Speaking of Youth...
After the first meeting of the Youth Advisory Council, I was convinced to change a few of the parameters surrounding the youth training opportunities here at ONDEG.
Firstly, what is "youth"? Any person under the age of 18 may be considered a youth member. The only requirement for youth is that they be currently enrolled in school. If someone under 18 decides to drop out of the educational system, I consider them to be making adult choices and they are subject to adult privileges, such as the privilege to be treated as such. Students who graduate early or complete their educational requirements before turning 18 will still be considered youth (in terms of fees) until their 18th birthday.
Second, the 3.0 GPA requirement was too restrictive and would have eliminated some youth from the program. A number of people stated that this type of program "might" be just what a kid needs in order to do better at other aspects of life, primarily academics. (I say "might", because it's not a guarantee that physical training will lead to better behavior or motivation, although I hope it will.) Instead, a youth member must present his grade point average at the beginning of every month, or as available from the school. It doesn't matter what the GPA is when the youth joins the program (today is the "official" start of this program), as long as the GPA continually improves. Just as with physical training, metrics can be tracked and improvement, even slight improvement, is always possible.
Third, membership fees. Since youth members will be participating in the same training as adults, I find it necessary to charge for their participation. Floorspace, equipment, supplies, utilities and trainers must all be paid for. Until a youth-specific group session can be justified, all youth will participate with the adults. The price per month is discounted by $20, therefore, the current rate for youth membership is $80.
Fourth, a mentor program. A "seasoned" and "knowledgeable" adult member may apply to mentor a youth member, essentially being a guide for safe and proper technique, journaling, progress and encouragement. This is done on a case-by-case basis, and must be cleared with the lead trainer.
The subject of scholarships will be discussed in a future post. For now, suffice it to say that I have a program in mind whereas a youth member may earn money in the form of contributions to a post-secondary education fund through documented accomplishment of goals . Some prerequisites to be eligible for the scholarship program would apply such as:
Firstly, what is "youth"? Any person under the age of 18 may be considered a youth member. The only requirement for youth is that they be currently enrolled in school. If someone under 18 decides to drop out of the educational system, I consider them to be making adult choices and they are subject to adult privileges, such as the privilege to be treated as such. Students who graduate early or complete their educational requirements before turning 18 will still be considered youth (in terms of fees) until their 18th birthday.
Second, the 3.0 GPA requirement was too restrictive and would have eliminated some youth from the program. A number of people stated that this type of program "might" be just what a kid needs in order to do better at other aspects of life, primarily academics. (I say "might", because it's not a guarantee that physical training will lead to better behavior or motivation, although I hope it will.) Instead, a youth member must present his grade point average at the beginning of every month, or as available from the school. It doesn't matter what the GPA is when the youth joins the program (today is the "official" start of this program), as long as the GPA continually improves. Just as with physical training, metrics can be tracked and improvement, even slight improvement, is always possible.
Third, membership fees. Since youth members will be participating in the same training as adults, I find it necessary to charge for their participation. Floorspace, equipment, supplies, utilities and trainers must all be paid for. Until a youth-specific group session can be justified, all youth will participate with the adults. The price per month is discounted by $20, therefore, the current rate for youth membership is $80.
Fourth, a mentor program. A "seasoned" and "knowledgeable" adult member may apply to mentor a youth member, essentially being a guide for safe and proper technique, journaling, progress and encouragement. This is done on a case-by-case basis, and must be cleared with the lead trainer.
The subject of scholarships will be discussed in a future post. For now, suffice it to say that I have a program in mind whereas a youth member may earn money in the form of contributions to a post-secondary education fund through documented accomplishment of goals . Some prerequisites to be eligible for the scholarship program would apply such as:
- consistent attendance, which would include mandatory training sessions specifically for the youth, hosted by trainers and special guests.
- demonstrated knowledge, practical application and written reports on the subjects of fueling, mobility, strength, stamina, coordination, recovery, mindset and sufferance.
- assignments and reports on relevant media (literature, video, audio).
- participation in optional field trips and special events.
- and of course, increased performance and documented progress.
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