YouthWise
Friendship, Trust & Bonds
"What stands out the most, I would have to say, is the little basketball program we had. Because even with us, it formed a little community within Bank Street. 'Cause even went something went wrong, we were all held accountable for it. Which urged us to make sure we kept each other on the right path."
"The team that was here like six years ago, I would say about 90 % of us are in school. And... everybody else is pretty much doing well for themselves But that's because we motivated each other even when the program ended we still keep in touch - those are the people I trust the most in my life.
The anchor to all learning communities lies in the profound acknowledgment that relationships matter. Peer to peer. Adult to student. Mother to child. Adult with adult. Through the power of trust we built structures to nurture, fortify and sustain a sense of brother and sisterhood in young people. Participatory education is inherently a be-coming human being project. Yet so many schools feel like clinics, post offices or buildings where the elevator is always out of service. The anchor to all learning communities lies in the belief that we love young people into being.
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How has friendship and family contributed to you becoming the kind of person you are?
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How important are relations of trust and care in your school? What is done to promote? Deter?
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Discussion: Reflect individually in pairs and then in 4s about How can we make school feel and behave more like functional and supportive homes and why that matters.