Choice Online Module:

Non-Profits

-Stand Up For Kids

- The Gathering

Place

-Mile High Youth

Corps

-United Nations

Peace Education

By: Monica Jones and Sam Thomas

SPED 5030: Fall 2011

National: Stand Up For Kids

Key Ideas:• The mission of this national organization is to end the cycle of youth

homelessness.• VOLUNTEERS are a vital component Stand Up for Kids. Volunteers:• Go to the streets to find, stabilize, and help homeless kids & street kids

improve their lives• Focus on deterrence and resource programs in schools & via internetPrograms offered:• Don’t Run Away: A program that encourages kids to not runaway. This

program also teaches kids how to remove themselves from abusive situations.

• Outreach: In an atmosphere of hope and concern, homeless and at-risk youth are provided with a safe and protective environment.

• Alternative Schools: Help students stay in school to not only finish their education, but also stay off the streets during the day.

Local: The Gathering Place Key Ideas:• The mission of this local organization is to support women and

their children who are experiencing homelessness and poverty. The Gathering Place provides safe daytime refuge and resources for self-sufficiency.

 The Gathering Place offers:• The only daytime drop-in center in Denver to serve women and

their children• Resources for self sufficiency • Opportunities to acquire new skills• Friendship, support, and a community to share experiences • “The Card Project”- An opportunity for women to express

themselves artistically by creating handmade note cards that are sold at The Gathering Place and several local retailers. In addition to increasing the self-esteem of the artist, 75% of the revenue goes directly to the card designer.

Key Definitions The following definitions pertain to the non-profits discussed above:

“Homeless” according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

• an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence

• an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is - – a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter

designed to provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels, congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally ill);

– an institution that provides a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or

– a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.

Definitions (cont.)"Homeless Children and Youths" according to the National Center for

Homeless Education(A) means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate

nighttime residence (within the meaning of section 103(a)(1)); and(B) includes--(i) children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss

of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; or are awaiting foster care placement;

(ii) children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings (within the meaning of section 103(a)(2)(C));

(iii) children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and

(iv) migratory children (as such term is defined in section 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) who qualify as homeless for the purposes of this subtitle because the children are living in circumstances described in clauses (i) through (iii).

Definitions (cont.)

“At-Risk” kids according to Stand Up for Kids: Kids that are in fact in grave danger. Kids whose

viability can literally be measured in the foreseeable future. Kids who are in desperate need of critical and immediate support if they are to survive.

“At-Risk” youth according to The National At-Risk Education Network:

• At-risk of dropping out of school;• At-risk of not succeeding in life due to being raised

in unfavorable circumstances

“At-risk” youth according to National Service-Learning Clearinghouse:

Children/youth who are more likely to drop out of school due to a variety of demographic, socioeconomic, and institutional characteristics.

Definitions (cont.)

Adams City Middle School

Connections to Partner School: Several students at Adams City Middle School are identified as “homeless”. Although there are many versions of the definition of “homeless”, no child should endure the hardships resulting from lack of a permanent residence. A child’s education is greatly affected by the external factor of being homeless.

Actions I Can Take: The first step of taking action is being aware of resources that exist to help students and families in crisis. Then, it is a matter of empathetically passing on the information. The issue of homelessness is very sensitive and personal. Any action I take to helping a student or family in this situation will be done with the utmost respect and sensitivity, and confidentiality.

.

