“If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living.” Joseph Campbell
The hero’s journey comes from the structure of ancient and modern mythology. In ancient times, as well as today, myths inform us about the mysterious and unknown aspects of life. In the hero’s journey, there are stages: ordinary life, the call to adventure, refusal of the call, meeting mentors and allies, saying yes to the call, tests, inner searching, big challenges, rewards, completing the journey and returning to the world a changed person.
As youth grow and prepare for life, they can begin their own hero’s journey. At times, society pressures for conformity (don’t worry about liking your job, find a job that can support you financially, and forget about your crazy dreams). In contrast, the hero’s journey is an adventure that will lead youth to finding who they are and what they love. What better way to approach life.
Our society has failed many of our out-of-school youth. According to the National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education, each year since 1985, 4 million young people aged 16-24 are not enrolled in or failed to complete high school. We owe them more. I think we have the opportunity to take a giant leap by providing a passageway and opportunities for them to travel the hero’s journey. This journey will lead them to a fulfilling career by providing time for them to discover their passion and helping them prepare for a career that has meaning for them. As Joseph Campbell says, if you follow your bliss you put yourself on a track that leads you to your passion.
We can begin by creating an environment of hope for youth as they begin their hero’s journey. Listen to them. Be there as they develop and explore their dreams. Endorse their dreams. Support them. Love their dreams and let them know you do. It is their dreams that will propel them forward. Help them to build their strength to withstand disappointments and challenges. Nurture the idea that each of them is on a hero’s journey that will be a wonderful adventure. Their adventure will includes good times and difficult times. Many of these youth have withstood greater challenges and have survived.
As youth embark on their hero’s journey, experiences can fuel their travels. One of the best gifts you can give youth is a sense of curiosity. For youth to find their destiny and have a fulfilling life, they need to know what’s out there. And they need the opportunity to try things out. They need space to explore. I’m not suggesting that a brief internship or visiting workplaces is going to do it. It’s more than that. Let’s give youth time to find their passion. In our world, many adults have never embarked on the journey to find their passion. That, I believe, is a major source of their lack of fulfillment in life. Let’s make the time and space for exploration available for youth. How would your life have been different if the time and space had been given to you?
A key stage of the Hero’s Journey is “The Call to Adventure.” That is what we should create for youth a positive challenge, a chance to find out who they are and what they want to do, a means to engage them in life and inspire them to their individual greatness. We all deserve a fulfilling life. Let’s take a giant leap with youth and give them the opportunity to walk the hero’s journey. Let’s call them to adventure. I imagine an exploration space, a walk where they have never gone, supported by mentors and allies along the way. How rich it could be!
This essay only begins to look at the stages of the hero’s journey. There is so much more to explore. Let’s use the hero’s journey as a framework to develop a new perspective for supporting out-of-school youth.
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Watch BAFTA Members inspire and educate aspiring young film makers as part of the Academy’s Youth Mentoring programme in association with Media Trust. Find out more on the BAFTA website: tinyurl.com
Help answer the question about youth mentor
I want to start a non-profit to assist at risk youth. I need a mentor to help guide me to get things going?I want to start a transitional housing program for at risk youth. The program I want to start will have employment training, job coaching, life skills training, transitional housing and follow-up services.I plan to base the non-profit in michigan. The services will cover the metro detroit area.
About Author
Ann Vanino is a career coach and business consultant and owner of Moving Forward Coaching & Consulting. Ann works with government and non-profit organizations to design youth-oriented and market driven workforce development programs and strategies. Ann writes about youth and leadership on her blog at http://www.movingforward.net/wp/
Tags: academy, BAFTA, film, filmmmaking, mediatrust, members, mentoring, youth
dammm sad loss
Love You Chris Wont Stop Records Got You Dog!!!!
You won't get rich but there are lots of jobs available.
It's stressful though — there is high turnover because of the hours vs. the amount of pay.
You can be a mentor without it being your job — lots of kids need mentors.
(At first I thought you were talking about being a youth pastor)
I've volunteered with several youth programs, and I've had some pretty positive experiences with all of them. I currently work with several programs. I am an active "Big" in the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization:
http://www.bbbs.org
I'm on my second match, and it's been a lot of fun. Even though at times you may not realize the impact that you are making, it's all of the little moments that make it worthwhile.
I also volunteer through my volunteer center to tutor children at the library and work at the local children's shelter. I've found the most variety through the volunteer center:
http://www.handsonnetwork.org/our-network/
http://www.pointsoflight.org/c.....center.cfm
http://national.unitedway.org
It all depends on the type of time commitment, and what you are looking for in a program. If you are looking for a one-on-one match, then I would suggest that Big Brothers is a very good program. If you are looking for general mentoring opportunities, I think your volunteer center may be able to help you find stuff that will have a shorter time frame to get started. In both cases with Big Brothers, it did take quite a bit of time before I was matched, and a longer time in order to build a relationship with my match.
Good luck!
i would say to talk with a salvation army family shelter director.
a baseball bat might help.
just kiddin…sorta.
but first off don't take no crap offa them. none. but don't disrespect em either. i mean don't act all authority on em…that will turn em off.
keep your distance some, don't get buddy with em. they ain't gonna fall for that. u can still joke and have fun with em tho.
all of em will know exactly why u are there so don't never tell em nothin but exactly the truth. when they learn u ain't playin no games or lyin to em, then u will start to get respect outta them.
some of em will play games with u. don't fall for it. and seein as they are black and u ain't, that will probly be one game they will try first…the racism thing. don't fall for it.
don't trust em at first either. and let em know that u don't. don't try and say u do when u don't. let em know they gotta earn your trust just like u gotta earn theirs.
Essential.
Those were gifts. Volunteering is not tax deductable.
You can deduct any moneys you gave to a non-profit organization for him but that is all. The organization you donated to can give you documentation of your donation.
I lost my job 6 months ago, but I've finally found something I can do at home to make some exta money to help make ends meet. By no means am I rich, but every penny helps. Try it yourself. http://www.goodinternetdeals.com/Work-At-Home.html
so so sad..i mean im 29 and i remember chris from back in the boys club days..i used beg my granny to go up there just so i could see chris.he always knew every1 by name and now i have a 10 yr old daughter he knew onsite..its sad that someone so dedicated to the kids was taken this way.he was a very positive person who will always be missed.
You are going to need help to do it. TV stations won't run commercials that don't meet their standards. Hunt down local TV production students or even public-access TV afficionados.
I make my own infomercials for the internet… but making commericals for TV is a different game altogether.,
thats fukin bullsh*t…you should not off the good people…we need more good people.