environmental justice. The application (very simple) is due Tuesday.
If you are interested, see Ella Turenne in the Dean's Office. She's
coordinating the submission of Lang applications.
-Nevin "
Gulfsouth Summer Youth Action Corps
"Raising Up a New Generation of Leadership in the Gulfcoast Region"
a program developed
by Operation Reach Inc.
The Need
In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many publicly funded
services for youth were eliminated due to severe economic conditions.
As many families with children have returned to the City, and many
more are slated to return, concerns are growing regarding the
restoration of youth services and opportunities. Furthermore, the New
Orleans Recreation Department, the normal sponsor of youth programs,
incurred major damages to the majority of its facilities while also
surviving a 90% reduction in its staffing capacity. Therefore, City
sponsored youth programs will not be at full capacity for the Summer
of 2007.
As an alternative, the Gulfsouth Summer Youth Action Corps was
designed to help provide some relief by cutting the tremendous
overhead costs involved with staffing city-sponsored day camp sites by
providing energized, youthful, idealistic college student volunteers
from around the country that are eager to participate in rebuilding
efforts during the summer months. Hence, this public-private
partnership is designed to ensure opportunities for at least 300
middle school-age youth from around the City of New Orleans, while
also providing college students and middle-schoolers the opportunity
to learn and serve in the community.
Camp Overview
The Gulfsouth Summer Youth Action Corps is comprised of a national
network of college students who are dedicated to rebuilding youth
services and opportunities in the hurricane affected areas of the
Gulfcoast Region. Corps members commit to a summer of service that
will engage, inspire and empower local youth through the Gulfsouth
Summer Youth Action Camp. The Gulfsouth Summer Youth Action Camp is
an intensive 6-week long (beginning June 11th), holistic, cutting-
edge, youth leadership program designed for students entering grades
5-8 (middle school) that focuses on:
· Social Justice;
· Youth Empowerment;
· Community Diversity; and,
· Service-learning
The Gulfsouth Summer Youth Action Camp is a seriously fun camp that is
intellectually stimulating.
Corps Members Selection
The best and the brightest college students from around the country
are selected through a rigorous process to serve as teacher counselor
members of the Gulfsouth Summer Youth Action Camp. Teacher counselor
Corps members must complete a rigorous screening process prior to
being selected which consists of:
· Initial Application
· Two Letters of Recommendation
· Criminal Background Check
· Health Clearance Waiver
· Phone Interview
Applicants may apply online to fulfill positions within the camp.
Teacher counselor positions will require a primary focus on providing
quality instructional experiences for campers. There are also several
opportunities to apply for leadership positions; these teacher
counselor positions will teach as well as focus on site logistics,
coordination and communication among teacher counselors and Operation
Reach staff, and parent and community relations.
A review panel of educators, activists and college students will make
final selections of teacher counselor corps members for the Summer' 07
Camp. A total of 30 slots will be filled to accommodate a low student
teacher ratio of 1:10 serving a target group of 300 campers.
Applicant notification of acceptance will begin March 13th, 2007.
Applicants that are selected will be required to:
· Commit to being available to serve the camp from May 26th - August
4th without interruption.
· Confirm acceptance by providing a non-refundable $200 deposit (Check
or Money Order) for housing, transportation, insurance and uniforms,
due April 6th, 2007.
· Assume responsibility for travel plans and other living expenses.
Housing will be provided.
· Complete the application process.
· Arrive to the camp location by May 26th for training and camp
preparation beginning on May 30th - June 8th.
Corps members selected as teacher counselors and as leaders will
participate in a rigorous eight day training orientation. The train-
the-trainer sessions will be facilitated by national experts in the
field of youth development and service learning.
The general teacher counselor training orientation will involve:
· Touring New Orleans
· Introduction to Program Policies and Procedures
· Introduction to teaching and learning
· Critical Pedagogy
· Synchronizing Curriculum Plans
· Intervening During Crisis
· First Aid and CPR
· Safety/Risk Management and Conflict Resolution
Curriculum
The Gulfsouth Summer Youth Action Camp's curriculum is developed in
concert with college students and educational experts to provide a
powerful learning experience. We take traditional disciplines and
transform them into intriguing and interactive learning experiences
through the use of critical pedagogy and service-learning infusions.
We promote analytic reasoning, self-expression, and social
consciousness through project-based learning. Reading, writing and
analytic reasoning are infused into everything we do.
Curriculum for Summer, 07 Camp
There are three key thematic areas that the teacher counselors will
work on: media, culture and environmental justice. We also expect
all the teacher counselors to include: visual and written
communications as well as holistic wellness of mind, body and spirit
in class activities. All activities are driven by the development of
community service learning projects for the middle school children.
Training includes all curricular materials so the teacher counselors
will be familiar with the key themes.
Teacher counselors will work in teams to facilitate on-going small
group learning circles with the children. Teacher counselors will
stay with the same group of children for the entire camp, allowing the
development of meaningful relationships and a trusting class
environment.
Each of the first three weeks of camp will focus on a key theme.
Operation Reach will draw on local Community Mentors for each theme.
They will be involved in the teacher counselor training as well.
Community Mentors will be present at the camp during their theme
week. For example, during the culture week, we will invite a local
woman who directs an African American cultural center. She will
discuss various ways to think about culture that will help children to
"see" what culture is, and how to "make" culture. Possible activities
include: African drumming; visiting local art galleries or museums
and making art; and meeting with local writers and "doing" writing.
For the media theme, we will invite a local journalist as well as a
filmmaker. Possible activities include: video making; newspaper
writing; and magazine making. For the environmental justice theme, we
will invite local environmental justice activists. Possible
activities include: visiting wetlands; discussing toxins and soil
composition; working in urban gardens; and learning about global
warming and its relation to the local region.
Embedded in the first three weeks of thematic learning will be the
development of service learning projects for the children. Community
Mentors will offer us various community sites where the children can
create a project that will help re-build their own communities. By
the end of the third week of camp, the children will have a plan in
place for their service learning projects. The remainder of the camp
will be devoted to the children working with various communities at
their service learning sites
Operation Reach believes in the development of youth leadership for
the children of the Gulfsouth Summer Youth Action Corp. The role of
the teacher counselors is essential. Teacher counselors must be
familiar with social justice theories and practices; service learning
theories and practices; and alternative teaching methodologies, e.g.
critical pedagogy theories and practices.
We see the children of the Gulfsouth Summer Youth Action Corp leaving
our camp with experiences that will change their lives. They will
learn about ways to think and do social justice advocacy, and become
leaders in their own schools and communities.
For More Information Contact:
Dr. Kyshun Webster
1-877-84REACH
www.thegyac.org
