I'm reminded of a story. In 1984 Wethersfield Connecticut was celebrating their 350th anniversary. At the time I was the Director of the town's Youth Service Bureau (YSB). To honor the event I had the "brilliant idea" of having students, who had been in ROPE®, break the world’s circle sit record. Notice I didn’t say, “try to break the world’s circle sit record.” The formulation of brilliant ideas rarely considers that they may not work or the energy, resources and effort necessary to “try them,” let alone have them succeed. (more…)
Curiosity, a one ton roving robotic laboratory landed today on Mars. We continue to make amazing advances through technology. What if we applied this amount of intellectual capital, resources and time to improve the way we raise our children?
This article was first written about ten years ago. In celebration of Curiosity and our unbridled capacity for creativity and technical ingenuity, I’m releasing it again. Perhaps it can nudge policy-makers to consider our children as a frontier worthy of exploring and devoting resources and time to helping them grow up better. How are our children doing? (more…)
Posted in ROPE
M. Kalani Souza, outgoing IKE Hui Steersperson, officiates the appointment of new co-steerspersons Kesner Flores, Jean Tanimoto, David Blumenkrantz, M. Kalani Souza (left to right), Penny Larin, PRiMO and NOAA Pacific Services Center administrative support is in the foreground.
In the March blog I discussed our work with PRiMO - the Pacific Risk Management Ohana, which is a collaboration of local, national and regional agencies, institutions, organizations and academia. Over the past several years a growing number of federal agencies have begun to recognize the essential value of youth engagement and the role of rites of passage. At the March PRiMO meeting a major shift occurred. The Indigenous Knowledge and the Environment Hui (IKE Hui) chose "youth integration" through the youth and community development through rites of passage framework as its project for 2012-13. It was a great honor to be appointed "Co-steersperson" (chairman) of this distinguished group, along with Kesner Flores, Kapay Allaince and Jean Tanimoto, Pacific Services Center. (more…)
Posted in ROPE
If we save the children we save the fish, the waters and the planet.
The only approach that makes sense to me is an ecological one. In this we see what our ancestors saw, “that all things are related.” Mitakuye Oyasin… all things are connected - Schema, the primary prayer in Judaism, we are one with God and all that there is.
In almost all traditional cultures there are similar concepts of “oneness” and the interrelatedness of all things. (more…)
Posted in ROPEGo to Pacific Risk Management 'Ohana (PRiMO) Annual Meeting Website »
David Blumenkrantz and Kalani Souza welcomes the PRIMO group to song at the 2010 Pacific Partners Meeting
David Blumenkrantz and Kalani Souza welcomes the PRIMO group to song at the 2010 Pacific Partners MeetingNational security is dependent upon our education and youth development policy and practices. Youth & community development through rites of passage is one focus of the March annual meeting of PRIMO.
The Center’s Founder and Executive Director and member of the Traditional Knowledge and the Environment Hui, David Blumenkrantz along with the Olohana Foundation’s founder an IKE Hui Steersperson M. Kalani Souza serve as host & convener of conversations at the PRIMO’s annual meeting in Hawaii, March 13-15, 2012. (more…)
Posted in ROPE
An architectural structure for community resilience focusing on youth and community development through rites of passage1 includes twenty interrelated elements. They serve as design principles for individuals in organizations and communities to “co-learn” and “co-create” their rites of passage experience. Two of these elements are:
Connection with Nature – E - # 11
Connection with the Ancestors – E - # 13
For some there are no differences between the two. There is a consciousness of Mitakuye oyasin – All my relations - the perception that we are all connected. There are no distinctions between our biological relatives and all that exists in nature in relationship with us. We are all in relationship, Mitakuye oyasin. That is at the core of this ecological approach to youth and community development through rites of passage. Not only are we in relationship with others and everything in nature, but also all of the twenty elements are in relationship with each other. (more…)
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Read more about Youth & Community Development through Rites of Passage in the new and highly acclaimed book by Dr. David Blumenkranz.
Support bringing the Rite of Passage Experience™ initiative to today’s youth, families and communities.
David Blumenkrantz, Ph.D., Ed.M., Founder & Executive Director, the Center for Youth & Community
It’t time for a Paradigm Shift – a fundamental change in beliefs, theory and approach – in developing community-centered responses to the challenges faced by today’s Youth & Community. More here>>