|
Socially and emotionally competent children and youth get along well with others. They know how to communicate effectively. They are cooperative. They negotiate with others to solve problems. They have good refusal skills. They know when and how to seek help. They make a positive contribution to their families and communities9.
New programs and organizations in local communities are almost always started by someone with a passionate dream. What is your dream? It may help to stop, and before reading any further, write down your dream10.
Perhaps you have a dream about starting a Big Brothers Big Sisters In School Mentoring program, or even a Big Brothers Big Sisters agency. Or, perhaps you have a dream of starting a Boys and Girls Club, or even a Boys and Girls Club organization. You may be a parent of a child in an elementary school, a program director of a local Big Brothers Big Sisters agency, a Board member of a local Boys and Girls Club, a local teacher or principal, or the member of a concerned local service club.Between the dream and a well established, sustainable quality program, or an effective and thriving organization, there are many stages on the journey. Now, you just need to get started.
 You may be asking:
- Will anyone be interested in working with me?
- Will parents want to enroll their children?
- Who might these parents be? Who might these children be?
- Are there related programs in my community?
- Does my community really need this new program?
- Does my community need a new organization?
- Are there already sufficient programs to meet the interests of children and young people?
- Will there be funds to sustain the program?
- Will there be an organization that will provide a home for the program?
All of these questions make sense. They are about exploring the realities in your community, and the fit between your dream and your community. Programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters In School Mentoring and Boys and Girls Clubs have been well established in many local communities across Canada. Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies and Boys and Girls Clubs organizations also exist in many communities, offering diverse programs. Their successes have been proven and documented.
However, this does not always mean that they are the best answer in your community. Each unique community needs to find its own answers to ensuring that there is an appropriate range of programs and resources for children and young people that are accessible, affordable, consistent, quality, and integrated. Appendix G contains some questions that might help you.
|