM SELF RESPECT SELF SUFFICIENT SENSE OF HUMOR SUCCESSFUL WELL-INFORMED VISION

Why a Sense of Community in an Afterschool Setting?

THE SYSTEM

Learning & emotions are intertwined (see amygdala) TRAUMA

Fight, Flight, Freeze inhibits learning and the development healthy of relationships TRAUMA

Fear, embarrassment, frustration, boredom… …can trigger fight, flight, freeze TRAUMA

EXPERIENCE IS PRICELESS

WHAT IS A Sense of Community?

CONTAINER CONCEPT

Not all Containers are Alike

We Have Choices… We have Influence… What are the qualities of the containers in your program?

How do we create a safe and inviting container?

Sense of Community Elements McMillan & Chavis  MEMBERSHIP: Sense of belonging  INFLUENCE: You matter, have a say in what happens  INTEGRATION & FULFILLMENT OF NEEDS: Giving and receiving help & support  SHARED EMOTIONAL CONNECTION: Sharing history and experiences, trust

Internal Focus  Actions based on beliefs  Always evolving  Invitational Education

What do you believe? What are your principles? What do you stand for?

People and environments are never neutral. They are either summoning or shunning the development of human potential. ~ Purkey & Novak, Inviting School Success

INVITATIONAL EDUCATION INTENTIONALLYUNINTENTIONALLY INVITINGINTENTIONALLY INVITING UNINTENTIONALLY INVITING DISINVITINGINTENTIONALLY DISINVITING UNINTENTIONALLY DISINVITING

INVITATIONAL EDUCATION INTENTIONALLYUNINTENTIONALLY INVITINGINTENTIONALLY INVITING UNINTENTIONALLY INVITING DISINVITINGINTENTIONALLY DISINVITING UNINTENTIONALLY DISINVITING How are you intentionally inviting? How could you be more so?

External  Creating the container, group dynamics  Intentional Process that creates the conditions for a sense of community to develop

Sense of Community Elements McMillan & Chavis  MEMBERSHIP: Sense of belonging  INFLUENCE: You matter, have a say in what happens  INTEGRATION & FULFILLMENT OF NEEDS: Giving and receiving help & support  SHARED EMOTIONAL CONNECTION: Sharing history and experiences, trust

CONDITIONS FOR CREATING A SENSE OF COMMUNITY  INTENTIONALITY  SAFE AND TRUSTING ENVIRONMENT  BALANCING “ME” & “WE”  OWNERSHIP  POSITIVITY

INFLUENCE Safe & Trusting Environment Intentionality Balancing “me” & “we” Ownership SHARED EMOTIONAL CONNECTION INTEGRATION & FULFILLMENT OF NEEDS MEM BERS HIP Positivity

Rules & Expectations  External  Enforced  Safety  Respect General Program/Community rules Specific Progam rules Non-negotiable Always in Place

Agreements & Contracts  Internal  Ownership  Rights  Responsibilities Agreed Upon Important to the Group Negotiable Open to Change as Group Evolves

RulesAgreements  External  Enforced  Safety  Respect  Internal  Ownership  Rights  Responsibilities General Program/Commun ity rules Specific Program rules Non-negotiable Always in Place Agreed Upon Important to the Group Negotiable Open to Change as Group Evolves

It is important to hold in mind … that the person – that center of choice – develops in his/her fullness to a degree he/she is a member of a live community. ~ Maxine Greene (1988) The Dialectic of Freedom

“I am because we are.” African Proverb "Yo soy porque nosotros somos”. Proverbio Africano

Laurie Frank GOAL Consulting To download this PowerPoint: