Nick Jackson, City Year Nick Jackson, City Year SeattleSeattleInterview about Nick’s experiences working with middle school youth in Seattle for 2 yearsJuly 2010
Copyright Diana Weisner 2010
IntroIntroCity Year– nonprofit—volunteer a year of
service. Participants from 17-24. 1in 4 make it through the interview process
Goal: to curb the drop out rate of high school students, targeting groups as young as elementary level
Looking at factors of: ◦ Attendance◦ Behavior ◦ Course Load
Copyright Diana Weisner 2010
BackgroundBackgroundNick worked with a specific program
called Getting Youth Beyond Barriers in Schools (GYBBIS)◦An alternative to suspension program the
used life skills workshops, built around pillars
◦Pillars Empowerment Community Service Academics Positive Self-Identity Conflict Resolution Healthy Lifestyles
Copyright Diana Weisner 2010
GYBBIS Started…GYBBIS Started…After noticing that the HS students
coming out of a juvenile correction programs were influencing the middle school students coming out of the same program
GYBBIS was started specifically to separate the middle schoolers to meet their needs—By Donald Felder
Grant from Microsoft made it possible to integrate within school system
Copyright Diana Weisner 2010
Positive Example of Applied Positive Example of Applied Experiential ToolsExperiential ToolsWorked in a diverse area of
SeattleIssue: Students not getting along
due to cultural differences◦Specifically between African-American
and African studentsLanguage BarrierUsing curriculum to break the ice
◦Positive Self-Identity—to find common ground
Copyright Diana Weisner 2010
Positive Example of Applied Positive Example of Applied Experiential Tools Cont’dExperiential Tools Cont’dActive workshop– re-enactment of
causal situation ◦To brainstorm the situation
To find solutions that didn’t make any sense and solutions that make a lot of sense
Before they act out a good solution—they discuss it, why action is associated with emotion
◦Breakthrough: through this activity, the African student and the African-American student realized that language was keeping them from connecting
Copyright Diana Weisner 2010
Example of Experiential tools Example of Experiential tools not completing the not completing the breakthroughbreakthroughStudent from Mexico– did not speak a lot of
EnglishStruggled in schoolBehavior problems Issue: behavior problems in class cause Daniel to
be repeatedly sent to GYBBISTools used to try to make that connection with
Daniel◦ Helping him process the agreements of the program◦ Negotiated with student about allowing a reward (a few
minutes of soccer in exchange for doing homework)Outside factors: Daniel has started hanging out
with a tough crowd
Copyright Diana Weisner 2010
Example of Experiential tools Example of Experiential tools not completing the not completing the breakthrough cont’dbreakthrough cont’d Morning circle ritual
◦ Daniel completes the ritual in complete Spanish, causing a language barrier between staff and himself
During homework time, Daniel becomes noncompliant◦ Tools used:
Staff explore Options A: work B: go sit in the office C. call parents
◦ Daniel complies for a while◦ Tools used:
Staff states that they will come sit next to him to help him focus
◦ Daniel complies for a while◦ Tools used:
Spanish-speaking staff goes to ask Daniel what help he needs◦ Daniel states he doesn’t want to do the work◦ Tools used:
Staff explains the consequences of not doing homework over the long term Breakthrough
◦ Daniel responds and complies with task Outside factors: starts to hang out with gang members When Daniel returned—he was completely noncompliant
Copyright Diana Weisner 2010
Why didn’t the experiential Why didn’t the experiential tools work?tools work?Even with personal relationships
with staff, examinations of long-term effects of decisions, and negotiating
Outside factors lead to increasing Daniel’s focusing issues
Sometimes it doesn’t work out—the hard part about working with youth—especially youth in at-risk populations
Copyright Diana Weisner 2010
Tools of Effectively working Tools of Effectively working with peoplewith people Ways to call attention—hands up
◦ If I put my hand up, everyone puts their hand up No two-way zone—in a discussion
◦ No one speaks twice until everyone has spoken once-requires everyone to participate and no one to dominate
Curriculum planning◦ Using goals and objectives to plan successful activities◦ Using scaffolding—activities that build upon each other
Making sure everyone can see each other◦ Sitting in a horseshoe or circle
Declaring safe space◦ Confirming rules of confidentiality
Watching Body Language/Word choice Empowerment
◦ Talking about explanations behind actions◦ Listening to opinions
Asking Questions/Making them feel like experts
Copyright Diana Weisner 2010
Nick’s Response to How Nick’s Response to How Middle schoolers thinkMiddle schoolers thinkSocial pressures and lack of
experience played large roles in their decisions
The Frontal Cortex develops through experiences
Middle Schoolers know how to push buttons and grasped emotions
The range of emotions the youth were exposed to were very large-due to the area they grew up in
However, instinct to fight was very normal
Copyright Diana Weisner 2010
Diana mentions Herd Diana mentions Herd MentalityMentality Daniel Goldman, in "Vital Lies, simple truths, the
psychology of self-deception" (Bloomsbury 1997) identifies the essential importance of such role playing to members of groups.
Goldman says, "Self-deception operates both at the level of the individual mind, and in the collective awareness of the group. To belong to a group of any sort, the tacit price of membership is to agree not to notice one's own feelings of uneasiness and misgivings, and certainly not to question anything that challenges the group's way of doing things." Wilfred Bion described the group self as a "group mentality", that is a shared pool of the members' wishes, opinions, thoughts and emotions.
emotion circuitry diverges in the adolescent male and female brain under peer approval and rejection
Reference Website
Copyright Diana Weisner 2010
Concluding Thoughts?Concluding Thoughts?Subject engaging-Talking Topics
◦Ask about what they’re interested◦To know about popular
culture/fashion◦Make jokes to be included◦Learning the “lay of the land”—the
social structures◦Give them the power to explain◦Let them teach you something
Copyright Diana Weisner 2010
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