Clarkston Development Foundation is excited to announce that June 10 & 13, 2011 marks the beginning of the camp mentioned below and made possible by the collaboration of the following organizations:
The Global Village School | Clarkston Development Foundation | Clarkston Community Center
Joint Summer Program 2011: Leadership and community-development camp
In summer 2011, the Global Village School, Clarkston Development Foundation, and Clarkston Community Center will hold a landmark program through which a diverse group of future leaders will work together toward the continuing development of their community. Participants will include young refugee and African-American women, whom the program will empower through student-focused and -driven educational methods popularized by Paulo Freire and others. This approach provides learning directly relevant to participants’ lives, resulting in personal investment in both process and outcomes. Among others, Doris Littrell, a nationally recognized expert on community development, will facilitate participants’ acquisition of knowledge and skills to conduct asset inventories and resource mapping, as well as strategies for transforming the community’s — and their own — visions into sustainable plans for the future.
For four weeks during the summer school break, participants will find real-world applications for English, mathematics, and other subjects. Very important to all students during the summer months, this academic reinforcement is especially significant for refugees, who will have regular opportunities outside their homes to use English, which is rarely the primary (or even the secondary) spoken language at home. The Americans will have a unique chance to collaborate in a cross-cultural environment, building bridges across ethnic divides that can inhibit civic action in this community once called “the most diverse square mile in America.” Moreover, all participants will hone teamwork skills and cultivate their own leadership abilities. Through this work, the participants’ own personal stakes in Clarkston will grow, building up the next generation of interested, invested, and involved citizens.
Location
Clarkston Community Center
3701 College Avenue
Clarkston, GA 30021
Dates
July 5-29 (four days per week)
(with initial orientation by Doris Littrell June 9-14)
Daily Schedule (tentative)
8:30 a.m. Arrival at Clarkston Community Center
Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Morning block 1 (group-building and leadership)
10:15 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Morning block 2 (community-development techniques)
12:00 p.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. Dismissal
(Afternoon academics for Global Village School students until mid-afternoon)
These sessions will provide academic reinforcement for refugee students, who are highly susceptible to learning loss during the long summer break due to unique socio-familial and linguistic factors.
Staffing
Doris Littrell, nationally recognized expert on community development
Mathew George, English teacher, Global Village School
Sumaya Karimi, Family Advocate, Clarkston Development Foundation
Many initiatives of the Global Village School, Clarkston Development Foundation, and Clarkston Community Center depend on the expertise and generosity of volunteers — and our joint summer program will be no exception. Volunteers will help lead training sessions, provide one-on-one and group academic tutoring, and support program logistics. If you are interested in helping with this innovative program, please see contact information below. (Hours are flexible within the program’s dates and times described above.)