A few words from the kids about Susan
Though funding for the Coyote Youth Project diminished in June 2006 when our federal grant expired, the program was so successful and we enjoyed working with youth so much that we wanted to keep the project alive by sharing its concepts. We hope that in the near future, funding will once again be available and the program will be back!
History of the Coyote Youth Project:
The Coyote Youth Program offered youth an opportunity to
participate in a meaningful, structured education
program. As well as academic training, the program enabled
participants to complete community service hours.
This type of experiential learning promotes academic achievement,
competence, self-confidence, self-esteem,
and creates empathy for others while building skills in
problem solving and in working cooperatively.
Students learned the importance of preparation and planning,
technical hands-on skills, independence and improvisation,
as well as the rewards of socialization and cooperation.
Students were guided through the steps of interpreting
and then applying his/her knowledge through the use of
journaling
and books. With a firm understanding of the problem-solving
processes, students are in a better position to deal with
life in an urban society.
Service opportunities stimulate skills specifically useful
for future employment – punctuality and reliability,
responsibility for task completion and getting along
with others. A sense of kinship with nature developed
through
outdoor educational activities, combined with technological
tools, allows participants to blend the awareness
of a native tracker with the modern language of science.
Community
service learning with an emphasis on protection and preservation
of our natural resources is a balanced and peaceful method
to strengthen families and communities, restore degraded
places and inspire hope.
This program was a win-win-win for youth, the County of
San Diego, and the environment. With this program, youth
were
given an opportunity to discover their potential and
reclaim their self-esteem in practical, hands-on community
service
learning activities that benefitted the environment. Though
community service programs have long been heralded as
a means to help youth transition into adulthood, when
community
service is mandatory, it becomes difficult to “sell” as
something worthwhile. However, by combining an educational
learning component, particularly in regards to the environment,
participants develop a deep reverence for the earth and
expand their awareness thereby creating a desire to work
for positive environmental action through their community
service projects.
The community service proponent is a powerful tool for
youth development in that it transforms a young person from
a passive recipient to an active participant and redefines
the perception of youth in the community from a cause of
problems to a source of solution. Outdoor education combined
with community service becomes a method of learning or “service
learning.” With increased self-confidence and self-sufficiency,
students progress in communicating with parents, staying
out of trouble, finishing school, getting a job and pursuing
personal goals.
Thanks to Those Who Generously Supported our
Program
- Backyard Tourist is currently seeking
funding and support for this program. Your contributions
are tax-deductible. We challenge YOU to pledge your donation
to ensure that the Coyote Youth Program becomes a regular
event for the youth of San Diego.
Contributors to Coyote Youth included:
Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary Club
Poway City Council
Los Rancheros Kiwanis CLub
Adventure 16
El Capitan Stadium Association
Tom Dyke
Sundance Systems
Home Depot, Santee
J. C. Penney, El Cajon
Walmart, El Cajon
GTM Surplus Stores, Santee
- Costco, Santee
Coyote Youth! It's for the kids!
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