YOUTH EDUCATION & EMPOWERMENT IN NORTHEAST SRI LANKA:

Annual Report on the Visions English & Leadership Training Program

September 2005

Prepared by

MEERA PATHMARAJAHVisions, Founding Director

&GREG BUIE

Visions, Co-Director

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………….2

Background…………………………………………………………………………………..4

About Visions………………………………………………………………………………..5

Mission, Goals & Objectives………………………………………………………………...6

Explanation of Program Objectives………………………………………………………….7

Partner Organizations………………………………………………………………………..11

The Visions Curriculum……………………………………………………………………..12

Sample Visions Daily Schedule……………………………………………………………...13

Sample Curriculum Guide for Volunteers…………………………………………………...14

Selection of Children’s Homes and Students………………………………………………...18

Volunteer Recruitment & Training…………………………………………………………..19

Evaluation of 2005 Visions Camps…………………………………………………………..20

Recommendations……………………………………………………………………………22

Evaluation of Program Objectives…………………………………………………………...23

Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………………..26

Appendix A: Visions/ Operation USA Partnership…………………………………………..27

Appendix B: Budget Information...…………………………………………………………..28

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SUMMARY

There is undoubtedly a vast amount of potential lying dormant among youth all over the world. Magnificent talents, intelligence and capabilities remain undiscovered as youth remain helpless against global diseases of poverty and war. In North East Sri Lanka, children and youth have not only endured tragic disasters like that of tsunami, but have also grown up at high risk of malnutrition, poor health care, poor education, displacement, shelling, aerial bombing, disappearance, torture, rape, mass arrest and prolonged detention. Anxiety and trauma caused by these circumstances of war in North East Sri Lanka have certainly affected the outlook of youth in Sri Lanka, yet they possess an incredible resilience and cling tightly to education because they know it is their only hope.

Visions is a program inspired by youth in Sri Lanka and designed to bring inspiration, hope and opportunity to the youth of Sri Lanka. It is an education and empowerment program designed to uplift youth by providing them with:

role models, training in English, leadership, and vocational skills scholarship opportunities, and a forum to voice their ideas and develop their talents.

Each year volunteers from different parts of the world and the local community unite to staff intensive English and Leadership training camps, engaging youth in educational activities, including workshops, stories, games, art, sports, and yoga. Visions offers youth the opportunity to live and learn with other promising youth in a joyful learning environment. While undergoing intensive training in English, leadership, and personal leadership skills, Visions seeks to provide youth with a safe environment in which to learn and grow, explore their creativity, develop study skills, express themselves, work with one another, and ultimately, to realize their own potential.

With knowledge of the English language carrying immense potential for employment and study of technology, one aspect of the Visions curriculum focuses on English education, while the empowerment component of Visions occurs through leadership training. The English training aspect of the program is geared to motivate and inspire students to take an active role in learning English by maintaining low student to teacher ratios, and teaching communication exercises as well as confidence building exercises to increase their confidence in practicing to speak. In 2006 Visions will embark on development and implementation of a vocational skills training center that will supplement existing programs and build sustainable opportunities for youth. The leadership component of Visions is two-fold, consisting of 1) role models and 2) putting students in a position of leading others. We believe the best way to learn a skill is through practice. Thus, VISIONS students practice leading other students. Through leadership lessons, students learn about the qualities, roles, and responsibilities of a leader; how to plan and conduct an effective meeting; time management; communication and listening skills; problem-solving; activity planning; and goal setting.

Having learned these skills through dialogue and activities that promote experiential learning, students put these skills into practice through leadership group projects. They are responsible for planning and executing events for the camp students, including a student talent show, an English competition, a field trip, and an art and poetry fair. Project days are the most exciting days for Visions students and especially volunteers because students are given full support and guidance on taking charge of an event and doing everything from start to finish for that event.

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Volunteers are given a chance to sit back and reap the fruits of their labor while watching the joyous personalities of the students intermingle and step up to assume their roles and responsibilities as leaders.

The impact of the Visions experience is long-lasting and penetrates the thick exterior emotions and assumptions about the world that war and misfortune have instilled in the youth. Testimonials from the youth reveal that Visions is the best thing that has happened to them and that they yearn for additional opportunities to participate in such programs. The need to ensure that Visions students are eventually given suitable employment opportunities in order to display the skills they learn during Visions has lead to the conception of a Visions Training Center. This center will generate opportunities for continuous English and leadership education, as well as skills training for employment.

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BACKGROUND

CHILDREN’S HOMESChildren’s Homes are a quick-fix solution to caring for the tens and thousands of orphaned, abandoned, and destitute children victimized by Sri Lanka’s man-made and natural calamities. Religious institutions, individuals, and non-governmental organizations are the main initiators of Children’s Homes. Poverty, displacement, loss, and unemployment are some of the main factors that drive relatives of abandoned or orphaned children, poor rural parents and single-parents to send their children away to live in Children’s Homes, which are located in the town areas.

Although Children’s Homes provide children with basic essentials, including food, shelter, clothing and access to schools, they do not provide sufficient emotional support and the quality of care varies widely among the hundred-odd Children’s Homes in the North and East. Most Children’s Homes have insufficient operating budgets and house far more children than they can accommodate. This causes financial strains, increases the workload of already limited, overworked staff and causes crowded living conditions for the children.

IMPACT OF WAR ON YOUTH & EDUCATIONLow self-esteem and low self-confidence is prevalent among youth living in Children’s Homes. The lack of emotional support, role-models, leaders, and access to quality education offers them little opportunity for upward economic and social mobility. Many youth have never even thought seriously about their future goals.

Despite growing up in an environment of war and violence in North East Sri Lanka, the youth display an astounding resilience and ability to cope with their traumatic pasts. Tamil society has relentlessly clung to its culture of education and discipline, and this is evidenced by the rigorous daily schedules of Children’s Homes youth. Rising daily as early as 4:30am, cleaning, gardening, studying, and praying all take place before school even begins. After school hours are mostly spent attending tuition classes or studying independently until bed time at 10:30pm.

Jaffna school building destroyed by the war

Unfortunately, youth in the Children’s Homes face minute chances of progressing economically in spite of their disciplined lifestyle and hard work ethic. Sri Lanka’s inequitable education system caters to the urban elite, who can afford access to opportunities for educational advancement, while the poor remain disadvantaged at many levels. National exams serve as a filtering process for selecting the top students in the country, who are then granted admission to the island’s few free public universities. Naturally, most poor children, lacking access to resources and quality education, are eventually filtered out of the system.

