AJ Independent
Aug 1, 2021
StandUp AJ anti-drug coalition briefed on its ‘cultural framework’
‘Kids at Hope’ taught to Pinal County staff
StandUp AJ anti-drug coalition briefed on its ‘cultural framework’
By Richard H. Dyer
INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA
A youth-development strategy that demonstrates all children are capable of success — Kids at Hope — is being taught to employees in Pinal County governmental agencies and could be a tool used by a local anti-drug group.
“It is a cultural framework. It’s not something that you do on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 o’clock at your school or at your organization to help engage your community, but it’s something that changes your entire culture,” said Julie Niven of Pinal County Schools with the Youth Justice Center during the June 30 meeting of StandUp AJ, Apache Junction’s drug-prevention coalition.
>> See Kids on page 6
Two of the Kids at Hope principles and practices involve connecting with all children in a meaningful and sustainable way; and teaching children to mentally time travel to their future in four destinations — home and family, hobbies and recreation, community and services, and education and career.
Kids
“We believe that children succeed when they are surrounded by adults who believe that they can succeed and that all children are capable of success — no exceptions,” she said of Kids at Hope.
Other principles and practices involve connecting with all children in a meaningful and sustainable way; and teaching children to mentally time travel to their future in four destinations — home and family, hobbies and recreation, community and services, and education and career.
Niven and Karen Shogren, a volunteer with StandUp AJ who works at Pinal County Juvenile Court Services, have been providing a four-hour training in the strategy with government employees. Shogren and Niven were trained in Kids at Hope through Arizona State University’s The Center for the Advanced Study and Practice of Hope.
Resources are at kidsathope. org.
“ There are lots of connections and things on the website to help you see what Kids at Hope is about. Karen and I are in the process of getting ready to train all of the juvenile court services. We’ve trained all of the juvenile detention staff on the Kids at Hope philosophy,” Niven said. “And then we’re going to be training juvenile court services, all of their admin staff, probation, the CASA group that works with our youth out in the community as well as probation. And then the next training we actually have scheduled is we are going to be training the Florence (Unified School District) preschool teachers and staff and so we’re excited about that as well.” Niven offered training for StandUp AJ volunteers and community members with a workshop titled “Unleashing the Power of Hope.”
