The purpose of this program is to combine
an existing standard curriculum with a character education
program that teaches students the following elements of
character: caring, civic virtue and citizenship, justice
and fairness, respect, responsibility, trustworthiness,
giving, or any other elements deemed appropriate. Coyote
Youth, a positive character education youth development
program with a flexible and innovative curriculum that encourages
journal writing and reading, uses the community as a classroom
through field trips and real life experiences. By integrating
these experiences into classroom instruction, particularly
a Language Arts Syllabus, consistent with State academic
content standards, students are provided a method that increases
achievement through a comprehensive literacy effort. Working
with Scott Renner, Abraxas High School English teacher,
Coyote Youth provides the experiential piece of the curriculum.
Field trips and real life experiences create the foundation
for the classroom activities. In addition, students utilize
the outdoor classroom located on the Abraxas Campus.
Jan and Colin Cowan thank the Rotary for
recognizing their son, Justin, as Student of the Year and
acknowledge the role that Coyote
Youth played in his Justin's success.
Scott Renner, teacher, Abraxas High School, Poway
Unified School District (a teacher’s perspective)
of Coyote Youth English:
Coyote Youth is having a profound impact in fostering
character education within participating students. A number
of changes are evident. The current students participating
in Coyote Youth English are among the most at-risk students
on this campus. There is a clear difference in their personalities
since beginning Coyote Youth. These students are more polite
in their day-to-day actions on this campus. In addition,
they feel far more positive about attending school. This
is a consequence of being a valued member of a group that
is academically centered and dedicated to enhancing self-worth
and self-understanding. Furthermore, as this is occurring,
these students are being challenged to write far more than
they have in the past. Curriculum centers around the knowledge
that one’s actions have a profound impact upon others.
From this premise activities are developed that force these
students to reflect upon their actions, discuss their implications,
and formulate responses that will improve their own lives,
as well as the world around them. The key to the success
of Coyote Youth is that a participating student considers
it to be a real experience providing insight into his or
her own individual character. Hence, here is the program’s
ability to provide true character education with an academic
context.
Coyote Youth – Learning Comes Alive!
By Norma Larios – Parent to Abraxas High School student
Coyote Youth is a program that works with students
to motivate them toward success. When a young person is
overwhelmed with daily stresses, learning may not come easy.
For some, school failure may have become a continuing pattern
due to not grasping the basics at the start. How can this
person ever dig themselves out of this hole? First, this
person needs to believe that he or she can do it.
Susan and Tom of Backyard Tourist, Inc. establish a
foundation for students that is a catalyst to the learning
process. They do this through their confidence-building
wilderness training, mentoring, and creative approach to
journal writing.
I recently attended a one-day wilderness training session
which is offered to students, parents, and teachers. I attended
more out of curiosity than anything else, seeing the positive
results in my own child who is in the program. On this particular
Saturday, most of the students were there as an alternative
to attending detentions or Saturday school at local high
schools. However, two students were there because they had
attended the training previously and wanted to experience
it again.
First, all in attendance were given journals to write
about their experiences throughout the day. Next, Tom got
the group involved in discussion by asking, “What
does one need to survive on this earth? Can money or your
American Express card save you if you are lost in the middle
of the wilderness?” A series of such questions got
the group thinking. Tom led the group to a field full of
brush and trees and began to show the group how to build
a shelter from these resources. He explained that shelter
is the first priority of wilderness survival.
More activities such as weaving rope from yucca leaves,
making a cutting tool, and learning how to make fire fueled
students with a variety of ideas to express in their journals.
The more activity, the more they have to write about. Eventually,
even those a bit reluctant at first were interacting with
the group and involving themselves in each task. As the
day drew to a close, each student left with knowledge that
could one day save their life and perhaps some new found
enthusiasm in learning itself.
Susan and Tom also assist in teaching an English class at
Abraxas High School. I joined the class one afternoon and
was amazed by the degree of talent exhibited by the students.
The students were asked to write in their own words about
a particular subject or series of words. Each student had
a chance to read what they had written while the others
listened. I was impressed not only by the creative flow
of words, but also by the non-judgmental listening skills
of those present.
Overall, Coyote Youth is a dynamic program that builds character,
self-esteem, and helps teens to enjoy the learning process.
Learning comes alive with Coyote Youth!
Coyote Youth English has become so popular at the Abraxas
campus that students must apply for a position. They complete
a written application and an essay. The following threee
essays written as part of the application process for the
fourth quarter, are an example of the students' opinions
of the program and their teachers.
Coyote Youth
By Daniel Rugh
Have you ever looked across a classroom and saw about
five students working, when there are twenty kids in the
class? Or, when a teacher is lecturing, is everyone really
listening? Teachers have always told their students that
learning is suppose to be fun. In a regular boring classroom
with about thirty kids, that is not the case. Well, there
is another alternative it is called Coyote Youth. In Coyote
Youth students get to learn and have fun at the same time.