Most youth in Children’s Homes will end up unemployed or doing cheap labor. Some fortunate youth will be accepted to vocational training centers to acquire skills such as typing, stitching, construction, or electrical wiring. In all these cases, the countless hours spent memorizing textbook material for school, will have little or no correlation to their young adult life.

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ABOUT VISIONS

The Visions program is an intensely uplifting experience that seeks to unleash human potential by uniting socially-minded, dedicated volunteers with eager, energetic youth to engage in activities promoting education and empowerment. One of the key elements of the Visions program is that all participants, students and teachers alike, live together, eat together, work together and play together. Differences of race, religion, ethnicity, class, and status are all respected but not judged. All religions reflected among the camp youth are given equal importance and time for expression. Furthermore, the notion of equality is a theme found throughout the camp curriculum.

Volunteers are role models, teachers, and friends for the youth. In ancient India students used to always live with their teachers so that they would imbibe not only textbook knowledge, but also lessons on proper living. Just as all children tend to emulate their parents and role models, either consciously or subconsciously, the Visions students look to imitate volunteers. The power of modeling and setting an example goes a long way in the development of a child. The relationships established between students and volunteers often have life changing impacts to the extent that the youth broaden their outlook to achieve goals and dreams similar to those of volunteers. In essence, when volunteers share their lives with the children, they allow the children to dream and to broaden their outlook and self-perception.

TRANSFORMATION OF VISIONS STUDENTSDuring the initial days of VISIONS, students slowly come out of their shells and warm up to the camp schedule and the many new friendships that form with youth from other homes. They also begin warming up to volunteers, and become accustomed to having so many new role models, teachers, friends, and older siblings. The novelty of the Visions experience is overwhelming for most students initially, and students are generally quiet, shy, reserved and hesitant to answer even basic conversational questions. They cling to other youth from their respective Children’s Home and maintain a significant distance from students of the opposite sex.

By the third day, students begin opening up and become more talkative, responsive, and willing to speak their mind. By day 6 and onwards, students are fully in the Visions mode. Students who have appeared quiet all week open up and reveal their true personalities, or will find the courage to speak in front of the entire camp if properly guided. During the second half of Visions, when students assemble as a large group, they sit completely intermingled with members of the opposite sex and with friends from different Children’s homes. They enthusiastically interact with one another and complete assignments by working cooperatively and joyfully with their groups.

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MISSION, GOALS & OBJECTIVES

MISSIONTo educate and empower youth in Sri Lanka to realize their own potential and to become leaders in their homes, schools, and communities, while creating awareness, leadership, and a sense of global citizenship among local Sri Lankan and international volunteers.

GOALSTo create opportunities for youth to develop English and leadership skills; train youth in establishing Student Leadership Committees; network youth with other youth and local and international volunteers; and motivate youth towards academic and personal success.

OBJECTIVES Conduct VISIONS camps staffed by international and local volunteers, training youth in

English, Leadership, and Personal Leadership skills Establish Student Leadership Committees (SLC) in Children’s Homes and employ

advisors to monitor their progress Donate computers, books, and educational materials to Children’s Homes Employ tutors in English and other subjects requested by students Offer scholarships for youth to further their education and/or study abroad Facilitate contributions and knowledge transfer of international and expatriate volunteers

to local Children’s Homes and educational organizations Build capacity of volunteers and local organizations through training in techniques of

Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), cooperative learning, group work, and student-centered learning

2005 Visions Camp Field Trip to Pollanaruwa EXPLANATION OF PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

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Conduct Visions camps staffed by international and local volunteers, to increase youth’s proficiency in English, Leadership, and Personal Leadership skills

Visions was started in 2003 as a coordinated volunteer effort to broaden the outlook and educational opportunities of underprivileged youth living in Children’s Homes in the war-torn lands of North East Sri Lanka. Through intensive English and Leadership training camps staffed by volunteers from different parts of the world and the local Sri Lankan community, Visions offers youth the opportunity to live and learn with other promising youth from different Children’s Homes in a joyful learning environment, while undergoing intensive training in English, leadership, and personal leadership skills.

Since 2003, Visions has partnered with 17 different Children’s Homes to conduct five Visions leadership camps in Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Jaffna. Housing over 1,300 destitute, abandoned, and orphaned youth, the directors of these 17 Children’s Homes have selected and sent over 280 leadership-oriented youth to participate in the VISIONS camps. Over 60 international and local volunteers have volunteered to staff the VISIONS camps.

2003 2004 2005 TotalNumber of Visions camps 1 1 3 5International Volunteers 9 7 33 49Local Volunteers 1 5 10 16Youth participants 42 48 194 284 Children’s Home 5 6 17 17*

*17 includes 11 new Homes in 2005 and 6 from previous years

2004 Jaffna Visions Camp

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Each year the Visions camp curriculum and organizational structure has been developed based on recommendations and evaluations from VISIONS students and staff. In 2005, 10-day camps were held in 3 locations, with an evaluation retreat taking place between camp sessions. Thus, problems that were anticipated or encountered in the first camp were addressed and improved during the second and third camps.

Establish Student Leadership Committees (SLC) in Children’s Homes and employ advisors to monitor their progress

Most youth in Children’s Homes have low self-esteem and low self-confidence. They do not receive sufficient adult encouragement, feedback, and praise. Children in the Children’s Homes become a number lost in the multitude of children to be cared for in North East Sri Lanka. Even while living in Children’s Home, the staff to child ratio can be as high as 1:100.

SLC’s are intended to give the youth a voice in their respective homes. It is a way for youth to develop and demonstrate leadership skills by planning and implementing home-wide activities and most importantly, to attempt to address the needs and problems of children in the Children’s Homes. This would not only lighten the burden of Children’s Home staff, but solve problems using the most ideal solution - prevention. Through training received in the Visions leadership camps, youth learn how to form and run an SLC with the goal of creating Children’s Home climate where all students feel connected accepted and respected.

SLC Advisors are also be trained at the Visions leadership camp and are employed to advise, assist, monitor and evaluate Children’s Home SLC’s throughout the year.

