Mavericks 2010 - Program Overview

THE YOUTHREVOLUTIONSTARTSHERE.

Mavericks.indd 1 10/31/09 4:38:22 PM

Mavericks of Social Change is on a mission to pioneer a new form of learning for the 21st century.

We are helping to create schools that:

empower students by creating spaces where youth are encouraged to dream big and take risksprepare young citizens and changemakers, by teaching entrepreneurial skills alongside civic educationand build communities, by linking students with inspiring individuals and organizations in their local neighbourhoods

A rapidly changing world demands a new form of education.


WHO ARE WE?Mavericks of Social Change (MSC) is a not-for-pro!t network, led by youth (ages 13-18) and young adults (19-25). We are based at the Hub (1673 Barrington St) in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

MSC is an initiative of the Classroom Connections Learning Foundation. Since 1999, CCLF has established itself as a Canadian leader in education reform, with its learning resources being dis-tributed to 80% of school nationwide. We are funded as part of a national research project, called Youthscape, which seeks to make Canadian communities more inclusive and empowering for youth.

What is a Maverick? These are individuals who defy the boundaries of possibility; rather than complain about

problems, they create solutions; they bring together partners from all realms of society to turn big ideas into reality; they are changemakers, trailblazers, and visionaries. Our organization is about bringing these individuals together to promote a culture of social entrepreneurship within our

schools, to foster a generation of mavericks for the future.

For more info, check out:www.BEaMaverick.ca


OUR IMPACT Currently, Mavericks engages over 70 post-secondary student volunteers, and reaches over 250 students (ages 10-19), from +10 school in/around Halifax.

By April 2010, we expect to have engaged +100 university student facilitators, generating over 5000 volunteer hours total for the local community. Through our programs, we will reach over 300 students, with an average contact time of +35hrs for each participant.

By 2015, we expect to meaningfully engage over 50% of Halifax Peninsula’s +4500 youth (ages 12-19), and 5% of the Peninsula’s +10,000 post-secondary students (ages 19-24)

“I was amazed at the ability of each of the facilitators to gain and maintain the attention and interest of every student. The relation-ships they forged over the course of the three mornings were inspiring. The students’ learning was certainly enhanced through their participation, as exempli!ed in the !nal products produced.”

MJ Scott, Principal, Burton Ettinger.

“The experience was simply lifechanging”

Scott Strickland, age 18


THE NEEDReversing Youth Brain Drain and Meeting Labour Market Challenges

Baby boomers account for 36% of Nova Scotia’s population. By 2021, 45% of Nova Scotia’s population will be over the age of 55. Competent youth leaders will be needed to resolve this impending population crisis. (Halifax Chamber of Commerce)

During the last decade (1998-2008), Atlantic Canada has experienced the out-migration of over 70,000 youth, ages 15-34; that is about 10% of the entire age bracket. Help-ing young individuals establish strong roots in their community is a critical factor to fostering a thriving young workforce. (Atlantic Provinces Economic Council)

Less than 47% of Canadians say elementary and high schools are meeting their expectations in terms of preparing students for the world of work (CCL)

I have seen my neighbourhood get ripped apart by violence, poverty, drug abuse and hopelessness. Many of my fellow youth have drifted onto the wrong path and have lost their souls, if not their lives…PeaceJam gave me the chance to change all that“ Mohsin Khan, 18, PJ participant

Getting Youth Civically EngagedLess than 50% of Haligonians have volunteered in the last two years (HRM CRCA)

32% of Haligonians report feeling a weak sense of belonging to the broader community - this rate is highest among young people, ages 19-24 (Capital Health District Authority)

Less then 60% of Canadians say elementary and high schools are meeting their expectations in terms of educating students to be good citizens (Canadian Council on Learning)

Promoting Healthy Personal Development Among Youth

Every year since 2000, Halifax has had one of the three highest violent crime rates, among all Canadian cities (Centre for Justice Statistics); we can address this problem at its root by fostering personal empowerment and community connectedness.

Less than 55% of Canadians say elementary and high schools are meeting their expectations in terms of promoting problem solving skills and a love for learning (CCL); getting students engaged in deep learning is essential to their long-term healthy development

65% of youth (13-18) in North America say they would like to have more contact with an adult mentor, outside their family (Search Institute)


OUR PROGRAMSMavericks of Social Change o"ers a continuum of programs that support students, from ages 10, right to age 19.

The common link among all MSC programs is the focus on challenging students to engage in self-directed learning, in a supportive, creative, and interactive environment. Programs are designed to simultaneously encourage entrepreneurial competencies as well as active citizenship, to ensure students not only see the need for community development, but also can identify and capitalize on opportunities to foster social innovation.

Through our programs we are helping to create schools that encourage a culture of social entrepreneurship and community engagement among Halifax’s youth.

“MSC is changing the way Dalhousie students interact with their community; it’s truly astounding!

