Angst No More: Teen Activism
Where else on earth can I find a battle of the bands to Save Darfur, an exercise to experience living in poverty, letter writing to sick children, and efforts to end the use of Styrofoam in one place, over one week?
The Kutz Campus for Reform Jewish Teen Life is a bustling adventure even when I don’t get to visit; but since I am here, I can certainly report how active the young people in the Social Action track are filling their time. The way Kutz functions empowers participants, who are all high schoolers, to pick their preferred topics for two hour sessions in the mornings, followed by two ‘elective’ sessions in the afternoon. The morning sessions dedicated to social action attracted no less than 20% of the camp!!
In the midst of 90 degree days, these young leaders have been able to work on behalf of Save Tibet; Heifer International; Save Darfur; Make a Child Smile; as well as other local organizations and causes.
The countless articles I read about how lazy and unengaged young people are never seemed accurate when I was younger, and now I certainly see that at least at Kutz, what passes for laziness counts as active everywhere else.