Just direct your feet to the sunny side of the street

I've had this tune in my head all day, "Just direct your feet to the sunny side of the street...". It's a song about hope and optimism, recorded during a time of great uncertainty following the great depression and prior to the second world war, and it's a song that is still relevant today.

In the world of education for sustainability I often hear people say that there aren't enough positive stories to be shared with children or youth to inspire them to be part of a positive movement for change. In many ways I agree with these comments. There's a lot of literature that describes the phenomenon of 'action paralysis' or 'environmental depression' that occurs when people have been bombarded with information about how terrible everything is in the world, but haven't been given the skills, insight and inspiration to be part of tackling these complex issues.

This is where we have to engage children and youth to create the positive stories for themselves. Knowledge and thought are important, planning is necessary, but only through united action followed by reflection and celebration, will the appropriate skills, insight and inspiration to continue to be part of a positive movement of change be born in the hearts and minds of those engaged in the process.

A great example of this model of youth engagement, which I've personally witnessed lead to empowerment, is the Baha'i Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program which operates globally wherever there is a Baha'i community. I facilitated a youth group in Perth from 2005 to 2011 and was constantly impressed by the energy, optimism and enthusiasm for service that the youth showed. Other stories about Baha'i junior youth groups are here: http://www.bahai.org.au/Participate/JuniorYouth.aspx

Another great example is the youth organisation Millennium Kids based in Perth, Western Australia. The Millenniums Kids 10-step methodology follows this pattern of planning, action and reflection, and achieves great results in the hearts and minds of the youth they work with. Read some of their own examples here: http://www.millenniumkids.com.au/

It's all about taking action, being part of the process, and thus contributing to the creation of positive stories that are replicable and inspire others to do the same.

Just direct your feet to the sunny side of the street...