Mark Hobbs, Vice President, Dalhousie Student Union

Even the more challenging students were engaged and enjoyed the sessions”

Teacher, St. Joseph’s A. McKay


SCHOOL ARTS - igniting creativityThe Halifax Schoolarts Project is a community initiative designed to bring interactive arts-based learning into public school classrooms, for grade 5 and 6 students. Created collaboratively by young people in the Halifax community, the program aims to engage and motivate youth to express themselves through arts by creating a space in which the young adults and the youth can inter-act meaningfully. The program empowers youth to realize their individual talents and potential, as well as develop self-con!dence, creative thinking, and leadership skills -- yes, all through the use of ARTS!

MSC o"ers two versions of the SchoolArts program. The !rst type is what we call the “Helicopter Program”, in which facilitators design three-day arts workshops around a particular media (!lm, visual, theatre, photography, creative writing, for example) for a group of ten grade six students. The fruits of these workshops are then celebrated at an open house for teachers, facilitators, community members, and parents.

We also o"er “stayed e"ort” programs where we work in schools year-round to foster longer lasting and even more meaningful relationships between facilitators and participants.


PEACEJAM HALIFAX - turning ideas into actionMSC is bringing the international PeaceJam movement to Halifax. PeaceJam is a global program that brings together youth and Nobel Peace Laureates to change the world. After participating in an 8 month exploration of social and environmental issues, students then decide on a cause that matters to them and develop a relevant community service project to turn their knowledge into action. To recognize and celebrate students’ e"orts, PeaceJam participants then get to spend a weekend up close and personal with a Nobel Laureate at a closing Conference.

In 2008/09, MSC piloted the PJ program at Oxford Junior High School and has since expanded to 5 schools for 2009/2010, reaching students, grade 7-10. The program has shown tremendous strength in terms of promoting the resilience and civic engagement of participants.

“PeaceJam made me see everything di"erently, in every aspect of my life”

Jake Faloon, Age 15

“I learned that change comes from talking to the people you are going to be working with, and !nding out their ideas and opinions, instead of just barging in

and giving money.”

Peace Jam Workshop Participant, Age 16


CO-OP CONNECTIONS - supporting young changemakersThis program provides grade 11 and 12 students with the life-changing experience of developing a major community action project, with the support of a local business or not-for-pro!t organization. Each student participant is provided with a budget of $250.00+ for their project’s development, and is also o"ered events and ongoing coaching to help them translate their ideas into action.

Best of all, this is all done in partnership with the Halifax Regional School Board’s Community-Based Learning Department, providing students the opportunity to get up to four high school credits for their participation in this en-trepreneurial education program. Students emerge from the program with an advanced understanding of how to facilitate truly sustainable community development.

Mavericks has helped me get $6000.00 in funding for my community service project; they also helped

me get a $2000.00 scholarship, awarded by the Premier of Nova Scotia

Megan Beaudoin, 17


THE MOVEMENT “I’ve been so impressed by their work that I’ve allowed my students the option of substituting term project for service-learning experiences in Mavericks’ programs”

Dr. Ed Leach, Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University

We have been excited to watch the growth of both the young people and proj-ects and see the passion and potential of each individual involved in this dynamic youth-led organization.

Youth Scape HRM

Today’s youth are on the search for new ways of thinking, learning, and living.

It is this hunger for new approaches and new ideas that has fuelled the rapid growth of MSC. In just a couple quick years, Mavericks of Social Change has evolved from the pie-in-the-sky idea of a few restless students into one of the Maritime’s major youth empowerment organizations. This momentum shows no signs of slowing down either... in fact volunteers are now coming out of the woodwork! A casual conversation with a stranger in a cafe or at a bus stop often turns to talk about Mavericks, and often brings on a new volunteer or supporter.

Best of all, this movement is uniting partners across traditional divides. Leaders from all communities – business, government, academic, educa-tion, health, not-for-pro!t, etc – are all coming together around this vision of a more critical thinking and civically engaged next generation.


INTO THE FUTURE“There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come” -Victor Hugo

The focus for MSC has always been (and always will be) creating long-term, systemic change to break down barriers between youth and their communities.

We believe this type of far-reaching, sustainable change requires the active engagement and involvement of all sectors of the community. That is why, starting January 2010, we will be launching an intensive community consultation to set the long-term strategic direction for Mavericks of Social Change.

Together we will be searching for new ways to make MSC’s programs more accessible and engaging for all communities of youth, while exploring the best ways to utilize our network’s resources to best meet the real needs of the local community.

If you would be interested in being part of this community engagement campaign, contact us today. We would love to have you involved!

Mavericks of Social Change has shown a strong passion and capacityfor engaging the youth of HRM. We look forward to continuing to work with MSC, among other organizations, to make our municipality a national leader in the youth empowerment movement. His Worship, Peter Kelly Mayor of Halifax


Thank you to our network partners


Documents

Mavericks 2010 - Program Overview