Associates Program

Description

Developing the ability to engage in social justice learning and living requires more than just "knowledge", "attitudes/values", and "skills."

It also requires a sense of community - an awareness of and a connection to others who are committed to participating in the journey of cultivating those qualities.

The Center is more than just a clearinghouse of information or a provider of programs and services; it seeks to foster that sense of community.

Our "Associates" program is designed to offer youth, and adults who work with youth, an avenue for developing that experience of community.

Core Principles

To be an associate of the Center is to share a commitment to growing in an awareness of the meaning and implications of the following principles, in one's own life and in one's community, society and world:

  • that young people, like all people, are not merely empty receptacles to be filled with knowledge that adults have, but rather bring to the table vital ideas, feelings, questions, and hopes that can contribute to the process of learning
  • that action is an essential part of the learning process
  • that the purpose of education is not merely to socialize people into the way things are, but to actively explore -- creatively, critically, and constructively -- the way things ought to be, including the ways in which one can participate in the process of moving one's own life and the lives of others in that direction
  • that exploration of values and spirituality are a valid dimension of the process of learning and action
  • that while anger, guilt, failure, and despair are part of the journey of learning about and committing oneself to social justice, it is guided and sustained by an underlying sense of hope, and yields a way of being that is life-giving and joyful
Youth Associates

Young people have the opportunity to develop an association with the Center in the following ways:

Participation in Center supported programs

Youth can attend the Social Justice Conference, the Culturing Compassion weekends, the CARE trainings, and/or the PeaceJam program.

Youth can participate in learning-and-action processes when an educator/mentor in their school, faith-community, and/or other community-based organization in which they are involved utilizes the Center's support.

Involvement in leadership roles in the design and implementation of such programs

Youth can become members of the student-planning committee for the Social Justice Conference.

Youth (age 16 or older) can become volunteers on the Culturing Compassion weekends.

Youth can participate as guest speakers/resource people in our collaborative work with educators in schools, faith-communities, and community-based organizations, and/or in our workshops and presentations.

[Note: these roles all involve some form of training]

Utilization of, and contribution to, the Center's learning resources

Youth can check out materials from the Center's curriculum library; they can also contribute the results of their research and action to the library.

Youth can utilize the Center's website - e.g. to research issues, to explore action-opportunities, to engage in dialogue about social justice; they can also provide information to the website.

Our strategies for supporting youth associates

We recognize that the capacity of youth to be associates is affected by other demands in their lives, including academic requirements and, in many cases, financial obligations. Therefore, we actively seek ways to link these demands to the work of the Center; options include:

  • collaborating with educators so that youth can receive academic credit for their participation in Center-supported programs and opportunities (e.g. participation in a conference or retreat meets a course/program requirement; leadership-level participation receives credit for a graduation requirement)
  • providing a stipend, or even wage/salary, for leadership-level participation
Adult Associates

Our mission statement speaks of "adults who work with youth". This includes:

  • faculty/staff members in a school
  • staff member in a faith-community or community-based organization
  • parents/guardians
  • other individuals in the lives of youth that may play a key mentoring role (e.g. relatives, friends, neighbors)
Utilization of Center-supported programs

Adults can promote the participation of their youth in the Social Justice Conference, the Culturing Compassion weekends, the CARE trainings, and the PeaceJam program.

Adults who work in schools, faith-communities, and/or other community-based organizations can utilize the Center's support in designing and implementing social justice learning-and-action programming.

Involvement in leadership roles in the design and implementation of such programs

Adults can provide planning support for the Social Justice Conference.

Adults can become mentors on Culturing Compassion weekends.

Adults can be guest speakers/resource people in our collaborative work with educators in schools, faith-communities, and community-based organizations, and/or in our workshops and presentations.

[Note: these roles may involve some form of training]

Utilization of, and contribution to, the Center's learning resources

Adults can check out materials from the Center's curriculum library; they can also contribute the results of their research and action to the library.

Adults can utilize the Center's website - e.g. to research issues, to explore action-opportunities, to engage in dialogue about social justice; they can also provide information to the website.

Our strategies for supporting adult associates

We recognize that the capacity of adults to be associates is affected by other demands in their lives, including requirements for professional development and financial obligations. Therefore, we actively seek ways to link these demands to the work of the Center; options include:

  • collaborating with school districts and other organizations/associations so that adults can receive formal credit for their leadership-level participation in Center-supported programs and opportunities (e.g. CEUs)
  • collaborating with colleges/universities so that adults can receive academic credit for their leadership-level participation in Center-supported programs and opportunities (e.g. graduate credit)
  • providing stipends and/or substitute pay for involvement in Center-supported training opportunities
Learn more or Sign Up

Kevin LaNave
Director
(320) 259-5480
email