From the Fall 2002 Newsletter:

Teens Acting for Peace - A Personal Perspective on How We're Doing

-- Joel Miller is an intern working with the Institute for Peace and Justice as part of the Mennonite Voluntary Services program.

Since February of this year, I have had the privilege of working closely with Jim McGinnis and Mike Cazares on FAVAN's Teens Acting for Peace (TAP) program.  Beginning as a pilot program in St. Louis' Cardinal Prep three years ago, TAP has grown in depth and breadth as a national youth violence prevention program.  Through workshop training sessions, written resources, and adult mentorship, we are equipping TAP youth leaders to be peacemakers in their own schools as well as teachers of the principles of the Pledge of Nonviolence to elementary school students.

During the spring semester of last school year I began helping with the Ritter students' weekly after-school meetings.  There they work on internalizing the Pledge as a community and preparing for their presentations in the elementary schools.  Throughout the semester I also observed the youth give two different days of presentations in three elementary schools.  It was clear that the youth were able to connect with the younger students in a unique, creative and meaningful way.  At the end of the semester I helped conduct an evaluation of the youths' experience of the TAP program.  Among many of the other positive comments from students, graduating senior Kayla Bolton stated, "This program has truly influenced me to find more peaceful ways to solve conflicts.  It has really affected my school life."  Fellow TAPper Laron Haymore added, "It has granted me skills that allow me to learn things, understand them, then teach them to someone else."

I have also enjoyed being part of training teams that help equip youth with knowledge and skills to be successful teachers of the Pledge.  My first experience as a co-trainer was with Mike Cazares during a Peace Jam weekend festival in Memphis, Tennessee.  We provided a small taste of TAP during a two-hour afternoon workshop.  During the first hour, youth were introduced to the Pledge, selected which component they would like to teach, and learned a creative activity to use with children pertaining to their part of the Pledge.  For the second half of the workshop these youth led elementary-aged children in learning about their component, culminating in everyone signing the Pledge.

I was involved in a much more extensive training in Baden, Pennsylvania at the end of July.  Here I was part of a five person team that conducted a two-day training sessions for over 40 high school and college students and young adults.  Using song, signing, drama, artwork, small group sharing, and other creative activities, these young people were presented with the Pledge as a model to live by and a method for teaching peacemaking.  After the training and three more days of team building, the trainees became teachers to over 100 young children during a peace camp the following week.

Another exciting development this summer was the training of a group of college students by Georgian Court College in Lakewood NJ.  Georgian Court has made a commitment to use TAP as a means for their students to work with high schoolers in teaching nonviolence in area elementary schools.  This could be a model for other colleges getting involved in TAP.

With school starting again, St. Louis and Kansas City have had trainings in September to prepare students for the year ahead.  The St. Louis training was enhanced by the racial and cultural mix between the schools.  Students were challenged to bridge their differences as they worked together toward a common goal.  The Kansas City training featured a public school working alongside two private schools.  The TAP program in Cincinnati is just moving into its second year.

It is exciting to be part of a program that is truly promoting a lifestyle of courageous peacemaking in a time of fear and violence.  The model is simple and effective -- teach young people the way of peace and they will in turn be role models to children.  We're looking forward to another good school year for TAP.