A good way to get wayward teens on the right track

[Dot Wethington]

If kids that are at risk want a humbling experience that teaches them about life and all there is about it, I think that a good community service activity is learning to dive. Why?

They have to learn what a Buddy really means.
They learn about the ecosystem and the fragile nature of it.
They learn they are guests in a far bigger world than they know.
They learn about exercise, strength, initiative, sharing, and probably everything that Boot camp teaches and more, and they learn about self esteem, a big reason that high risk juveniles get into trouble in the first place- the lack of any esteem or pride.

I think it teaches about how to avoid anxiety and panic, and learning respect for life in general. We are mere guests in the water realm, and need to enjoy it.

 

[glbirch]

Interesting idea, but I don't see the connection.

 

[archman]

I hope you're not expecting to get all that from your typical OW class! Summer camp is far nearer the mark here. At a handful of camps they offer scuba diving, so that's all good.

 

[glbirch]

So by teaching a teen how to drive, I am instilling a deep knowledge of the rules of the road and a strong respect for other drivers and pedestrians? Teaching someone how to fire a weapon instills a respect for human life?

Basic OW teaches the mechanics of diving. I can only wish that the rest came with it. If learning to dive teaches how to "avoid anxiety and panic" why are they tops on the list for causes of diver fatalities?

 

[headhunter]

I think that diving could be included in some curriculum that was intended to teach all of those things to a "kid that is at risk". But, I don't think that teaching diving by itself would be enough to accomplish the goal.

Of course, this begs the question: What exactly is your definition of a "kid that is at risk"?

That would have a bearing on whether or not teaching someone to dive would be helpful in accomplishing anything at all in this endeavor.

Christian

 

[headhunter]

Oops! I intended that last post and question to go to Dot.

 

[ElectricZombie]

I can see that teaching someone to dive may possibly have some of the benefits mentioned. I don't think it would work for a lot of kids because they wouldn't take it seriously or are "too far gone" to respond to such treatment. It depends on the type of kids we're talking about.

 

[archman]

I've had personal experience teaching skindiving and swimming to inner-city "at-risk" youth. Most of them have never been in water deeper than a bathtub before, and have extreme phobias in that regard. I never once realistically considered scuba instruction for any but a couple, as they lacked comfort just being wet. You have to start from literally the ground up; in my cases weeks of basic swim instruction, incorporating skindiving if possible.

SCUBA would be a nice progression from there (to those that succeed), but time constraints make it non-viable. It may be possible at the end of an intensive 5-9 week aquatics program. Unfortunately I see few programs lasting even half that long.

 

[capelli]

cope courses work well for those type of kids
i used to be a cope instructor and let me tell you that will humble the biggest and the badest


derrick

 

[glbirch]

cope courses work well for those type of kids
i used to be a cope instructor and let me tell you that will humble the biggest and the badest


derrick

COPE? That's the Scouts course? Not sure on the details of that one.