2005-2006 Batticaloa SLC Advisors Children’s Home SLC Planning

Donate computers, books, and educational materials to Children’s Homes

Lack of resources is one of the main barriers to educational opportunity in Sri Lanka and all over the world. Students simply lack access to basic materials, such as pens, notebooks, erasers, etc. Even if these materials are obtained, the poor are still left without tools of learning, such as books, dictionaries and computers. Visions is committed to helping youth access the resources necessary for educational development and towards this end, donates educational materials directly to Children’s Homes as well as indirectly, through donations to other local and international organizations doing such work.

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Employ English teachers for Children’s Home youth

Facilitating opportunities for youth to learn English is a core function of Visions, since knowledge of English opens the door to a world of economic opportunity for youth. English is also viewed as a potentially powerful tool for bridging the communication gap between the warring ethnicities in Sri Lanka. To this end, Visions provides financial support to Children’s Homes to hire regular English tutors.

Offer scholarships for youth to further their education and/or study abroad

Sri Lanka’s inequitable education system caters to the urban elite, while the poor remain disadvantaged at many levels. Most poor children, lacking access to resources and quality schools, are eventually filtered out of the system. They usually end up unemployed or doing cheap labor, while some fortunate youth will be find placement in a vocational training center to acquire skills such as typing, stitching, construction, or electrical wiring.

Visions seeks to brighten the futures of the youth we work with by offering competitive scholarships for youth to further their education. Visions has established a partnership with the Bharata Kalaanjali (www.bharatakalaanjali.org) school of dance in Chennai, India. This reputed school offers a subsidized scholarship package of $5,505 (USD) per student for a 3 year dance course. Smaller scholarships for youth to attend local computer and English courses are also being developed.

Scholarship students with donors and teachers at dance school in Chennai, India.

Facilitate contributions and knowledge transfer of international volunteers to Sri Lankan organizations and build a network of socially-minded individuals

Throughout the year, Visions volunteers are engaged in raising awareness around the world about the needs and challenges facing underprivileged youth in Sri Lanka. We believe in spreading the word because a meaningful impact can only be made through the involvement and contribution of many dedicated people. Moreover, Visions believes that one organization can only do so much. Other local organizations in Sri Lanka must also be supported and encouraged to continue their good work of serving youth and humanity. Towards this end, Visions offers financial support to small educational NGO’s in Sri Lanka and works to facilitate knowledge transfer of international volunteers to local Sri Lankan organizations.

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Build capacity of volunteers, teachers and local organizations through training in techniques of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL), cooperative learning, group work, and student-centered learning

The latest findings in educational research have made it clear that engaging a student in the process of learning is much more involved than the traditional black-box model of education, where teachers were presumed to be capable of simply inserting knowledge into their students. Teachers need to think creatively about the practical usage of textbook material in their students’ future lives and utilize tools such as class discussions, cooperative learning, experiential learning, etc. to maximize student learning.

Group preparation for art fair

Visions seeks to build capacity in volunteers, teachers and local organizations through training in innovative teaching techniques. These tools are taught in a unique way, where teachers learn through practicing on youth in a comfortable, joyful setting, so that the benefits of utilizing new teaching strategies are realized immediately. This creates incentives for teachers to transfer the new strategies to their own classrooms.

Expose university students and other foreign volunteers to the ground realities of a war-affected society

The exchange of human compassion and understanding that takes place between Sri Lankan youth and foreign volunteers is one that surpasses any monetary donation. Each year volunteers embark on a mission to ‘educate and empower’ youth living in Children’s Homes in North East Sri Lanka. And each year those same volunteers return home with the realization that the youth’s resilient spirit, their display of love, strength, sincerity and simplicity, are some of the greatest lessons they will ever learn in life. In short, the Visions experience gives back to its volunteers exactly what the volunteers are supposed to offer youth – inspiration.

Celebrations after a successful Visions talent show

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PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

We believe in working through partnerships with local NGO’s and community organizations. As such, the following organizations comprise a list of our implementing partners in Sri Lanka:

Youth League for Sanatana Dharmic Perception (YLSDP). Bomabalapittiya, Colombo YLSDP was formed in 1994 to bring cultural awareness and educational opportunities to youth in Sri Lanka. YLSDP offers a variety of tuition classes for urban and rural children, including classes in math, English, religion, science, and yoga. All tuition teachers offer their services on a volunteer basis, and YLSDP runs such classes in districts all over the North and East Province of Sri Lanka. YLSDP has a long standing and close relationship with Sivananda Tapovanam.

Sivananda Tapovanam. Uppuveli, TrincomaleeSivananda Tapovanam is a government approved charity (No. 13998, established in 1964), serving destitute, orphaned and handicapped children. It was founded by the late spiritual leader known as Mathaji in 1953. Sivananda Tapovanam hosted the VISIONS program in 2005 and has agreed to donate land for the Visions Training Center. Sivananda Tapovanam will also oversee the implementation and management of the Visions Training Center.

St. John’s Children’s Home. Uranee, BatticaloaReverend Jeyanesan of St. John’s Church has been a primary implementing partner for VISIONS since the initial camp in 2003. St. John’s Children’s Home, attached to the St. John’s Church, is home to over 260 destitute boys and girls. Staff of the St. John’s Church have volunteered with the VISIONS program since 2003 and two staff persons are employed as VISIONS English teachers throughout the year.

Hindu Board of Education Children’s Home. Thirunelveli, JaffnaThe Jaffna Hindu Board of Education Children’s Home has hosted the VISIONS leadership and English training camps since 2004. This institution, founded in the late 1950’s, is home to over 200 destitute boys and girls. In 2005, the Hindu Board of Education Children’s Home hosted the VISIONS camp for the second year in a row.

Trincomalee Women’s Welfare OrganizationVisioins formed a new relationship with Trincomalee Women’s Welfare Organization in 2005. This organization is currently focused on providing scholarships for women to pursue education and vocational training skills. In 2005, Visions worked with Trincomalee Women’s Welfare Organization to help fund a rural tutoring center for underprivileged children. This organization will be involved in the development of the future Visions Training Center.

Children’s Homes Northeast, Sri LankaVisions has established relationships with 17 Children’s Homes, who have sent their children to participate in the Visions English and Leadership camps. We are now in communication with these homes regarding the Student Leadership Committees through advisor staff. In addition, Jeeva Jothi Illam is a registered NGO in Batticaloa that is working closely with Visions to implement the Youth Scholarship Fund.

