SV: OS with kids - please advice

[Thomas Herrmann]

Dear friends.
Lots of wise thoughts have already been shared. I just wanted to say I
facilitated an OST earlier this year, focusing on how to prevent
harassements at schools in a community. 43 kids and 27 adults participated
from about 8 different schools. The kids who are already engaged in those
issues at their school, aged from 11-12 years to 16 and they participated
just like everyone. They did really fine, brought up interesting issues and
joined the session groups most of the time.

I noticed that some of the adults/teachers sometimes disturbed the kids a
bit when wanting to help them. They did just fine but the adults didn´t
trust that they would.

At the end of the day some of the smaller kids were quite tired, one had to
go home after lunch - stomachache from drinking too many sodas and eating
biscuits. They were astonished: Can we have as many sodas as we want - well,
if it´s Open Space it is, I thought (passion bounded by responsibility).
Maybe next time I will not have almost unlimited resources in that area...

I believe giving alternative activities as options being a good thing but in
my case it wasn´t needed because they were all interested in the theme.
Regards
Thomas

> -----Ursprungligt meddelande-----
> Från: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]För chris weaver
> Skickat: den 6 maj 2003 13:45
> Till: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Ämne: Re: OS with kids - please advice
>
>
> Gerard,
>
> I have had a similar experience.  Here is what I recommend.
>
> For many of the younger children, the open space sessions
> will not be very
> interesting - a long time, talking about matters that are
> abstract to them.
>
> I would approach people in the community who might be interested in
> convening sessions that are hands-on, with kids in mind:
> art, movement,
> music, group games, etc.  Since these sessions go up on the
> agenda wall with
> the others, then it is not a separate "child care" track, but
> part of the
> whole.  And adults may choose to attend also of course
> (imagine creating a
> dance or painting along your theme of "what do we want to have in the
> future, and how do we create it?"
>
> Whether the law of two feet can fully apply to children
> depends on the norms
> of supervision at your school.  If the law does apply to all,
> then a six
> year old may leave the art session to wander the halls to
> find her mother's
> session, and children may be butterflies here and there if
> they so choose.
> If this is not comfortable to the sponsors then there could
> be adult or
> youth escorts to assist children who are ready to use their
> "two feet".  A
> third choice is that children are only checked in and out of
> the "childrens"
> sessions by a parent, but then they are no longer equal
> participants in the
> OST, and the "childrens" sessions are not part of the whole, either.
>
> When we held a similar event at a school, many, but not all,
> of the young
> children chose to attended the art sessions, and many of the
> older children
> participated in other groups.  At closing circle most of the
> kids chose to
> sit on the floor in the middle.  After our once-around with
> the talking
> stick, the children shared their artwork individually and
> sang two songs,
> and that was our closing.  It was marvelous.
>
> Chris
>
> > From: Gerard Muller <gm at openspace.dk>
> > Reply-To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
> > Date: Tue, 6 May 2003 10:14:35 +0200
> > To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> > Subject: [OSLIST] OS with kids - please advice
> >
> > Dear All,
> >
> > I have been asked to facilitate an Open Space for a school.
> The theme
> > will be: "What school do we want to have in the future, and
> how do we
> > create it ?"
> >
> > When discussing who should participate, the conclusion at
> this moment is
> > the Board, the schools staff, parents, children and a
> couple of others
> > who have
> > a say about or expertise in this.
> >
> > My question is about the children. This school has children
> from 6-16
> > years old. The preparation group I am working with feels the older
> > classes could participate. I expect also the younger ones
> would just do
> > fine - except that probably they will not be given a choice to
> > participate or not - parents who want to join the meeting
> will just take
> > them along so as to not have to pay for someone to look after them.
> >
> > Anyone else has any experience with this ?
> >
> > Greetings from Denmark,
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Gerard Muller
> > Open Space Institute Denmark
> >
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