PYD Mental Health BBQ program
Today, I would like to write about the youth development program we have just made recently at Miacis. This program is designed to help young people (12-18 years old, including junior high and high school students) understand mental wellness.
If you are not familiar with Miacis, please refer to the following article.
Youth Development Program?
Youth development programs promote the psychological and physical development of youth through workshops and activities prepared by adults. The concept is particularly popular in the U.S. and Canada, and some of the best-known programs are offered by 4H, an American youth development organization. You can view 4H's youth development programs in the U.S. at the website below.
I am particularly interested in youth development programs that use the Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach, which has become a philosophy and practical method of youth development in the United States and other parts of the world.
In addition to youth, PYD engages with youth families, communities, and governments to maximize youth potential; PYD encourages the formation of youth skills, abilities, and qualities; fosters healthy relationship building; creates a supportive environment; and improves social structures. (YouthPower Learning n.d.)
At first glance, this may sound difficult, but a simple explanation is that we should involve those who are involved with young people, work to improve their abilities, introduce them to the role models they need, and slowly change the society surrounding young people.
What is this program all about?
The program created by Miacis is a mental health program that aims to enhance participants' self-awareness and self-management skills, and at the same time, to increase their attachment to the community through peer and intergenerational exchange at a BBQ.
Refer below to see a kind of activities that participants attend within this program.
The Stress Bucket Metaphor
The stress bucket metaphor is a concept in psychology that is a very simple analogy of understanding stress, comparing the mind to a bucket and water to stress.
Understanding mind's (bucket's) capacity to receive stress
Understanding the daily stress (water) that enters the mind (bucket) and the types of stress.
Understand the physical and mental signs of stress overflowing from the mind (water bucket).
How to reduce stress (water) / understand current stress reduction methods and plan for the future.
Mindfulness Breathing Techniques
Mindfulness is the act of focusing all of one's attention on a single thing, and breathing exercises using this method are said to help relieve stress and relax.
Understanding about mindfulness and its benefits
Practical understanding of mindfulness through breathing exercises and other activities
Understanding of mindfulness and breathing techniques as an effective stress reduction method.
Why did you create this program?
It is my passion
I have always enjoyed studying and talking to people about psychology and the human mind. I majored in International Relations at university, but I was also very interested in psychology, and when I had time and the time to spare, I would watch Youtube videos of psychology lectures at the University of Toronto in Canada. I was also inspired to create the program because I wanted to take care of not only my own wellbeing, but also the wellbeing of other people."
I wish for the wellbeing of youth
In today's society, there is a strong focus on physical health, but I feel that there is a lack of understanding about the importance of psychological health. Schools and companies conduct annual health checkups, but mental health checkups and diagnoses are not conducted. However, mental health has some impact on academic performance, club activities, and daily life performance. Above all, mental health is very important for a meaningful and satisfying life before school and extracurricular activities. I created the program with the deep belief that "young people should have good mental and physical health, not just physical health."
Skills that young people need
Competitive studying for exams, academic performance, complicated friendships, minor family frictions, and conflicts about life and how to live, young people live with the same daily stresses as we adults do. Just as adventurers train and prepare tools for their journey, young people need to understand the stresses they face in life and how to cope with them. If they are prepared, they can begin their adventure with a little more confidence, even if they have to take the hard road.
How did you make this program?
PYD Toolkit
We used a toolkit published by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) that outlines what it takes to create a program (planning, implementation, evaluation, and modification).
USAID is the world's leading international development agency and a catalyst for development outcomes; USAID's activities promote U.S. national security and economic prosperity, demonstrate U.S. generosity, and facilitate recipients' path to self-reliance and resilience. (USAID 2022)
USAID has developed and published a free toolkit for youth development programs using the PYD approach for policymakers and youth workers in developing countries and other countries around the world. The toolkit contains many of the materials and information needed to run a program, including the concept of the PYD approach, planning and evaluation methods, and a questionnaire to evaluate the program. Click on the image below to go to the website where you can download the toolkit.
Essential Elements of Youth Development
The USAID PYD Toolkit summarizes four essential components of youth development based on a variety of developmental psychology academic research.
Qualities (skills) ... interpersonal skills, self-control, higher order thinking skills, etc.
Personhood ... self-efficacy, positive outlook on the future, etc.
Enabling environment ... attachment building, support, opportunities for social participation
Opportunities to contribute ... youth-centered environment and community development
The idea is that if we can incorporate these elements into our youth engagement and programming, we can expect to see more effective and meaningful results.
See you next time!
As this is the first time to conduct a PYD program in Macis, we would like to improve the program in the span of a few months through trial and error. We will conduct the program from the end of November to the beginning of December, make modifications based on the results, and conduct it two or three times to make it more impactful and effective.
The results of the first program will be posted on this website. See you soon!