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THE VISIONS CURRICULUM

The Visions curriculum is designed to implement the VISIONS goal of creating opportunities for youth to develop English and leadership skills; train youth in establishing Student Leadership Committees; network youth with other youth and local and international volunteers; and motivate youth towards academic and personal success. We seek to achieve these goals by teaching the following objectives and skills:

1. Learn to Improve Personal Leadership Skills Including: Time Management Communication Ethical Decision Making Strengthening the body and mind through:

o Yoga & Meditationo Sports and/or Dance (Indian Classical)

2. Learn to Create an Atmosphere of Teamwork Including: Project Planning Problem Solving Working Collaboratively with Others Creative Thinking Developing Ideas and Implementing Them with a Team

3. Learn to Create a Children’s Home Climate Where All Students Feel Connected, Accepted and Respected including: Recognizing and Accepting Individual Strengths and Differences Motivating Others and Self Promote and Develop Leaders Throughout the Children’s Home Community Provide Diverse Opportunities, Programs and Activities for Students to Connect to

their Home and the larger community

4. Learn to Improve English Language Skills Including: Greeting New People Giving a Personal Introduction Learning new Vocabulary and level-specific grammar rules Practicing reading, writing, listening, and speaking

The above objectives and skills will be taught through the following camp components:

1. Leadership Groups: Student groups that practice and implement leadership skills in a team setting

2. Camp Projects: A specific activity or project coordinated and presented by a Leadership Group for the camp to learn and experience the process.

3. Large Group Activities: Activities that energize, motivate, create socialization opportunities such as icebreakers, workshops, yoga lessons, sports, and dance.

4. English Lessons: Small level-specific student groups that learn English with other students in their same level.

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SAMPLE VISIONS DAILY SCHEDULE

Each day volunteers follow a daily schedule, which is intended to create structure, yet also remain flexible. On the following page, a sample daily schedule is displayed, listing the day’s lessons, activities, and time table. Most days follow a similar schedule to the sample Day 3 schedule provided, and mainly vary in the type of leadership lesson being taught. The final days of the camp also have alternate schedules to incorporate the camp projects implemented by each leadership group.

Sample Daily Schedule

TIME ACTIVITY7:00 - 8:15am Yoga

8:30 - 9:00 am Breakfast

9:00am English Assessment Test #2

9:35am Daily Announcements & Recitation of Camp Rules

9:50am English Songs

10:20am English Lesson

11:35am Juice Break

11:40am Leadership Lesson: Problem-Solving

12:10pm Crossing the Bridge Riddle

12:40pm Ropes Course & Discussion

1:30pm Lunch

2:30pm English Study Hall

3:00pm English Story Time

3:30pm Introduction to Camp Council Projects & Leadership Groups

4:45pm Activity: “I’m Thinking of Someone Who...”

5:15pm Sports/Dance

6:30pm Bajan/Evening Prayer

7:00pm Closing/Student of the Day/End-of-Day Evaluation

8:30pm Staff Meeting

SAMPLE CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR VOLUNTEERS

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Volunteers undergo two days of training prior to the camps. During the training, volunteers engage in team-building activities, are orientated to camp procedures and policies, and undergo training in the camp curriculum. This is a sample page from the volunteer handbook, which corresponds to the sample daily schedule displayed on the previous page.

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES GUIDE:

English Placement Test #2: Administer the second English assessment test to all students in each of the 4 levels: Primer A, Primer B, Level 1, and Level. All 4 tests are provided for you along with this manual. Simply write all questions clearly and visibly on several large whiteboards and have students write their answers in their notebooks, or else photocopy the actual test for each student. Answer the students’ questions only if they don’t give away the answer. Watch for cheating and emphasize the point that this is a placement test and scores don’t matter, so don’t cheat! Wait for all to finish, but do not go longer than the amount of time allotted. When finished, collect all notebooks or tests and immediately have the volunteers begin grading. Make sure grading is fair and even, and that point deductions are the same for all volunteers grading. When you have finished grading, place the students in separate groups within their particular level based on similar abilities/knowledge, as reflected on the second placement exam.

Daily Announcements & Recitation of Camp Rules: Some announcements you may wish to make...

1. Seating Order: create an established seating order for when students are sitting together in one large group by establishing set rows (you can do this randomly or by leadership group). Make sure students remember who they sit next to, and enforce this order throughout the camp. Try to sit students next to people they do not already know, and separate the most talkative students. 2. Daily Distribution of nametags, handbooks, etc.: Each morning after breakfast, the students’ nametags, Student Handbooks, Leadership Handbooks, pens/pencils, and other materials need to be handed out to them in an organized fashion. Appoint students to do this every morning for each row in the seating order.3. Timeouts: refer to discipline plan printed earlier in this manual under “Basic Information about Conducting the VISIONS Camp: # 8 Student Behavior and Discipline”4. Discipline Plan: same as above.5. Introduction to ‘Power Words and Phrases’ List: refer to discipline plan printed earlier in this manual under “Basic Information about Conducting the VISIONS Camp: # 23 Power Words and Phrases”6. English songs: Row, row, row your boat & BINGO, or other songs of your choice.

English Groups: divide students into specified English groups with particular volunteers. Director should monitor all groups and make any necessary changes in the groups depending on discipline, volunteer needs/capabilities, student’s abilities, etc. For a more detailed plan on how to teach English and what materials to use, etc., please refer to the Teaching English section included in this manual.

Leadership Lesson: Problem-Solving

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I. Introduction to Problem-Solving: having asked for volunteers, have students take turns standing up and reading out-loud to the group one at a time, all sections contained in pages 10 - 15 of the Leadership Handbook.

Write the steps to effective problem-solving on the whiteboard as they are discussed, and ask any questions you may find to be appropriate:

1. Identify the problem–what is the problem? Write it out.2. Gather all the information.3. Communicate/discuss.4. Work together and involve everyone.5. List all possible solutions.6. Choose the best solution.7. Make a plan and write out all the necessary steps.8. Then act!

-THINK before you ACT!

II. Thinking Outside the Box: This is a simple activity that students can do sitting down in the large group. Give each student a half-sheet of paper and a pen/pencil. The object of this activity is to draw a box with an ‘X’ inside without ever picking your pencil/pen up from the paper AND without ever retracing any line you have already drawn. There are 2 possible answers to this riddle...the first requires drawing a line outside of the box and looping it around to the area you need to be at (hence, thinking outside the box!). And the second requires folding a corner of the paper over the drawing and reconnecting the line where it needs to be. Please refer to the attached handout provided with this manual for a further explanation.

