High School Students and Younger Kids
Amidst a cold and snowy week, an annual tradition continued on Halloween Day. Lower School students, in full costume, paraded through campus, much to the delight of the crowd that gathered all along the path. This tradition, which dates back as far as most can remember, marks a highlight of the year, not only for the Lower School students, but for the Upper Schoolers who watch as well. It's one of many examples of interaction with younger kids that our older students love. In fact, whether we are talking about one of CA's many service-based clubs, the Senior-Kindergarten Buddy Program, or trips across the country and the world, matching up teenagers with younger childfren guarantees a high degree of involvement, empathy, and excitement.
As I look down the list of our clubs, I see numerous examples in which the highlight, or indeed the central feature of the club, is working with kids: Students HOPE, Horizons Club, Project CARE, Haiti Club, AfricAid, Children's Hospital. Our students relish these opportunties and step up in meaningful ways, serving important roles as teachers, mentors, as well as just being "big brothers and sisters" to students in our school, the community, and the world. I have seen countless examples of older students becoming the best version of themselves as they care for a younger one.
Why is it that so many teenagers are drawn to activities and events, as well as volunteer and work situations, in which they get to play with and mentor younger children? Daniela Meltzer, the Executive Director of our Horizons Program on campus, believes that one of main benefits for older students is that "bonding with younger students shows the older students that they have value, that they are in fact teachers, that the younger students look up to them because they have more experience and have been through more in their lives." I concur that teenagers really want a sense of importance and value; they want to know they can make a positive difference, and what better way to see that directly than to work with a younger student?
And lest we think this is gender-specific, I should point out that our boys tend to be involved almost as much as our girls in these roles—my quick survey of the last few years shows about a 60/40 split in leadership roles and jobs held by high school girls and boys. The nurturing and positive role modeling is important to many of our young men, and I applaud their involvement; they have so much to offer and can be particularly effective with younger boys.
So I'm all for putting Upper Schoolers into situations where they interact with and/or are responsible for younger children. Whether that is babysitting, taking care of a younger sibling or cousin, performing needed community outreach with child-based organizations, working a summer camp job, or mentoring a child, these situations propel adolescents into greater maturity and responsibility.
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As I look down the list of our clubs, I see numerous examples in which the highlight, or indeed the central feature of the club, is working with kids: Students HOPE, Horizons Club, Project CARE, Haiti Club, AfricAid, Children's Hospital. Our students relish these opportunties and step up in meaningful ways, serving important roles as teachers, mentors, as well as just being "big brothers and sisters" to students in our school, the community, and the world. I have seen countless examples of older students becoming the best version of themselves as they care for a younger one.
Why is it that so many teenagers are drawn to activities and events, as well as volunteer and work situations, in which they get to play with and mentor younger children? Daniela Meltzer, the Executive Director of our Horizons Program on campus, believes that one of main benefits for older students is that "bonding with younger students shows the older students that they have value, that they are in fact teachers, that the younger students look up to them because they have more experience and have been through more in their lives." I concur that teenagers really want a sense of importance and value; they want to know they can make a positive difference, and what better way to see that directly than to work with a younger student?
Jenny Wilczewski, the Director of CA's Summer Programs, also points out that her high school-age "camp counselors are pushed outside of their comfort zone on a daily basis. Whether it’s communicating with parents, leading campers in a group activity, or helping a child work through a difficult situation, camp counselors are forced to think on their feet to make challenging (and sometimes uncomfortable) decisions on a regular basis. These experiences help young camp employees to hone their leadership, communication, critical thinking, customer service, group management, and problem-solving skills." In short, this is authentic learning at its best! More than fifty students work for our summer programs annually, and for many it's a job that they keep coming back to, year after year.
And lest we think this is gender-specific, I should point out that our boys tend to be involved almost as much as our girls in these roles—my quick survey of the last few years shows about a 60/40 split in leadership roles and jobs held by high school girls and boys. The nurturing and positive role modeling is important to many of our young men, and I applaud their involvement; they have so much to offer and can be particularly effective with younger boys.
So I'm all for putting Upper Schoolers into situations where they interact with and/or are responsible for younger children. Whether that is babysitting, taking care of a younger sibling or cousin, performing needed community outreach with child-based organizations, working a summer camp job, or mentoring a child, these situations propel adolescents into greater maturity and responsibility.
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