Global Youth Service Day KIDS H.O.P. Event April 20, 21, 22

Global Youth Service Day KIDS H.O.P. Event April 20, 21, 22

KIDS Helping Other People (Everyday)

What’s more powerful?  To bring hope to others…Or be the one who is given hope? This weekend, an event is taking place in Northfield that could positively impact your young child, grandchild, niece or nephew, or the kids who live in your own neighborhood.  Child-adult service partnership opportunities have the power to bring HOPE to many, and change to a community.  A choice made today for a child’s future tomorrow.

Dr. Chris Richardson, Superintendent of Northfield Public Schools emphasizes this point: "I believe strongly in the importance of engaging and involving our students from an early age in service to their community.  I believe that the KIDS H.O.P. event provides a wonderful opportunity for the students in Northfield to have a positive impact on their neighbors and neighborhoods."

KIDS H.O.P. - KIDS  Helping  Other  People, is an opportunity for young children to change the community they live in, and begin developing service-leadership and become service-oriented at a young age.  The Northfield KIDS H.O.P. event will take place this weekend, April 20-22, at the same time Global Youth Service Day is celebrated world-wide. GYSD is the largest and longest-running service event in the world, and the only day of service dedicated to children and youth. (gysd.org)

Sarah Swan McDonald, Service-Learning Coordinator for Northfield High School says, "The most spectacular moment is seeing young people, as young as 5 or 6 years old, now focused on what they can do as an individual to make a difference. Instantly, children feel empowerment and success as well as meaning in their own life and their life as it interacts with others.   In many ways, this is citizenship at its finest!"

The KIDS H.O.P. event will involve kindergarten, first and second grade youth, parents, grandparents, neighbors and community members working together to create youth-adult service partnerships.  Go to www.5thbridge.org for more information and to register.  Child must be registered to receive wristband.  

EASY STEPS: 1) Call a neighbor 2) Set up a time for child to help neighbor on GYSD weekend 3) REGISTER ONLINE at www.5thbridge.org - Child serves on GYSD weekend 4) Come to Bridge Square to get KIDS H.O.P. wristband and ice cream April 22 at 7pm. Children can help a parent if neighbor is unavailable.

Simon Tyler, Director of Prairie Creek Community School states, "Children learn best when they feel what they are doing is real.  I feel that service -- real service where children can see the impact of their work -- is the best way for them to learn how to be active citizens."  

KIDS H.O.P. involves Real neighbors and Real relationships.  Partnerships.  And also what young children love: Real rakes, brooms, rags to wash cars, (feather dusters, or silverware to put away).

Three of the top ten Developmental Assets identified by Search Institute, as building blocks for healthy youth development, can be found at the heart of the KIDS H.O.P. event: Other Adult Relationships, Caring Neighborhood, and Service to Others.  

From the perspective of a teacher, I have consistently observed a critical “window of time” during a child’s development in which young children are eager to help, and often ask, “Can I help?” As an elementary substitute teacher, my job takes me from one grade level to the next repeatedly. When asking, “Any volunteers?” in a kindergarten class, 25 hands go up!  In a first or second grade class, it is still a large majority.  As the grades get higher, the raised hands become fewer.  Or the question becomes, “Did anyone hear the question that was asked?”  

Where can we direct young children in their eagerness to help?  Are there opportunities in our own neighborhoods that would provide a place for children to begin serving others at a young age?  Something powerful happens in the life of a young child through opportunities to serve others and make a difference in someone else’s life. Empowerment comes to a child, often “in the moment” as they are serving.  Transformation happens, because children are engaging in something greater than themselves.  

Candy Taylor, Director of 5th Bridge believes, "Encouraging children to volunteer at a young age will build confidence in their own abilities; give them the satisfaction of a job well done; and will teach them the responsibility that we must all help each other."

From my experience with homeschooling my own children when they were young, and from teaching K-2 service-learning in public and private schools, I have consistently observed how confidence, responsibility and leadership develop at accelerated rates when young children begin engaging in service at a young age. Especially, service for adults.  I would be highly interested in learning how these three character traits increase within the lives of the young children who will be bringing change to our community through service. Children who continue weekly service with their adult-partners will experience greater growth.    

Laura Berdahl, Parent Liaison and Volunteer Coordinator for Greenvale Park Elementary explains, "Core Essentials is the character education program we are using at Greenvale Park.  This month we are learning about the value of HOPE, and in May, the character trait will be RESPONSIBILITY."  This ties in well with the values that KIDS H.O.P. affirms.

Recognizing the value of HOPE is significant. Whether bringing hope to others…or being the one who is given hope.  And most important of all…Hope will be given to children as they discover their own gifts and abilities, while giving to others.  Then our children will naturally give HOPE back to our community as we stand back and watch them teach us while they change the community we live in.

Mara Mangan, Director of Faith Formation at St. Dominic’s Church concludes, “Why not use Global Youth Service Weekend to receive community support in teaching our children the hope-filled joy in serving others?"  Register your child and their service-partner today at www.5thbridge.org. The “window of time” is now.

Written by Tari Atchison - community member, service-partner to Ethan, teacher, student: University of Minnesota Youth Development Leadership masters program Field Experience project