William Penn Life, 2004 (39. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2004-05-01 / 5. szám
Charitable Ideas 10 Reasons to Celebrate National KidsDay 1 T 10 Kids are a top priority for most Americans. A Gallup Poll found that twice as many adults said “preparing young people for the future” was the single top priority for the nation (40 percent) as any of the other choices, which included improving healthcare (21 percent), keeping the economy strong (I8 percent), reducing crime (12 percent) and protecting the environment (7 percent). There’s a lot to celebrate about and with kids. Researchers at the University of Minnesota note that when kids’ fundamental needs are met, they “are most likely to develop as caring, compassionate individuals with lots of sparkle, [and}...zest for life.” ) Kids want to feel valued and celebrated. Search Institute surveys of 6th to 12thgrade youth in communities across the United States consistently find that only one in five young people say that adults in their community make them feel important and listen to what they have to say. Adult’s don’t have positive views of young people. In fact, a study conducted by Public Agenda found that at least two-thirds of adults have primarily negative views of young people. Adults know that kids need their encouragement and support. A study of American adults conducted by Search Institute and the former Lutheran Brotherhood found that 90 percent of adults believe it’s “most important” to encourage kids’ school success, and 75 percent say it’s “most important” to have meaningful conversations with kids. Widespread negative messages about kids need to be balanced. The common emphasis on young people’s problems and challenges leaves many people feeling overwhelmed and disempowered. Balancing those messages with an emphasis on what’s going well with kids can help them reconnect and get involved. Kids are contributing and deserve the recognition. Research shows that 59 percent of teenagers volunteer in their communities. The average teenage volunteer spent 3.5 hours per week volunteering. Caring adult relationships are important. A Gallup Poll found that both youth and adults say it’s extremely I important for children to be connected to caring adults. Yet, only 30 percent of adults and 36 percent of youth believe that children in their community have caring adults in their lives. Some young people lack any connection to caring adults. One study found that one in I0 teenagers report ' that “no one really cares about me.” Most young people want to be connected to adults in their communities. A study of youth in Minneapolis found that 65 percent of seven- to 14-year-olds said they would like to be with an adult they can trust and who respects them. Source: www.kidsday.net ffilliu Pern Life, May 2004 9