III. Crossing the Bridge Riddle: This riddle is provided for you along with this manual. Have one or two students write it on at least two large whiteboards. Then put students into teams of 3 and have them work together on solving the riddle. Provide them with paper, but do not answer any questions that may give the answer away. After time has expired, collect the answers and see if anyone arrived at the correct answer. If yes, have that group share their answer with the group.

IV. Team-Building Ropes Course: Set up a ropes course (x2) using rope, scissors, and tape. The instructions for what the ropes course should look like are provided for you along with this manual. This is a team-building exercise and students will have to work together. Put two leadership groups together to form one team, and put the other two together to form another team. Give each team one ropes course to work with. Tell them the rules and explain the objective to them, answering any questions they may have. Give them time to complete the activity, and when time is up, have all groups form one large group and try it again. With twice as many people it should be more difficult, but they should have learned how to do the activity successfully from the first time. You may also have to find an acceptable way for girls wearing skirts or dresses to successfully pass through the ropes course. Team-building through the ropes course!

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Objective: Move all team members from one side to the other side by passing through the ropes, and following all given rules.Rules:

1. Work together/cooperate2. Communicate3. Cannot touch the ropes at all4. There are 5 minutes for planning, and 20 minutes to complete the activity5. Each hole in the ropes course constitutes a “window.” Each “window” can be used a maximum of 5 times.6. Each time a person successfully passes through a “window,” it counts as one “try.”7. Each time a person unsuccessfully passes through a “window,” it counts as one “try” and the person must return to the original side and try again.8. The group only has 45 total “tries” to get all team members through the course.

V. Discussion about Ropes Course: ask the students the following questions and any others you may find helpful:

What did you think about the activity? What was most difficult? What was most easy? How did you get through? Who was a leader during this activity, and what did you do? What did you do differently the second time? What would you do differently if you were to do this activity again?What did you learn? What was this activity all about?

SAMPLE (write this on the whiteboard):1. Unity2. Confidence3. No Difference Between Boys & Girls4. Teamwork–involve everyone5. Communication/discussion6. Make a Plan and do it!7. Leadership*****There is no ‘I’ in ‘TEAM.’*****

English Study Hall (homework period): Students will work independently or in groups on English homework assignments given to them during the morning English lesson.

English Story Time: Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Narrate this story out loud to the students while enacting the story as the narration is being told. Characters to be acted: Goldilocks, Papa bear, Mama bear, baby bear.

Leadership Groups:1. Introduction to Camp Council Projects: have students sit in their assigned seating order as

one big group. Explain the idea behind the Camp Council Projects to them and how they will be planning them. Go through all four projects (Art Fair, English Competition, Talent Show, Poetry Reading) and answer any questions the students may have.

2. Assign each leadership group a Camp Council Project.3. Break into small leadership groups: split students into their leadership groups with their

volunteers and have them do the following tasks:a. Icebreakers: Choose 1 or 2 and do them.

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b. Group Name: Brainstorm ideas for a group name, then go through the list and discuss, and finally take a vote on it.c. Group Cheer: volunteers should help students to come up with a group cheer or chant. Cheers should be roughly 15-30 seconds in length and should include the group name. Let the students be creative with this.d. Group Banner: students should design a group banner with their group name printed clearly on it. Paper poster will be provided for this purpose along with art materials. Each student should write or sign his/her name on the banner when complete.

Activity Time: “I’m thinking of someone who...”This game is always A LOT of fun for the students. Simply get everyone into one large circle, then have them sit-down either on a chair or on an ‘X’ on the ground marked with a piece of tap. There must be one less chair than the number of people playing. One person starts in the middle and says, “I’m thinking of someone who....” and he/she says some descriptive word or phrase, such as “...is wearing black,” or “...has no shoes on.” Anyone who matches that description must stand up and hurry to find a new seat in the circle. The person left standing in the middle without a seat then has to say something new. And so on and so on. Let the students have fun with this one for about 30 minutes, and have volunteers monitor for cheating and safety.

GROUP WORK BY VISIONS STUDENTS...

CHEERING FOR TEAMMATES AT THE SPORTS COMPETITION!

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SELECTION OF CHILDREN’S HOMES & STUDENTS

Since 2003, Visions has formed partnerships with 17 Children’s Homes, housing over 1,300 girls and boys. From this population, VISIONS targets youth aged between 14 to 17 years old. Children’s Home staff are asked to select VISIONS participants using the following criteria:

youth should be generally responsive, well-behaved, and eager to learn absence from school should not disrupt exam preparation youth should not display any major behavior problems youth should not be planning or be asked to leave the Children’s Home within 6 months

The table below provides a list of the Children’s Homes from which the 280 VISIONS participants were selected.

Children's Home Location Contact Person Contact No.1 St. John's Boys Batticaloa Rev. Jeyanesan

Selvi acca065-2222524077-3138-352

2 St. John's Girls Batticaloa3 Herman's Girls Home Batticaloa4 Samuel Boys Home Batticaloa5 Kiran Batticaloa6 Jeeva Jothi Batticaloa Illango 065-22245737 Ramakrishna Mission Batticaloa Swami

Mr. Ajarathmananda065-222-2752

8 Sarada Girls Home Batticaloa SwamiMr. Ajarathmananda

065-222-2752

9 Manickavasagar Boys Home

Santhiveli Mr. ThevarajahMr. Ceesar

065-222-5399(C) 077-61987(C) 077-31-6099

10 Vipulanandar Batticaloa Mr. ThevarajahMr. Ceesar

065-222-5399(C) 077-61987(C) 077-31-6099

11 Vivehananda Home Batticaloa Mr. ThevarajahMr. Ceesar

065-222-5399(C) 077-61987(C) 077-31-6099

12 Hindu Board Jaffna Mr. PasupathiOffice #:Sakthi

(H)021-222-7013(O)021-222-6525021-222-6006

13 Grace Trincomalee Rev. Gnanapragasam 026-222-770014 Sivananda

TapovanamTrincomalee Mr. Vinayakasothi

Vyasa Kalyanasundaram

026-222-14690777-274859 (C)

15 Anbu Illam Girl's Home

Trincomalee Kaliyugavarathan  074-614024(C)

16 Sarada Siruvar Illam Muttur  Kaliyugavarathan  074-614024(C)

17 Thilagavadiyar Home Batticaloa Kaliyugavarathan   074-614024(C)

VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT & TRAINING

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Visions cams are staffed by a combination of international volunteers and local Sri Lankan volunteers. Local volunteers serve as translators for the international volunteers with whom they work to implement the camp curriculum. The relationships that develop between volunteers is as important and powerful as those relationship formed with the youth. Some of the local volunteers are school teachers with limited experience and training, and thus look to benefit from interactions and conversations with the international volunteers.

