Unitown

a couple of weeks ago i left the safe harbor of school and home and ventured to the 4H camp at jamestown, va for 4 days of what i thought would be just a little diversity training with the kids. boy, was i wrong...actually, i think i knew what was coming, and that was why i was so apprehensive about it...but nonetheless...

Unitown is a program sponsored by the national council of christians and jews and is designed to make people in all sorts of situations aware of the diversity around us in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, body image, etc. it is a very skillfully set up program, and i would say it is akin in idea and thought to going to boot camp. basically, you are broken down and then you are brought back up. and when you are back up, you aren't the same, period.

i wasn't expecting that little change at the ripe old age of 49. i figured there wasn't much left in these areas for me to mine; my job was to facilitate that change for younger people. wrong. there were 39 students of all races, background, and abilities, all chosen for their leadership qualities, be it already displayed or potential. about a third of the students were black, and the rest were from varying religious and socio-economic backgrounds. some were discipline problems, some had learning difficulties, some were quiet, some were loud and out there. regardless, at the end of 4 days, they were all one.

there were 10 teachers, and we were the perfect mix. we, too, have bonded, and we are now trying to help these 39 kids go back into the mainstream of 1,500 students to facilitate the idea that we can all get along, and we all need to be more sensitive to the kinds of things we say and do that can be divisive and hurtful. these 39 are having a tough time. so are we teachers. not only are we helping the kids, but we are challenged with the job of also delivering this message to our colleagues. the kids' jobs are to do what we call an "ouch and educate" which means that you point out what the person has done that has hurt/bothered you, and then you "educate" them as to why and what you hope they will do in the future. the kids are doing this, but the "ouches" are mostly coming from the teachers. We had a meeting with our principal on wednesday, and he had already dealt with 3 incidents that day alone. pretty remarkable.

people came back from unitown changed. two of the boys broke up with their girlfriends. one of the teachers broke up with hers as well. we have gathered together to talk to each other about the formidable task of educating our peers. we have gathered to discuss the action plans we are implementing in our school. the rest of the kids in school are curious about what we are doing, and the 39 delegates are keeping contact with each other and with the staff faciliatators. we have become a small family in a sea of turmoil. it is disconcerting, yet gratifying. i am still processing the whole thing, and will write about it more as i think of things.