Education
As an organization that values experiential education, the VYCC program incorporates learning into every aspect of the Corps Member experience. There is no need to invent opportunities, stresses, or challenges; these arise naturally when young people work together in diverse groups to complete high priority conservation projects. The setting of a VYCC crew provides a unique opportunity for meaningful interactions between peers and Crew Leaders in which, teaching, learning, and growth are a part of every day.
The following description outlines the VYCC Educational Curriculum and "connects the dots" between the pillars and practice of the VYCC Program. This curriculum is designed to promote personal growth and development, to foster meaningful connections to the community, and to provide Corps Members with the tools and inspiration to change the world. Above all, this curriculum promotes our mission to teach people to take personal responsibility for all of their actions.
It's Personal.
In a world where many people don’t take personal responsibility for their words and actions, where students blame teachers for their failure, and businesses shirk responsibility for environmental problems, the community expectations of a VYCC crew – where each person is taught to take responsibility for their own actions and to work within a defined set of expectations – can be a big shock. Yet this expectation and the way that we teach and uphold that standard is the single most powerful part of a VYCC crew.
It’s easy to recognize, sometimes hard to do, and perhaps even more difficult to teach. So how do you do it? The VYCC has a number of components that help with this:
- Policies: Define and maintain a strong community
- Weekly Evaluation Meetings (WE’s): Crew Leaders meet weekly with Corps Members to provide feedback, address challenges, provide one-on-one support, and mentorship
- Crew Leader of the Day/Week (CLOD/W): Each Corps Member steps into a leadership role on the crew to further their personal development
- Nature of the Day (NOD): Each member of the crew will facilitate a learning moment tied to their work project and environment
A VYCC crew will be a very personal and sometimes difficult experience. Regardless of your story in the Corps, your experience in the VYCC will be with you for years, following you through school, work, and life.
It's Bigger than You.
The model of most VYCC experiences is a ‘crew’ and this is by intention. The experience of working with a diverse group of peers to accomplish an important project is challenging by design and necessity. On a tight-knit crew, the impact of our words and actions are magnified and reflected back to us, sometimes in difficult truths that provide the substance for personal and community growth. A VYCC crew teaches personal development and personal responsibility through an intense community experience. Some of the things that build community on VYCC crews are:
- Start-ups and Closures: All crews come together to begin and end their journeys
- Circle-Ups, Community Meetings, Crew Meals
- Teambuilding: Moving through stages of group development, the challenges and successes alike
- Open Houses: Creating and presenting an educational and reflective workshop for the public, family, and friends
- WoRD: Daily practice designed to teach Corps Members to explore, formulate, and respectfully share and hear each other’s opinions and values (see description below)
Corps Members are just that – Members of the Corps. This summer job will change their lives because the VYCC experience is bigger than - and depends on - each of us.
Your Life, your Community, your World.
By the end of your session with the VYCC, your crew may feel like the world to you. Inside jokes, crew stories, and projects mark your story as a crew. However, the tools that you gain from the experience are universal and powerful. They will allow you to change the world – at least your corner of it. Some of the tools you may walk away with are:
- Values of Respect and ability to work with many different people
- Goal setting and planning
- Teambuilding: Moving through stages of group development, the challenges and successes alike
- Ability to think deeply and challenge long-held beliefs
- Work skills: Professionalism, initiative, timeliness, leadership
- An Ethic of Personal Responsibility
The VYCC Educational Curriculum is designed to develop future leaders by providing Corps Members with the tools, experience, and inspiration to change the world. We weave this intention into the entire crew experience. On our crews, policies are not "just rules" and we don't ask for compliance "because we say so." In the VYCC, the work of personal development, achieving goals, and taking responsibility is very real and not unlike the work of the rest of your life – you just may not get as dirty doing it. But we hope you do.
WoRD
The WoRD (Writing, Reading, and Discussion) program is a nationally-recognized educational tool that encourages Corps Members and Leaders to engage in thoughtful discussions about meaningful, relevant topics.
The goal of WoRD is not necessarily to teach new concepts about the environment or conservation but to help participants learn to listen to other points of view and articulate their thoughts and opinions in a safe environment. WoRD is about developing our future leaders and helping them to enrich their communication skills.
To achieve this goal, Crew Leaders facilitate the WoRD program daily. Using a compilation of current articles and essays, all crews read aloud about important environmental and social issues that are relevant both locally and nationally.
After the reading, the crews discuss what they have read and take some time to write in their journals about the topic and discussion. Leaders are responsible for facilitating in-depth discussions, creating a safe environment for youth with varied reading levels, and inspiring Corps Members to form and articulate their opinions to their peers.
WoRD is a wonderful tool for getting kids to think about big issues in a logical way. –Cherob, 2008 Wilderness Crew Leader
