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Page 28, Whby Free pross, Wodnesday, September 71994 Parents g et 'Visilons' on educaition IBRAD TORRENS (right) attempts to pass scavenger hunt ta get ta know the school Ia litesaver on to Bryan Alldred in one of and were treated ta a barbecue. The event I he games played at an orientation day wvas designed ta make yesterday -- the Thurs;day at Heny Street High Sohool. tirst day of sohool -- a littie Iess stresstul. 1Students entering Grade 9 also went on a Photo by Mark Reesor. Whitby Free Press more communhty centres urged at student conference By Jillian Barry Whitby should have a cern- munit y centre for students, says Candra Hunter, one of 200 stu- dents who recently attended the Students Commission National Conference in Ottawa. "Many of the peeple at the conference saîd they had these kinds of places, and that they were very s;uceeseful,» enys the 19-year-eId Whitby resident, a former recipient of the Ontario Junior -Citizen of the Year Award. "Drop-ins, as they are knewn, are non- prefit, but there usually is asmallcharge teget in, just te cover the cost of pop or pizza." Drop-ins were among the tepie diseussed by students at the conference. Aise diseussed were such topies as youth employrnent, gender issues in- cluding sexual harasement, edu- cation and violence. «WIhitby je beeoming more and more violent," says Hunter. "This (drop-ins) will help te get the studente off the streets, and *ive them a place te go, rather than being in gangs." .Drop-ins were mentioned dur- in a discussion of violence. Many youth aise suggested the idea when they were asked te take part in surveys throughout the year. After surveys are cempleted, the resulte are taken te the conference and relayed te those in attendance. «It's amazing that 200 youth come te conclusions in a week that adults can't seem te corne te * in a year," saye Hunter, who bas attended the cenference for four etraight yeare. "On the tepie of youth empley- ment," says Hunter, "most of the people feît that they weren~t able -te get enough experience through the school systeme. «Ce-o p programe are a great way teboe able te get the neeess- ary skills that are required for speeific jobs, but only haif of the p eople that attended the con- ference eould say that they had ee-op progranis. uStudente need te, get involved with their own education," says Hunter. "Sanie of the students sugges- ted that members of the stu dent council should be able te sit at the school board meetings, and even be able te, sit on the echool board. "Thie would be great as the youth would be able te be heard,» said Hunter. She added that «There should be honest and fair teacher eva- luations, that way the teachers would know how they are doing in relation te their stuaenTs- Many of the students felt that there should be more Canadian histery taught in the sehool sys- terne. They also thouight that F'rench and English immersion progranis sheuld be more readily available. uSexual harasement and other gender issues are very touchy subjects," says Hunter. uWe decided that gender issues are in aIl levels, net just at echools, but in the werkplace, tee. «We felt that the media (parti- cularly television) premotes gen- der stereotyping for both sexes. «We féel - that in regarde te television," Hunter stated, that things shiould be ereated equal for both sexes, starting with chil- dren'e programming.»" She believes values pertaining te, gender issues start in the home. "Familles should be giving the good morale and standards te the kids, but sometimes that doesn't happen. "Wihen it's one of those situa- tions, the media je the place that you learn frem. "If television> programming creates children's programming that le equal te, both sexes, that starte everything off'right." The con ference aise suggested that schools should work tewards providin g equal employment opportun ities or everyone. At the conference, students confer on topies for four day s, then they have one day for sight- seeing. Th e sixth day je for pre- sentation e. Students present their final conclusions te the Gevernor General and te other MPs, and when they return home, present ideas te municipal councilflors. Hunter received sponeorship from local businesses and com- munity organizations te help pay for lier trip te the conference. By John Dutjay In February, 1993, Community Visions had its firet meeting. Today, the parent/teacher group "with a difference," meets once every other mnonth te diseuse education issues in Whitby schools. It was started "te inerease parent involveenit in a -positive and constructive way," saye Carolyn Treadgold, a parent who le part of the group. "The more parents get involved, the more satisfaction they get," says Treadgold, adding parents will know botter what le being taught te their children. '1 like te know what je going on in my children's sehool," she says. This was part of lier imnpetus for jeining the eommittee. She was on the Pringle Sehool parent committee and through it became involved with Community Visions. Comrnunity Visions je =oprsd of parents, teachers, prnipl, superintendente and trustees. It je "critically important" for parents te include themeelves in their children's sehool activities, according te Durham Board of Education superintendent Carol Yeo, aiso a member of the Community Visions group. In an interviews, she explains, "If you don't involve the parents inte the sehools, they'll' take over in a negative way" by protesting only when something goes wrong. Se far, says Yeo, Community Visions has been proactive instead of reactive. In the past, Yee and Durham Board of Educatien chair Patty Bowman found that some parents were "dissatisfied with the structure that we had," says Yee. Se they invited Whitby parents te the February 1993 meeting te see what solutions could be discovered. On the agenda was "How cen we work together te strengthen the bonda" between parents and teachers. According te Yeo, there were about 35 persens who showed up for that first meeting. Today they ineet regularly te diseuse "anything te de with education," says Treadgold. A major goal of the group has been improving communication between sehools and parents. One way WhitbY echools3 attempt te notify' the ommunitY what ie happening le through a parente' newsletter, that je distinct frei the regular sehool newsletter. As well, bulletin boards and an event calendar (which detaile al Whitby echool events on one calendar instead of many) have been implemented after suggstons frmte committee. 'We rea1 y want to informi the community" about what le going on in Whitby echools, saye Treadgold. The group je unique because "theres no hierarchy," eays Treadgold. Parents, teachers, superintendents and trustees meet te freely diseuse their viewe on education. Its a meeting cf people," stresses Yeo, who exiplains that if there was a formai structure, "that ind cf systemi tends te be bureaucratie,'" whieh je what they are trying toaveid. Aise on the committee je Ormiston Public Sehoel principal LugaAyotte. She saye that n odycrnes te meetings te sit on their banda.. - *"We ail takk an active rôle." With the 'cnewledgeganed frein the meetings, MIany went back te our sehoole and made seme changes," eays AMotte. An example ie the Healthy Choices Activity and Worlcshop that was held at Ormieton. The werkshop was erganized te inforin children about a range of issues such as drugs, dating, sex and s exually - transmitted diseases. The workshep was a parent initiative, says Ayotte, that was first discussed at a Cemmunity Visions meetings. Early on, there were some ner growing pains. "People had different agendas," says Yeo, and they 'spent somnetime learning one another's language." Treâdgold says that this may have been as a resuit of eemnuttee members who have "difl'erent perspetives but a cemmen goal, which is education." However, today Community Visions is going strong. Their messages tare starting te be heard (by the board of education)," says Ayette. Take the 'Youth Challeng e' Canadians fromn ages 18 te 25 who are looking for adventure and who have an intereet in global developinent are invited te apply te participate on a Youth Challenge Internationàl project in Costa Rica in Central Anierica, Guyana in South America, or Selomon Islands in the South Pacifie. Youth Challenge International je a non-profit organization whose mission is te encourage yeung peeples' active, reeponsible and of local and global developinent. Young people froni around the world will work on a variety of community developinent, health, and research projeets for 10 weeks next spring and summer. No experience le necessary te, participate; just a willingness te work bard and an intereet in global development. "Participating on a YCI project provides young Canadians with the chance te earn valuable experience, te gain new skcills, te and te meet other young people frem around the world", says Greg Smith, communication director at YCI. The deadline for applications for the projecte next spring and summer je Oct. 7. To receive an application and more information about Youth Challenge International contact the Youth Challenge International office at 1-800-979-INFO frein anywhere in Ontario. q. 1