Students get to interact with each other, and participate
in fun learning activities.
A couple named Susan and Tom teach Coyote Youth. When
the students first start they are given a journal to write
in. Journal writing is unlike writing in a regular English
class because it gives you the freedom to write whatever
you please without editing it. Susan gave a great quote
about this; she said, “Just write.” Many of
the students find it much easier to write this way. If someone
were to come out to Coyote Youth, they wouldn’t see
only a few students writing when it is time for them to
write. They would see the entire class writing, even Susan.
After the students write in their journals they have an
opportunity to share what they written with the class.
One of the many activities that the students participate
in is called wilderness training. This is usually held every
month on Saturday. Students are allowed to bring a friend
or a parent to this event. In this activity the students
get to learn how to survive in the wilderness. Wilderness
training starts off by Tom showing the students how to make
a shelter out of tree branches, debris, and leaves that
are on the ground. After that students learn how to make
rope out of the yucca plant. Next students learn how to
make fire. Finally they are given a Coyote Youth T-shirt
and congratulated on what they have accomplished.
Although Coyote Youth may not be for all students,
it works for those students who need extra attention to
help them learn. One of the most important things that Coyote
Youth teaches is self-confidence. Coyote Youth helps students
feel good about themselves. Susan and Tom are not just seen
by the students as teachers, but as role models as well.
It is a privilege for the students who are in the program
to be able to take place in it. In addition, Coyote Youth
is by far one of the greatest learning experiences.
Why I Will Excel in the Coyote Youth English Class
By Jamie Katz
English has never been my subject. Throughout all
of my years in school, all of the classes I have taken I
have never done well in English, never been able to excel.
It was definitely the last thing I ever thought I would
find any passion in, but something has happened. Since I’ve
been in the Coyote Youth program I have found that English
is something I can excel in quite well, and I can be passionate
through English. It’s as though I have unlocked doors
inside myself and found aspects of myself that I know would
have been laid to rest with my cold body if not for the
Coyote Youth English class.
As I am given a topic to write about feelings flourish through
my body, then something amazing happens, I express myself.
My feelings have gone from inside me, moved down my pen
and onto the paper. I have written down exactly how I feel,
I have expressed myself through writing, and this is amazing
to me. It’s amazing because it’s something I
have never been able to do before. Out of the hundreds of
things I have written, not until I was in Coyote Youth was
I able to make writing anything more than an assignment.
I always found myself lost in the crowd of that huge classroom,
being mad at the pointless assignments I was being forced
to do because someone in Sacramento felt it was an assignment
I needed to do to be successful. It was so pointless to
me, I hated this class more than any other. Struggling,
just doing the bare minimum so I could get that D. It was
all so pointless, English was bad, what good could I ever
get from this? All in due time I was to find out just how
wrong I was.
The first thing that amazed me about Coyote Youth was the
complete flip in environment. In the classroom I was able
to work with Scott, one of the greatest teachers I have
ever had the opportunity to work with. He gives me the kind
of one on one help that I never had, and that I need. He
helps me through things and tells me what I can do to improve.
He teaches me with a smile on his face and a positive attitude,
something I never experience before. It has always been
some teacher who didn’t really care and seemed pretty
miserable. Whatever got their paycheck signed did it for
them it seemed. Working with a teacher who really does care
has made so much of a difference and really helped me to
excel in English. I also get to work with two amazing people,
Susan and Tom. They have figured out exactly what to do
to make a student excel in English. They work outside which
is a much more comfortable workplace. If I am comfortable
I can set closer to my full potential in writing. I am able
to write about what I want to write about, give me a topic
and write my feelings on it. I am given chance, this is
the most important thing in Coyote Youth writing and the
key to me excelling in English. In all my other English
classes I was never given a chance. I was given a topic
and a structure to follow, there was no room to express
myself and no room for me to grow. In Coyote Youth I am
told to write some really great pieces and that I put feeling
into my writing. It’s something I never heard before
because it has never been true. By giving me the chance
to express myself I was able to find things inside of me
that I never knew existed, I was able to find the writer
that I could become. I put feeling into my writing because
I am passionate about it, so I know that when I am told
that the writing was great it’s not just someone being
nice. And all it took was a little change.
English has never been something I excelled in, it was something
I never put any effort into because I never saw what good
could come from it. Through Coyote Youth I have seen the
good that can come from it is endless. All it took was a
change in environment, some great people, and a chance to
excel. Through Coyote Youth I have excelled more than I
ever could have imagined, and I’ve only just begun.
Coyote Youth - Respect - "you
gotta give it to get it."
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