Mikes Blog

Link to the article: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2557/Youth-Development-Programs.html I took inspiration from Emmas blog! I for some reason really enjoyed reading this article. This article really represents what a youth worker should be. I'm going to take some quotes that I thought were cool from the text and talk about them a bit.  "Until the mid-1800s, children were viewed as miniature adults who, without strict guidance from their families, would follow their natural inclination toward aggression, stubbornness, sinfulness, and idleness to their doom." I liked those quote because it shows since the 1800s how much youth has progressed. Youth has progressed a tremendous amount, now they're speaking for what they believe in and really changing the way the world works. Kids then often had to conform to the  social norm and were frowned upon whenever they spoke up.  "Youth development programs seek to improve the lives of children an...

I was able to attend Sojourns Christmas party last Wednesday. At the party people were able to decorate stockings, do arts and crafts, make hot cocoa, and eat cookies. The event turned out to be a huge success and it was partially in part to the youth that also volunteered at this event! The youth was showing how much they cared by baking cookies for all of us and we even had time to make stockings with them/talk with them about their stories. Conversations with the youth consisted of talking about their faith, talking about what they want to do with their lives, and what goals they had. It was great to see how willing they were to help and how prepared they were to take on the world in the future/now!

Throughout the course of the semester I have attended many on campus events that I haven't had a chance to really talk about. My most recent event was attending a Thanksgiving event for Sojourn Collegiate Ministry. Sojourn is a group I hold close to my heart and have invested a lot of time in growing their brand on campus because I believe in what they do. I attended their Thanksgiving dinner that they host for college students and I had a great time. Throughout my time at the event I got to eat good food, have good laughs, and dance. But, many people didn't recognize the youth working in the background that helped this event really shine. I noticed that there was a group of middle school/high school students that were helping distribute the food in a line. They were volunteering their time and it really showed me how much they cared and wanted to care for other people. This was just something cool that I recognized when I was at the dinner!