The attitude of Greenwood students flies in the face of some recent research about teenagers. According to an article published recently in The Globe and Mail, today’s teenagers may be less community minded and more individualistic than teenagers 20 years ago.
This finding was reported in the December print edition of Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and was based on a research study involving close to 300,000 American teenagers. Researchers attributed this change in attitude to changing social conditions, which seem to place greater emphasis on personal success and independence.
I had the opportunity to spend some time with our Grade 7, 9, and 10 students during this year's winter Outdoor Education program. While there I saw students work together to build quinzees, gather wood for a winter fire and encourage each other to navigate a challenging aerial course. When indoors, students engaged in gratitude circles and drama exercises, activities that provided an opportunity for students to articulate to one another how they contribute to Greenwood’s sense of community.
Ultimately, we hope to build community and make students more self-reliant. Our winter program is one example of how this happens. Over the course of that week, our students and staff faced some challenging Canadian weather. Learning to persevere when it is cold requires inner fortitude, as well as the support of others. Overall, it was a great start to a new year.