Monday, August 13, 2012

Meeting Tuesday Open to Community!

Community meeting Tuesday featuring an overview of Sparks (how to have meaningful conversations with young people to "spark" their interest).  

The meeting is open to everyone that works with young people including parents, grandparents, 4-H leaders, church youth leaders, boy & girl scouts, etc.  

It will be at 7 PM Tuesday night, August 14, in the High School Auditorium.

(Some notes from staff in-service)
Spark - that quality, skill, talent, or commitment that gives you joy, energy, and purposes. It is the internal anchor for our identity. It is our very essence, the thing about us that is “good, beautiful, and useful to the world.”

The seven essential questions:

  1. What is your spark?
  2. When and where do you live your spark?
  3. Who knows your spark?
  4. Who helps feed your spark?
  5. What gets in your way?
  6. How can I help?
  7. How will you use your spark to make our world better?

Research - Teens generally named three types of sparks:
  • something they are good at - a talent or a skill
  • something they care deeply about - environment or serving their community
  • a quality they know is special - caring for others or being a friend

When youth know their spark and have adult support, they are more likely to:
  • have a sense of purpose
  • be socially competent and physically healthy
  • volunteer to help others
  • have higher grades and better attendance
...are less likely to:
  • experience depression
  • engage in acts of violence towards others

31% of teenagers understand the concept but don’t think they have a spark.