Thursday, August 30, 2012

Bullyproofing Any Child

Written by: Olivia Roney, MCCOY Board Member


Hello, blog readers! Olivia Roney, MCCOY board member, here to share some insight on how to bullyproof any child. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a coach or any other individual that is in contact with children, I hope you find this information to be helpful. Disclaimer: I have no children and was not bullied as a child. I wasn’t bulled as a child not because I was “cool”—in fact my daily attire of flowered knee-length jean shorts and hiking boots would most likely lead any child to being picked on—I probably wasn’t bullied because I was homeschooled. So why would I, 25 year old, previously homeschooled, childless, MCCOY board member choose to blog about the topic of bullying? Simple. I own Crouching Tigers Martial Arts. My mobile company travels to daycare centers, preschools and public and private elementary schools to instruct over 1,000 children each year with a mission to make every one of our students bullyproof. I like to think that we’ve been successful thus far.

When you look at the big picture of bullying, you typically see two things: a bully and the child being bullied. As easy as it is to begin pointing fingers at parents of the bully, demanding a safe school environment or thinking about homeschooling, take a step back and look at the big picture. 

One of the main themes throughout the curriculum that I write for Crouching Tigers is confidence. Sounds easy, right? Martial arts and confidence seem to go hand-in-hand. In fact, martial arts is one of the only reasons that I became a somewhat confident child throughout an interesting and often difficult childhood. Our lessons are based on teaching children to believe in themselves. The truth is this, when children believe in themselves they are neither the bully nor the bullied. Children that have confidence are, instead, the ones that excel both academically and physically. So do you need to enroll a child in a martial arts class to build their confidence? No, but if you do, you should definitely enroll them in Crouching Tigers! Here are some tips on how to build a child’s confidence in any environment:

  •  Positive encouragement- it is easy to call out a child for doing something incorrectly. Try instead, complimenting them on doing something correctly. If you are a teacher or in a setting with many children, spot light just one child and have everyone turn their eyes on the child doing well. I especially love this drill for a child that is uncertain of whether or not they are doing something correctly. You can spot this child easily-looking around at other children, shoulders up, head down and hoping for your approval. 
  • Support- children need to know that you are someone that can be trusted. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a tutor, coach, etc. you need to build that relationship with the child. I have found through my years of working with children that they respond very well to an authority first-friend-second approach to the relationship. The “you should have respect for me as a (insert title) but we’re still friends and you can talk to me about anything” kind of approach. 
  •  Accomplishment- many children need that sense of accomplishment to believe in themselves. This is why martial arts has been so successful in building the confidence of children. From learning new forms to breaking boards to earning new belts, children are constantly accomplishing goals themselves. Martial arts is an independent activity- meaning you excel based on you and you alone. Teammates are not there to build you up, drag you down or most importantly to be blamed for either success or failure. Allow children to participate in independent activities. Can you think of any activities that put the child in a place to control the outcome? 
  •  Education (for younger children)- it is important to educate children on how to handle situations that may arise at any time. For our younger students, we teach the “ignore until threatened” approach to handling bullies. If a child is being verbally bulled by another child, we teach them to walk away. When the threats get more severe, we teach children to talk to parents and teachers instead of trying to handle the bully alone. Remind a child that bullies often say things that are not true and question them on why they are hurt by the comments. 
  •  Education with a hint of sarcasm (for older children)- I typically reserve this lesson for my older students- elementary age and up. Some children will pick up this lesson naturally while some can use some coaxing. Admittedly, I am an incredibly sarcastic person by nature (in case you haven’t already noticed). When picked on by my older brother for my clothing, my braces or my “poodle looking” haircut, I often fired back with sarcasm, putting him in a weird position. Here are some of the scenarios that I like to put children in as a way to teach the correct reaction:
Instructor playing “bully”: You smell
Child: Oh really? Thank you for noticing!
Instructor playing “bully”: Your clothes are ugly
Child: Why thank you! That is what I was going for! 

It may sound strange to teach this sarcastic approach at such a young age but trust me, it works! Responses like these put “bullies” in a very weird position that make them unable to respond. “Was I giving him/her a compliment?” is the thought that will run through the bully’s head, by that time, the “bullied” child has laughed it off and walked away. How was this child able to stump this bully? Confidence. It takes a confident child to find humor in this situation because a confident child knows that he/she doesn’t really smell and his/her clothes are not, in fact, ugly. Getting it now? Great!

Remember, building confidence is the first place to start bullyproofing any child.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Art. Wine. Shopping.