International volunteers submit application forms and selection is based on the following criteria:

Must hold or be pursuing a college degree Must pay for their own airfare and cost of lodging and boarding in hotels in Sri

Lanka Must demonstrate a commitment to volunteering with children either through fundraising

for supplies or working to raise awareness

Local volunteers are selected based on recommendations from the directors of institutions with which they are affiliated. The following criteria are used as guidelines for selection:

Reasonable fluency in English Desire to gain practical experience in student-centered teaching techniques

2005 Visions volunteer team members

EVALUATION OF 2005 VISIONS CAMPS

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ANTICIPATED PROBLEMS: Logistical coordination of students The lack of proper communication lines made it difficult to coordinate the arrival of students from dozens of Children’s Homes. Some remote Children’s Homes had no telephone lines, others were given phone confirmation but still weren’t sure about admission procedures or weren’t confident about sending students away from 10 days. As a result, some students arrived 1-2 days late, which delayed the camp schedule and created organizational difficulties.

Camp dates conflicting with school scheduleSchool schedules in Sri Lanka were altered due to tsunami. Since American volunteers who attend university are only available during the July and August months, it was impossible to avoid the schedule conflict. Some O/L students, who will take their exams in December 2005, expressed concern about missing school lessons.

Scarcity of English tutorsDue to the war, a majority of English speakers have fled the North and East, and very few qualified people are available to be hired as tutors. Many schools do not have English teachers, and many of those English teachers who do teach in the North and East lack the confidence and practice needed to carry a conversation in English. Thus, most students end up learning to read and memorize English grammar rules, but are unable to comprehend what they read and have no experience speaking in English. High demand for English tutors has resulted in wealthy students paying high prices for private tuition. Thus, qualified instructors are not only hard to come by, but also very expensive. This problem has hindered Visions from being able to hire English tutors for every Children’s Home it works with.

UNEXPECTED PROBLEMS: Disciplinary ProblemsStudent misbehavior increased significantly during the second half of each camp, after new friendships had formed and students became comfortable with the informal learning environment. The size of the Batticaloa camp (92 students) contributed to high noise levels, frequent distractions, and difficulties with maintaining a timely schedule. The Jaffna camp students were particularly misbehaved at times, partly due to the high number of returning students (16) who had undergone similar activities just weeks before in the Batticaloa Visions camp. In Trincomalee, students became distracted by the separate living quarters of a couple older boy students, causing issues of timeliness and attendance. Misbehavior was handled by giving students ‘time-out’ from sports period and lecturing students about discipline. Assigning self-reflective essays during time-outs also worked well.

Political strifeThe ethnic conflict remains unresolved in Sri Lanka, and this has a bearing on all aspects of life in the North and East. In the weeks leading up to the Visions program, isolated acts of violence were being reported in Batticaloa as the country’s politics mounted. However, confirmation from trusted individuals about the security of conducting the camp in Batticaloa convinced camp directors to proceed with the scheduled program. Although the presence of army personnel outside the Church gate, in the town area, and on all roads, increased dramatically during the camp, St. John’s Church smoothly hosted the Visions program for the 2nd time since 2003. The Trincomalee camp also ran smoothly from start to finish, despite initial reservations about political instability. It was only in Jaffna that the camp

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was disrupted for one day when a clash involving the death of a police officer resulted in a district wide-curfew, preventing volunteers from traveling from their rest house to the camp site. Also, an island-wide bus strike delayed the volunteer’s final day departure time from Jaffna by several hours.

Lack of translators & cooperation of host organization in JaffnaDue to organizational issues, the Jaffna camp did not have qualified translators, nor did they have an experienced local coordinator. This created severe difficulties for volunteers, particularly during the leadership lessons, and resulted in frequent issues of miscommunication with the host organization, Hindu Board of Education. Volunteers encountered a sense of apprehension and disinterest from many staff members, who were hardly ever present to witness camp activities or to offer help with the program. The Hindu Board staff mostly remained in the office and avoided interaction with volunteers. These problems were unforeseen, since Visions was successfully held in Jaffna in 2004. It is now evident that last year’s success was due to the cooperation of the former Children’s Home director, who resigned from her position in February 2005.

Insufficient support for SLCsThe concept of the Student Leadership Committee is an innovative and progressive one that is likely to lack support from Children’s Homes staff. Generally, youth are given little decision-making power and are expected to follow a rigid daily schedule. During the camp, youth from a particular Home expressed anxiety about lacking time in their schedules for holding SLC meetings and activities. Camp directors spoke in person to the director of this Home and worked out a weekly meeting time. It is difficult to say whether the director’s verbal commitment to allowing SLC meetings will actually be fulfilled. This will be the SLC Advisors’ job to follow up on. However, more specific job descriptions for SLC Advisors need to be created.

RECOMMENDATIONS

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Children’s Homes should receive several reminders by mail, phone and in person when possible regarding admission and camp orientation procedures. Further, a form should be filled out by the Homes to collect information about the Home and Visions students.

Camps should be scheduled according to the school calendar. If school days can not be avoided, principals should be notified by both Visions directors and Children’s Home directors. Exams should be rescheduled for Visions students if possible.

Strict disciplinary measures should be clearly defined to students at the beginning of the camp. Rules should be posted on the classroom wall and these should be read aloud as a group every morning. During the volunteer training, a specific session should be allocated towards handling student misbehavior. Attendance should be taken at all sessions and student accommodations should be arranged in one location. In addition, the number of returning students should be limited to 1 returning student for every 10 new students.

The problems resulting from political strife in Sri Lanka were always problems of inconvenience, rather than problems of safety. Whenever possible, backup plans for foreseeable problems should be formulated. Also, volunteers & students should reside in the same location whenever possible.

The successes of the Batticaloa and Trincomalee camps have relied on the capacity of local coordinators, who make themselves readily available to help with the program. In Batticaloa, the head warden of St. John's Girls Home does this job for VISIONS and in Trincomalee a retired service-oriented gentleman does this job. It is imperative that such a local coordinator be secured for Jaffna. In addition, an alternative camp site in Jaffna should be arranged as an alternate location to the Hindu Board of Education. The new camp site should have residential housing for both volunteers and students, since the Hindu Board Children’s Home does not have suitable housing for volunteers.

