SEVAI SUMMER CAMP FOR YOUTH LAUNCHED-2011

Trichy14,April: Summer camp for youth for two weeks in SEVAI Shanthi Matriculation School has been launched for the youth and the camps includes simplified physical exercises, meditation, analysis of the mind, and physical labour. The participants are taught skills to increase positive thinking, group dynamics, leadership qualities, and goal setting. In addition, they are also taught how to read better, face problems, manage time, manage energy, and the overall importance of Life and Parents. Dr.K.Govindaraju, Chairman of South Zone Board of Continuing Education inaugurated the summer camp for youth and delivered the key-note address. Dr.K.Govindaraju recalled the presentation given by the Kalyani, then young administrative officer of SEVAI in Germany in 1998 and the same principles hold good even after 12 years of such a narration. He also gave the memorial speech of Kalyani.He said that Kalyani had a wisdom even longtime back to speak in international youth conference held in Herrsching, Germany in July 1998 while narrating the youth activities of SEVAI NGO in the conference. He quoted Kalyani’s speech ‘‘Youth development’ is the ongoing growth process in which all youth are engaged in attempting to meet their basic personal and social needs to be safe, feel cared for, be valued, be useful, and be spiritually grounded, and to build skills and competencies that allow them to function and contribute in their daily lives’ She further added that youth development is a process that all young people go through on the way to adulthood. As the definition implies, it is a process or journey that automatically involves all of the people around a youth—family and community. A young person will not be able to build essential skills and competencies and be able to feel safe; cared for, valued, useful, and spiritually grounded unless their family and community provide them with the supports and opportunities they need along the way. Thus, youth development is also a process in which family and community must actively participate, puts it so succinctly in 1998; youth development is "what parents do for their children......on a good day." Youth development, then, is a combination of all of the people, places, supports, opportunities and services that most of us inherently understand that young people need to be happy, healthy and successful. Youth development currently exists in a variety of different places, forms and under all sorts of different names. People, programs and institutions involved in youth development are working toward positive results in the lives of youth. Some have clearly defined these desired positive results—or outcomes—in an attempt to more effectively work toward them. There are many efforts to define the outcomes of youth development, and while language may differ from place to place most express the results that most people want for their own children. Aspects of identity is A Sense of Safety and Structure, High Self-Worth and Self Esteem, Feeling of Mastery and Future, Belonging and membership and Perception of Responsibility and Autonomy with the areas of ability of Physical Health, Mental Health, Intellectual Health,Employability,Civic and Social Involvement and A Sense of Self-Awareness and Spirituality. There are a number of well-known factors in youths’ lives which contribute to reaching these positive developmental outcomes. The SEVAI has identified 40 assets, and these 40-asset framework covers eight categories (support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, constructive use of time, commitment to learning, positive values, social competencies, and positive identity) and provides communities a tool to measure these assets in their youths’ lives. People, programs and institutions who work with youth are engaged in youth development if there is strong evidence of the following practices: Supports are Motivational, emotional and strategic supports to succeed in life. The supports can take many different forms, but they must be affirming, respectful, and ongoing. The supports are most powerful when they are offered by a variety of people, such as parents and close relatives, community social networks, teachers, youth workers, employers, health providers, and peers who are involved in the lives of young people. The Opportunities are the Chances for young people to learn how to act in the world around them, to explore, express, earn, belong, and influence. Opportunities give young people the chance to test ideas and behaviors and to experiment with different roles. It is important to stress that young people, just like adults, learn best through active participation and that learning occurs in all types of settings and situations. Quality services provided  are the Services in such areas as education, health, employment, and juvenile justice which exhibit) relevant instruction and information, challenging opportunities to express oneself, to contribute, to take on new roles, and be part of a group, and supportive adults and peers who provide respect, high standards and expectations, guidance and affirmation to young people-Kalyani reinstated’ Dr.K.Govindaraju Concluded the key note address of the summer camp of the youth -2011.EtNS.