Written by: Stephanie Judge, MCCOY Board Member

Art. Wine. Shopping.

Sounds like a perfect evening to me.

MCCOY is hosting its sixth annual Art of Youth celebration on Thursday, September 27, from 6-9 p.m. at the Indianapolis Art Center and I’d love to see you there.

The evening is a celebration of youth which is, frankly, what we’re all about. 

Nicole Pence from WTHR is our host for this evening of fun.  There will be youth musicians, with separate sections for both jazz and classical lovers.  The Cathedral High School Jazz Ensemble, along with woodwind and string quintets from the Symphonic Youth Orchestra of Greater Indianapolis, will be performing.

You can sip wine and enjoy culinary creations from the Indiana Chef’s Academy.  There’s a wine pull and a silent auction with items including art classes, a yoga package, photography sessions, and tickets to the Big 10 Championship, Pacers, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Clowes Memorial Hall, Phoenix Theatre, Warren Performing Arts Center and more.

New this year—MCCOY is honoring a Hero of Youth.  This recognition will highlight the work, commitment and service of Central Indiana professionals that are on the front lines, helping the young people in our community. 

Join us for this special evening of art, wine and shopping.  And more importantly, helping youth in our community.  Tickets are available at artofyouth.org.

P.S.  I’ll see you at the silent auction.  Don’t even try to outbid me. 

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Summer "Learning" Programming


Written by: John Brandon - Executive Director, MCCOY, Inc.

We focus a lot on the “academic learning” that takes place in summer programming—and rightly so because the research shows the “slide” backwards that can take place for so many children and youth who are not involved in high quality summer experiences.  But there are many other areas in which young people grow in summer programs as well, other skills that are honed, developed, and challenged during the course of the summer break.  One of those areas that was recently brought home to me was the development of the skills and knowledge it takes to work in a summer youth program.

In Indianapolis, summer youth programs employ young people ages 16-21 as junior counselors, program assistants, and activity assistants.  For many of them, this is the first experience of the world of work and having to measure up the expectations of an employer for the first time.  On top of that, their first job has put them into a position of major responsibility because the happiness and well being of somewhere between 10 and 50 children depends upon them fulfilling their responsibilities at the highest possible level!  Talk about a high pressure learning experience!  Surely, no standardized test can be as tough as guiding ten 8 year olds through a spelling game when they would much rather be swimming.  With the guidance of their more experienced supervisors and co-workers, these fledgling youth development professionals learn how to be adaptable to changing circumstances, like the guest speaker not showing up; they hone their crowd management skills when the electricity goes out during a storm; and they use critical thinking skills when the directions given to the bus driver leads them to the wrong city park.

China Duff, a student at North Carolina State University spent her summer working in a local youth program, told me, “I learned that it all come down to building trust with youth.  You really have to take the time to get all the children that you work with to trust and believe in you.  Once the child can trust and believe you, they will give you the respect you want and the time together with them will be so much richer both for them and for you.  Working with the children this summer has taught me that I truly belong working with children and want to help as many children as I can.”

Sounds like her summer was truly a great learning experience. Learn more about the importance of summer learning experiences for youth at summerlearning.org.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals



Last Wednesday marked the first day that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) accepted applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Process. “Deferred Action” is the term used to describe when the Department of Homeland Security agrees not to initiate removal or deportation proceedings against an individual or not to execute an order of removal.

On June 15 of this year, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, issued a Memorandum to US Immigration Agencies detailing a Prosecutorial Discretion with Respect to Individuals Who Came to the United States as Children. Under this Discretion, individuals who qualify under “deferred action” will not be removed from the United States for an initial period of two years and will have the opportunity to apply for employment authorization, enabling them to apply for a SSN, and in some states, a state identification/and or driver’s license.  

 Here are the five requirements for qualifying:     
  1. Applicant must have arrived in the United States before turning 16 years old. 
  2. Must have continuously resided in the United States for at least five years immediately preceding, and have been physically present in the United States on 15, June 2012. 
  3. Applicant must be currently in school, have graduated from high school, working towards or have obtained a General Education Degree (GED), or must be an honorably discharged veteran of the US Coast Guard or Armed Forces in the US.  
  4.  Applicant must not have a conviction for a felony offense, a substantial misdemeanor offense, or multiple misdemeanor offenses.
  5. Applicant must not be above the age of 30 years old.
Speaking to the IPS Latino Resources Roundtable Group last week, local attorney Angela Adams, highly encourages individuals who believe they qualify to contact a competent immigration attorney who is registered under the American Immigration Lawyers Association. 