Hold meetings with Children’s Home directors and staff before and after the leadership camps to orient them to the purpose and procedures of SLCs. They should be advised on what is expected of them and secure their commitment to the formation of SLCs before the camp begins. SLC advisors should be trained on how to train Home staff to support SLCs, and send informational materials with SLC schedules to directors. SLC procedures and other material should be developed and handed over to Home staff. Rewards, competitive awards, and other incentives should be developed to encourage success of SLCs.

With experience of conducting 5 leadership and English training camps for youth, Visions directors have identified the need to ensure sustainable leadership opportunities for youth. This need has been fulfilled by the establishment of Student Leadership Committees in Children’s Homes. However, many youth that Visions has worked with are now nearing graduation from secondary school, and will soon be asked to leave the Children’s Homes. Unless an intervention takes place, many of these youth will return to their poor village homes and the skills acquired in school and through Visions will never be maximally utilized. For these reasons, it is recommended that Visions invest in a Visions Training Center to create opportunities for development and implementation of employable skills.

EVALUATION OF PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

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Changes of English Test Scores Among

2005 VISIONS Students in Trincomalee

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68

01020304050607080

Pre-test score Post-Test score

It is clear that Visions has left a tremendously positive impact on the youth with whom we have worked and the volunteers who have assisted. Of course, it is also a developing program and we are always seeking to make improvements. Overall, Visions has been very successful, and is described as a highly constructive, unique program of great value by youth, local volunteers, local community members, and international volunteers. As the program has grown over the years, we have become more adept at defining our goals and achieving our objectives.

LEADERSHIP CAMPSSince 2003, Visions has partnered with 17 different Children’s Homes to conduct five Visions leadership camps in Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Jaffna. Housing over 1,300 destitute, abandoned, and orphaned youth, the directors of these 17 Children’s Homes have selected and sent over 280 leadership-oriented youth to participate in the Visions camps. Sixty-five international and local volunteers have volunteered to staff the Visions camps.

2003 2004 2005 TotalNumber of Visions camps 1 1 3 5International Volunteers 9 7 33 49Local Volunteers 1 5 10 16Youth participants 42 48 194 284 Children’s Home 5 6 17 17*

*17 includes 11 new Homes in 2005 and 6 from previous years

In sheer numbers, the size of the Visions camps, and subsequently the impact, increased dramatically in 2005 from previous years. The large volume of international and local volunteers who participated enabled Visions to reach a larger population of youth. English instruction has been a primary focus of the Visions program since its inception. Results obtained from pre and post-camp tests reveal the impact of Visions volunteers’ daily English lessons on their students. At the Jaffna camp, for those whom data is available, 95% scored higher on the post-assessment test than on the original assessment test. The average percentage of increase in scores was 20.6%. At the Trincomalee camp, for those whom data is available, 97.6% scored higher on the post-assessment test than the original. The average percentage of increase in scores was 36%.

Through hands- on

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instruction and activities as well as meaningful discussions, it was possible to effectively teach critical leadership lessons and skills. The use of activities and materials adapted from the California Association of Directors of Activities (CADA) proved remarkably effective. Leadership handbooks translated into Tamil facilitated the absorption of material and concepts. Student handbooks and volunteer handbooks also supplemented these materials. Daily schedules were organized and planned well in advance so as to maximize time.

Teaching important leadership concepts and personal leadership skills to the youth was no easy task. However, with plenty of practical, hands-on assignments and projects, they retained the lessons and quickly learned to apply the leadership skills. With each day, students increasingly stood out as stronger and more competent leaders. One foreign volunteer commented in her evaluation, “I saw a lot of wonderful, positive transitions in so many of the students in 10 short days. Overall I was impressed by their increased level of confidence and the way in which they carried themselves.” About his overall experience with Visions, another volunteer stated, “There is no place I would have rather been in the world during this past month than with Visions. It’s not a perfect program, but it is one that aims to make a lasting difference in the lives of children much less fortunate. And in return, our lives are forever bettered and enriched.”

STUDENT LEADERSHIP COMMITTEESPrior to the culmination of any of the 3 VISIONS camps held this summer, leaders for each home were selected and training for how to conduct the SLC’s in the homes was provided. Youth were encouraged to thoroughly think out the organization of their student government and its values & procedures, plan out projects with a timeline, brainstorm ideas for other ways in which they could serve their peers, and generally prepare for the next one year. Home directors were consulted beforehand and regular meeting times for each home were established. Access to financial resources was made available to SLC’s through designated SLC advisors, who were selected by the Visions directors to oversee home SLC’s and facilitate anything each of the SLC’s may need. It is a responsibility of the SLC advisors to regularly check up on the home councils by sitting in on one meeting per month and advising as necessary.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL DONATIONSUpon completion of the Visions camps, all camp materials and previously purchased supplies were organized and distributed to each of the children’s homes participating in Visions. Art materials, school supplies, backpacks, whiteboards with markers, English books, dictionaries, and sports equipment accounted for the bulk of donations given to the homes. In 2005, $4,890 worth of educational materials was donated to Children’s Homes. In 2003 and 2004, Visions donated similar amounts of educational materials, including a computer, printer, TV, and DVD player. Because technological resources require a greater investment of time and resources, we hope to develop a strategic method of introducing more computers to the homes and youth Visions works with in the near future.

ENGLISH TUTORSAfter the first Visions camp held in 2003 two English tutors were hired in Batticaloa (the 2003 host site) to provide regular instruction to a number of VISIONS students and other youth from the homes for a period of 2 years. That instruction has been very successful thanks to the great talents and abilities of the tutors hired. VISIONS is currently searching for qualified English tutors and tutors of other subjects to carry on providing instruction in children’s homes and through community outreach programs throughout the island. This program is still being developed and will expand in the very near future.

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SCHOLARSHIPSIn June 2003, three talented Children’s Home youth were awarded three-year scholarships to study at the Bharata Kalanjali School of Dance in Chennai, India. They have now studied the South Indian Classical Dance form known as Bharata Natyam for over two years. Next year 2 of the 3 students will return to their communities in Sri Lanka to work as dance teachers, while 1 teacher will remain in India with her newly wed husband and baby. In addition, several past Visions participants have requested individual financial support to pursue specialized training in computers or English, and VISIONS has been happy to provided that necessary assistance. In the next year, more talented students will partake in study abroad and local training programs. We are working to institutionalize the scholarship opportunities as a part of Visions’ community outreach efforts.

