Youth Work at Pakuranga College
- Dec 31, 2014
- 2 min read
The work done by the youth workers in Pakuranga College is varied; they work with the youth in a range of different ways. One aspect of their work involves running the ’Strength’ and ‘Shine’ programmes with the students.
The Strength programme is run by Token Veloso who is the youth worker supported by the YCDT. This programme focuses on what it means to become a man with a focus on three core aspects; significance, resilience and courage.
Token reports that one of the year ten boys who went through the Strength programme started out very shy and isolated. It was clear that he was not comfortable with sharing in a group setting. His shyness seemed to be a hindrance to his ability to interact with others. During interval and lunch he would often be seen eating alone.
At the beginning of Strength, he was noticeably reserved and quiet. By week two he began to engage and open up to the group. He responded very positively to the idea that he has significance, value, and is unique. As Token connected with him outside of the group in the school yard, confidence grew in him. Each week, his behaviour and participation within the Strength group positively changed. It was great to watch this boy’s self-worth grow. He started to make new friends and was engaging with others during lunch and interval!
The Shine programme is the female equivalent of Strength. It is a self-worth programme that aims to improve young women's sense of identity through exploring the concepts of worth, strength and purpose. This programme is run by Ashley Balderston and Letitia Senior who are two other youth workers who are working in Pakuranga College.
Ashley reports that:
At the end of the programme, I have reflected on some of the progress with the students. As usual, Shine was a success. Working together with Letitia, we saw a bond of friendship form between the girls over the weeks. At the start, one of the personalities in the group was your stereotypical bully. It became clear to us that she was acting out this label. So we decided to give her a new role - she became responsible for writing everyone's ideas during our brainstorm discussions. Somehow, this responsibility shifted her mind-set and she became a group mediator of conflict and often drew the other girls back to the task when they got off topic. Towards the end of the programme this girl displayed some real insight into her own life and into the general experience of teenage girls on a level I never would have imagined at the beginning of the group.
Comments