For more details and recommendations for prospective applicants, watch this video featured on the USCIS Website.

 

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Interim Study Committees Meet about Youth Issues



 With summer nearing an end, the General Assembly’s interim study committees are just starting to heat up.  The Select Commission on Education has met six times since late April and have been studying and hearing public testimony on issues related to the state’s A-F grading system of schools, turnaround academies, public schools ability to disannex from their existing school corporation, and the proportions on what is considered instructional and noninstructional spending by public schools.  At their next meeting on August 14, the commission will study the implementation of policies surrounding teacher evaluations and licensing.  They will also meet two more times – September 4 & 19.  Please check the General Assembly’s website for specific agendas, times and location of these meetings.

Other committees have begun posting their meetings, including the Commission on Developmental Disabilities, Commission on Autism, Interim Study Committee on Driver Education, Committee on Child Care (the first posted meeting has been cancelled), Child Custody & Support Committee, Criminal Law and Sentencing Policy Study Committee, and the Health Finance Commission.  The full calendar of meetings is available on the General Assembly’s website.  MCCOY will be following most of the above-listed committees for issues relevant to our policy priorities.

One issue of importance to MCCOY was not assigned to be studied this summer – HEA1169 School discipline (Koch – R-Bedford).  Mindi Goodpaster worked with the education committee of the Children’s Coalition of Indiana (CCI) to organize the Bullying in Indiana mini-symposium on July 26.  This event, the first of its kind for the CCI, was a huge success.  The symposium featured three expert panels addressing the issues of defining bullying and cyberbullying within Indiana’s current statute; school discipline policies related to bullying and the intersection with First Amendment rights; and best practices related to both school and state level policy.  The panelists included:

·       Dr. David Estell, Associate Professor, Indiana University
·       Joel Hand, Attorney & Public Policy Director for BullySafe Indiana
·       Anita Carpenter, CEO, Indiana Coalition Against Sexual Assault
·       Gavin Rose, Attorney, ACLU-IN
·       Seamus Boyce, Partner, Church Church Hittle & Antrim
·       David J. Emmert, General Counsel, Indiana School Board        Association
·       Marilyn Leatherman, Washington Township School Principal (Retired)
·       Dee Kempson, School Social Work Consultant, Indiana Department of Education
·       Representative Eric Koch (R-Bedford)
·       Representative Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis)

The Children’s Coalition and MCCOY hope to continue the dialogue begun at this event in preparation for the upcoming legislative session.  Both CCI and MCCOY will adopt the topic of bullying as one of their policy priorities and are committed to working with the legislature to develop policies that keep the children of Indiana safe.  For more information on how to get involved, contact Mindi Goodpaster mindi.goodpaster@mccoyouth.org.

August Champion for Youth: Jennifer Nelson

What is your profession or vocation? 

Ministry Administrator/ Community Outreach Coordinator at Edna Martin Christin Center




How are you an Everyday Champion for Youth?  



I developed a pre-school program that focuses on kindergarten readiness with an affordable rate for everyday working parents.  The program accepts students 2-5 years old and is open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.  The curriculum focuses on reading, math, social studies, science, and social skills along with the basics needed to do well in school.  Our mission is to inspire our children to live God-centered lives so we have daily bible lessons and devotions with them.  The classrooms all have low student teacher ratios and the teachers attend regular trainings for enrichment to assure that we are providing the best and up to date care and procedures possible.  Our ministry is not just a Christian based program, but one designed to instill our students with morals and a love for exceeding academically.    



What impact do you hope to make on youth?  

I hope that this ministry will be a memorable experience for the students and the parents.  We must instill morals while children are young. We  also must understand that the things we are teaching them now are the things that will set the bar for their development in the future.  Being here is definitely a place where we can do that.  We have all the support that the parents will need from social services to just being a shoulder to lean on.  I hope that we can touch some lives and that all our students succeed in to the highest of their ability and take all the knowledge from their experience being here with us all the way to adulthood.





What's one thing that you wish an adult had told you when you were a young person?  

I wish someone would have told me that places like the Edna Martin Christian Center existed.  I didn’t know anything about not for profit organizations so this was my first experience even being at one. If I would have known about this place sooner I would have been here a long time ago.





What do you want to do next to support youth?

My next project will be expanding the pre-K youth programs when  we move to 37 Place in the fall.  When we make the move I want to reach out to more of our young parents and see what we can do to be a support to them.


 


Do you work directly with youth?

Yes


What percentage of your time is spent working directly with youth or families?

100%