A kind caress for the soul in the age of communication shortcuts and empty anonymous discussions on social networks. Even so, a Healthy Youth program for schoolchildren can look like. These eighth-graders were enthusiastic about the program and the Healthy Youth Worker!
Silence, ears pricked up, fragments from Radim’s life are listened to with suspense, without eve a murmur.
Radim already knew some eighth-graders from this class from previous programs. He met some of them for the first time today, and he greeted them separately, which had a very pleasant and personal effect. Just like the opening activity: the students were to show respect by turning to their neighbor and saying to each other: “You are valuable!” Such encouragement about importance and value did a great job of lightening the atmosphere and helping all the teenagers tune in to the program, which promised to have quite intimate topics for debate.
After the initial mental warm-up, Radim simply explained how the human psyche works: those who do not believe that they are valuable compensate it in other various ways. We have a lot of examples and they all only testify to people’s need and desire for love and acceptance. The pupils were also interested in a short film about value, where several women had the task of drawing themselves as they perceive themselves. Each one was then drawn by someone else as the woman affected him. The difference was evident – very often these women saw themselves worse than they were, even before another person saw them.
Radim gives the word to the pupils. Every thought or comment to the topic is a benefit. Everyone can express themselves.
From the beginning, Radim spoke very openly and frankly with the students, including his feelings, disappointments in puberty and first loves. The pupils then quite naturally and spontaneously started a discussion on the topic of the “Friendship and Love” program. And that in a way that they are apparently not used to from ordinary life. Girls described how they imagined their ideal partner for life and why, and boys talked about girls in the same way. Just breaking down these ideas of theirs could take two hours and would be a great accomplishment of the program’s goal.
The whole meeting was basically a demonstration of how to communicate openly and respectfully about relationships, love and sexuality and benefit from it.
The atmosphere is really cheerful. The HY Worker and the children have fun. In such an environment, the debate is splendid.
Another item on the agenda was a discussion on how to praise and criticize in a safe and good way. A practical demonstration was not to be missed. Everyone found someone close to them as a pair and then told them 5 things they liked about that person and one criticism.
A pleasant ending – in addition to the final feedback, in which the pupils were extremely complimentary – was a voluntary homework for each individual to choose one of the topics discussed today in which they would like to improve in their lives: the art of communication, the art of criticism, the art of apologizing, the art of complimenting, or the art of smiling.
My personal impression during the entire program was: this is what I would like to experience as a teenager!
Martin Stavjanik, the Authorized Supervisor of the HY Program workers
