A takeaway from my experience here and something clearly observed at this stage in life is the way in which youth define accomplishment. I'm interested in overarching themes regardless of cultural identifiers, and believe this statement is incredibly relevant to us all. I can't tell you how many times I overhear youth say, "Can you send me a certificate?" or "Take that class because you will get a certificate and it will be good for your CV." or "It will look good on my resume." There are a number of other phrases used. I've come to recognize that attending a training and getting a certificate hold very little weight or transformative power for the individual and those he/she serves. It is the application of that training - in reality under the pressure of circumstances both positive and negative - that hold the real power. I think we must stop seeking programs and rigging opportunities so we can accumulate certificates, plaques, trophies, and bullet points on a resume. We must also stop the validation of such behavior and perpetuating this false sense of accomplishments in our systems and institutions.
0 Comments
|
AuthorWelcome. After years as a manager in the education field, I accepted an invitation in 2014 to serve with the U.S. Peace Corps in Africa in the Youth Development sector. There have been no regrets. Disclaimer: The contents of this site and opinions expressed therein are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Peace Corps, the US Government, or the Kingdom of Morocco.
Archives
September 2016
Categories |