Information for this presentation came from the following websites:National Center for Homeless Education

http://center.serve.org/nche/definition.php U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developmenthttp://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/topics/homelessness/definition The National At-Risk Education Networkhttp://www.atriskeducation.net/#who National Service-Learning Clearinghousehttp://www.servicelearning.org/instant_info/hot_topics/at-risk/index.php Stand Up for Kidshttp://www.standupforkids.org/programs/street-outreach.aspx The Gathering Placehttp://www.tgpdenver.org/index U.S. Department of Health and Human Serviceshttp://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/11poverty.shtml

Local: Mile High Youth Corps

Key Ideas– Began in 1992, originally known as Year One, Inc.– Foundations reflect the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s;

focuses on the “employment and educational needs of youth” – Changed name to Mile High Youth Corps in 2000– Serves 15 counties from the Southern Front Range to Metropolitan

Denver– Participants are called “Corpsmembers”– Employed, educated and trained 305 young adults in 2009

Key Ideas: A non-profit organization that specializes in conservation throughout the Denver area that allows young people the chance to

help their community and the environment.

Who Works with MHYC

• Statewide Impact– Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge– Coalition for the Upper South Platte– Jefferson County– Denver Parks and Recreation– Over 80 affordable housing units constructed

Jobs Available through MHYC• Have to be between the ages of 18-24• Field offices located in Denver and Colorado Springs• Provides educational experiences as well as job

opportunities • Includes entry-level positions such as:

– Energy Conservation– Water Conservation– Public Land Conservation and Restoration – Green-Home Construction

Link to Apply to Mile High Youth Corps

Impact on Adams City Middle School• While there is no partnership with Mile High Youth Corps, I feel that it

would be beneficial to at least advertise MHYC at an early age; especially since they’ve worked on the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge and other areas throughout Adams County.

• Making students and families aware of MHYC aids the community by providing jobs and preserving the environment.

• As a teacher, we can use MHYC as an advocate for global warming; we can dedicate class-time to the importance of each human’s carbon footprint and how to help in conservation.

• Can relate MHYC to the community via planting trees, creating community gardens, picking up litter, etc.

• Can express the importance of having the Mile High Youth Corps on a resume, and how it helps build character.

International: United Nations Peace Education

• Peace Education as recognized by U.N.:– "directed to the full development of the human personality

and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms". It promotes "understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups" and furthers "the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace." (Article 26, Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Key Ideas: Modeled from the United Nations charter of 1945, teachers across the world help promote peace education as a way to provide skills to children. This involves the understanding of human rights, conflict resolution, worldwide education and the use of an effective and equitable teaching of pedagogy.

U.N. Peace Education: Teachers• Peace Education is necessary because:

– We need to aid children in understanding how their actions and decisions can create a “global culture of peace”

– It aids in the development of everyday skills and knowledge and teaches kids how to cooperatively exist

– Promotes individual and social responsibility at an early age

– Teaches students how to think critically in regards to local news, world events, etc.

– Utilizes doctrines and declarations of the U.N. and makes them relatable to everyday life

United Nations Declarations & Conventions

Impact on : Adams City Middle School

• The school has recently begun teaching I.B. courses, which allow for critical and rigorous classes that are considered to be advanced; these may be the appropriate classes to first introduce United Nations Peace Education.

• Depending on the success of the content, it could then effectively be taught throughout each humanities course.

• As a social studies teacher, I believe that it is imperative that we begin education about the United Nations at an early age; I feel that it is often ignored in public education, when in reality it can help create culturally responsive students.

• While many students realize there’s a whole world of over 6 billion people out there, they don’t quite understand how their actions, or rather their country’s actions can affect our day to day lives.

References:

Mile High Youth Corps: Who We Arehttp://www.milehighyouthcorps.org/about-mhyc/overview-history

Mile High Youth Corps Accomplishmentshttp://www.milehighyouthcorps.org/partner-with-us/project-accomplishments

Carbon Footprint:http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

United Nations Peace Educationhttp://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/peace/index.asp

United Nations Peace Education Definition and Originshttp://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/peace/link2.htm

United Nations Peace Education link to U.N. Conventionshttp://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/peace/frame4.htm

United Nations Flaghttp://www.3dflags.com/world/united-nations/organization-flag/classic-waving-clip-art.html

Go ACMS Eagles! By:

Monica Jones and Sam Thomas

SPED 5030 Fall 2011