WE HAVE A FUTURE TO PROTECT

As teachers and parents of youth today, we must impress upon our youth the need for positive life skills development. We must all believe that there is a bright future to protect and find ways to do so.

Recently a report called THE TROUBLED JOURNEY developed a list of suggestions that will enable our youth to strengthen their talents, develop appropriate skills for living, and build internal and external assets that will protect them now and in the future. Listed below are a few of the suggestions:

• Take time to ask youths at least one personal question every time you meet with them.

• Nurture a sense of school ownership in youth by involving them in decision making about relevant issues.

• Set and enforce clear expectations for behavior.

• Set limits on how often youth can go out with friends during the school week.

• Set limits of 15 hours or less a week for jobs during the school year.

• Affirm positive friendships by talking with your youth about their friends.

• Sponsor diverse activities to reach under-served youth.

• Create a clearinghouse of community youth activities.

• Model mutual respect in the family and in the classroom.

• Encourage students to express their beliefs in the classroom and in writing without fear of being put down.

• Let young people make decisions in programming and in special projects.

• Respect and celebrate a youth's uniqueness.

• Infuse service into the school curriculum so students address world concerns through classes.

• Use teaching styles that promote interaction and friendship building.

• Teach youths to handle criticism in constructive ways.

• Encourage and support students in pursuing their own dreams.

• Teach basic study skills to youth who may not have developed them.

• Teach and model appropriate ways to show affection.

• Create opportunities that allow students to express their attitudes toward sexuality.

• Stress cooperation over competition.

• Find ways for youth to affirm and support each other in positive choices.

• Encourage and support youth to take reasonable personal risks to help other people.