Since I am FINALLY ready to get back into the routine with the small but mighty group of Hope Kids that I worked with last year, I gave each of them a call last night. The first young lady shouted YIPEE when I told her I would be out Wednesday at lunch to start planning Hope-Focused Community Service projects with her and her group. I thought that was pretty cool.
However, it was during my conversation with the fourth Hope Kid that I nearly fell off my chair.
She calmly informed me that the girls had been meeting on our regular weekday since the beginning of the school year. When I asked what they have been doing, she said, "Well we've been brainstorming ideas for projects and how to get started." Her comment reminded me what they told me last year toward the end of our time together. That was that they were committed to our work together because they were in charge of the hope-focused projects ~ most importantly that their voice counted. Since one of the essential elements of the HOPE KIDS programs (Hope-focused Service-learning and Hope-Focused Community Service) is student voice, I was pretty pleased.
I am, as you can tell ecstatic, to know that so much more happens when we enable children and youth to be more in charge of their learning. I am learning so much from these amazing young ladies. I am sure I will have much more to share with you in the very near future.
In the meantime, I would like to thank the St. Albert Rotary Club, The St. Albert Gazette, St. Albert Family and Community Social Services, TD Trust and the Million Dollar Round Table for their past support in making this particular HOPE KIDS program a reality.
