Tuesday
Jul142009
YDA Session One, Day Seven
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 6:54AM | Jeremiah Dobruck
The students were back working with PATH4TEENS, and today they saw how they could take control of their lives and move toward the future they want.
During the first half of they day, kids developed a mission statement for themselves using the core values they'd identified last week.
These weren't throwaway statements. Each student filled in blanks with their core values and then stood and recited the mission. Students came up with powerful desires. Just a few were to "accept, believe and brighten education in myself and others," "allow, improve and appreciate respect in myself and others" and " teach, appreciate and encourage growth in myself and others."
Before the next exercise, the students needed to blow off a little steam. A game of tag looked like a mass of middle-schooler energy bouncing around a field.
Back inside, the students were again working with Shannell McMillan to develop a direction for their lives.
Since they identified the core values of their life, the next step was for the students to project where they wanted to go with them. For the next half our or so, they described what they wanted to be ten years in the future.
Whether it was graduating from USC or UCLA, being a pediatrician, nurse, boxer or soccer player, almost all the visions had two common themes: high aspirations and family and caring for family.
Shannell working with students on their mission statements
"It's a powerful experience for me to see them capture their heart and hear it come out of their mouths," Shannell said. Earlier in the day, she shared her mission to "ignite the pursuit of purpose in everyone I meet."
In her two days working with the YDA students, she was an example of how to live out her mission.
During the first half of they day, kids developed a mission statement for themselves using the core values they'd identified last week.
These weren't throwaway statements. Each student filled in blanks with their core values and then stood and recited the mission. Students came up with powerful desires. Just a few were to "accept, believe and brighten education in myself and others," "allow, improve and appreciate respect in myself and others" and " teach, appreciate and encourage growth in myself and others."
Before the next exercise, the students needed to blow off a little steam. A game of tag looked like a mass of middle-schooler energy bouncing around a field.
Back inside, the students were again working with Shannell McMillan to develop a direction for their lives.
Since they identified the core values of their life, the next step was for the students to project where they wanted to go with them. For the next half our or so, they described what they wanted to be ten years in the future.
Whether it was graduating from USC or UCLA, being a pediatrician, nurse, boxer or soccer player, almost all the visions had two common themes: high aspirations and family and caring for family.
Shannell working with students on their mission statements"It's a powerful experience for me to see them capture their heart and hear it come out of their mouths," Shannell said. Earlier in the day, she shared her mission to "ignite the pursuit of purpose in everyone I meet."
In her two days working with the YDA students, she was an example of how to live out her mission.
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