KIDS HURT TOO

HAWAII

CAREGIVER ROLES

Support each youth in a beneficial manner

Provide mentorship to develop strengths

PHYSICAL SET TING

A multidisciplinary building, that has Kids Hurt

Too, Foster youth Coalition, as well as other

resources such as mediation, and community

resources.

Located on the edge of Chinatown considered to

be a rough area

SIMILARITIES

Focus is on providing positive experiences,

through activities and crafts

Provide positive mentorship and role models to

help guide the youth

DIFFERENCES

Programs to help parents provide support to

children

Less structured (if youth decide they no longer

want to participate they have the option of doing

something more to their energy and emotional state

of that day

POSITIVE IDEA 1

Using wood sanding to show that loss can help

develop and polish a person into who they are, and

that it takes timer can be endless depending on goals

POSITIVE IDEA 2

Find a fun activity the youth will enjoy, then find a

lesson or learning opportunity, rather then pick a

learning goal and finding and activity after

POSITIVE IDEA 3

Do not have just specific activities for the day but

provide the youth choices, allowing them to develop

the ability to make appropriate choices for their

energy and emotional levels.

CHALLENGE 1

Finding new and innovate ways to keep the

youth’s attention

Many youth do not enjoy the same thing making

this difficult on occasion

CHALLENGE 2

Leaving my own comfort zone

This has been an ongoing challenge for me

CHALLENGE 3

To find innovative ways to engage the youth in

ways that would be new, as well as great learning

experiences and fun.

INSIGHT 1

Some cultures are more inviting to outsiders than

others

In Hawaii they shared and welcomed people, and

seems less inviting in Canada, requiring knowing

someone to witness many aspects

INSIGHT 2

Everyday activities can be used as learning

opportunities.

These can be fun, as well as create new

connections for the youth

INSIGHT 3

That our society often over regulates youths

activities in programs.

Sometimes the youth just need a safe place to do

what they need to at that time for themselves.

CULTURAL SIMILARITIES

Both Hawaiin and Canadian Aboriginal cultures

put great value and meaning on animal spirits.

Both cultures traditionally look to living with

nature rather than controlling it.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

In Canada the aboriginal people have a very

difficult stereotype to overcome compared to the

Hawaiin aboriginal culture.

I believe this is partly to do with tourism, and

partly the way in which the cultures are celebrated

PHILOSOPHY

To enjoy life to it’s fullest with those around me,

and to take the opportunities to grow and learn

while I do so.

PHILOSOPHY 2

To take the bumps and hurdles life puts in my

path and turn them into a positive learning

experience and outcome from a negative situation

WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT

ME

I learned that I adapt to new areas quickly and

fairly easily

That given the opportunity, I enjoy activities on

my own as much as I do with groups depending on

the activity

I WILL NEVER FORGET

I will never forget how much freedom the

children at Kids Hurt Too had, from helping create

the name, to choices of activities.

I will also never forget how hard the facilitators

strive to provide a place of healing for each youth in

their own way.