Lessons from Year 1: Grounding Commitments to CBPR
January 17, 2024Program Updates from Kosrae
February 21, 2024
By Yshiwata Lomae
In January 2024, the TASIK team met online to discuss last year’s summer youth camp program held here in Majuro – on what worked, what didn’t work well, and what to plan for moving forward. Participants from Jo-Jikum and PREL included Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, Corrin Barros, Loredel Faye R. Areieta, Canita Rilometo, Yshiwata Lomae, and Jabod Silk. The following paragraphs illustrate some clear view of our learning experiences from last year’s 2023 youth summer camp.
Thinking back, last year’s summer camp left good memories and deep learning experiences for all of us, including facilitators and especially the youth. Youth who attended increased their knowledge and skills related to their environment, cultures, and who they are as people of the Marshall Islands. The youth also learned to incorporate the elements of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) through storytelling, weaving, and tool building. Most importantly, the youth added more extraordinary people to their network of friends.
During last year’s 2023 summer youth camp, not enough time was allotted for the daily STEM sessions. Students needed more time to digest information as well as time to complete hands on activities. Considering students came from the centers of Majuro or Ebeye and neighboring islands like Wotje or Namu, there could be more exposure to language learning, more hands-on experience, and use of the opportunities to visit sites and learn in-situ. We also reflected on the ways learning time was lost and youth engagement dampened when people arrived late to program activities.
Moving forward into the 2024 summer camp this year, the TASIK’s team will schedule six Saturdays beginning in March or April and engage youth in outdoor activities. Some of the activities brought up during the discussions were storytelling, riding the Waam canoes, fishing, exploring an islet near Majuro, and cooking. We are currently talking to experts and organizational partners such as Waam to support this work.