BUILDING AN INTERNATIONAL NETWORKThose who have volunteered with the Visions program in the past remain forever indebted the amazing youth they have worked with in Sri Lanka. Many hope to maintain relationships and offer support to the youth who have touched their lives. Visions helps facilitate this communication between volunteers and students, whether it be through personal dialogue or through supporting the children’s homes. Visions seeks to encourage volunteers to continue their volunteer services and to develop their own service-oriented projects in Sri Lanka by introducing them to other volunteer organizations and local organizations in need of assistance. Several volunteers have returned to Sri Lanka after the Visions program to conduct service work with international and local non-profit organizations.

CAPACITY BUILDING AND LEADERSHIP TRAININGVisions has sought to incorporate local volunteers and teachers from nearby schools, universities, and teacher training colleges into its program through the years. These persons not only help in translations and assisting VISIONS volunteers at times, but they are also able to participate in camps and benefit from the lessons of the camp itself. They serve both as students and teachers in the VISIONS program and are able to further develop their own abilities to teach (particularly English and leadership), to do group work and cooperative learning, and to effectively reach their students as teachers. Local teachers and volunteers will play a crucial role in the community outreach programs being currently developed by Visions. In addition, Visions supports local organizations doing effective educational development work for rural children. To this end, in August 2005, Visions made a $1000 donation to a tutoring center called the Student’s Knowledge Center in a rural area of Trincomalee.

EDUCATING FOREIGN VOLUNTEERSSince 2003, 49 foreign volunteers from the U.S., U.K, Singapore, India, and Canada have donated their time and money to staff the annual summer Visions camps. Most volunteers have been university students, while others have taken off time from work, graduate school and other commitments to volunteer. Each year, volunteers return from the camp energized and inspired to continue helping the children and the needy. They work to create awareness in their own communities and hold a variety of fund-raisers and presentations, including photo exhibits, benefit basketball tournaments, benefit music concerts, charity dinners, and more. Exposing foreign volunteers who come to give themselves in the service of others, to a society that is very different from their own and has endured much hardship, is a great gift. Travel and experiences abroad provide for perhaps the greatest form of education, as they help to expand the minds and the hearts of these dedicated volunteers. The opportunity to participate in Visions and offer one’s time and energy to the program for the purpose of inspiring and teaching these unique youth is a very rewarding experience and creates a more cognizant, more experienced, and more globally-aware citizen in our own society.

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CONCLUSIONS

Visions is an extremely beneficial and needed program for the youth of Sri Lanka, as it provides for the educational development of the youth in the fields of English, leadership, and more. It also provides a support network and a cross-cultural exchange that would otherwise not be possible. Overall, it has provided for an overwhelmingly positive experience for students, local volunteers, foreign volunteers, and local community members over the years. Visions is proud of its many successes and is looking forward to continuing to expand and develop new educational and community outreach programs.

In particular, Visions will continue to implement English and Leadership Training camps on an annual basis. The 2005 Visions camps were praised by the Secretary of Education in Trincomalee and requests were made by the Ministry of Education in Trincomalee for Visions to be conducted for teachers in addition to youth. Thus, in July-August of 2006, Visions camps will be held separately for school teachers in addition to youth. Student Leadership Committees will also continue to be monitored and future SLCs will be established as Visions camps extends its impact in additional Children’s Homes.

The Youth Scholarship Fund will also continue, based on the promising feedback acquired from the three girls from Children’s Homes in Batticaloa, who are now completing their third year of study at the Chennai Dance School in India. The selection process of the next batch of students will be initiated pending funding.

Finally, out of the evaluation discussions from the 2005 camps evolved the need for a training center to provide youth with training in employable skills, such as sewing, typing, English, and management of after-school programs. We are thus now in the process of planning a Visions Training Center and have received the full support of the Sivananda Tapovanam Trust in Trincomalee to not only be our main implementing partner, but to house the proposed center on land donated by their Trust. A proposal for this Training Center is currently being developed and project implementation is expected to begin in February 2006. This project is sure to be a unique and successful one, given the strong experience and commitment of the Visions team.

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APPENDIX A:

VISIONS / OPERATION USA PARTNERSHIP

Since 2003, Visions has obtained nearly all of its funding from individual donors and through fund-raising events. In 2005, Visions formed a partnership with the USA based organization Operation USA, which directed $3000 towards Visions in 2005. In the future, VISIONS will be a program that operates through Operation USA’s Sri Lanka Programs, co-managed by Nimmi Gowrinathan of Operation USA and Meera Pathmarajah, VISIONS founder. A detailed Memorandum of Agreement between Operation USA and VISIONS will be drafted and agreed upon pending receipt of funding.

Operation USA is a Los Angeles-based nongovernmental organization specializing in disaster relief as well as international health and economic development projects. Privately funded, Operation USA has worked in 88 countries since 1979 and has provided over $175 million in aid. Operation USA currently has long term development projects in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Cuba, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kenya and Ethiopia. Operation USA is also active in the Balkans, Turkey, Taiwan, North Korea, E. Timor and Brazil.

Operation USA, which shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize as a member of the International Campaign To Ban Landmines, has a long standing relationship with the VISIONS program, and will continue to support its growth and progress. To this end, Operation USA agrees to be the overseer of the financial and programmatic aspects of the VISIONS program.

For more information on Operation USA, visit www.opusa.org.

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APPENDIX B:

BUDGET INFORMATION

SUMMARY OF 2005 VISIONS BUDGET

*Camp expenses include books, program supplies, room and board ** See p. 25 for further information

SUMMARY OF ONGOING & FUTURE PROGRAMS IN NEED OF FUNDING:

PROPOSED VISIONS TRAINING CENTER - $150,000 (over 3 years)YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP FUND - $15,000 per yearVISIONS CAMPS - $25,000 per yearSTUDENT LEADERSHIP COMMITTEES (SLC) - $4,000 per year

Total 2005 Income: $30,000

2005 Operating Costs:

Pre-camp expenses* $3565Batticaloa camp expenses* $7459

Trincomalee camp expenses* $3147Jaffna camp expenses* $3425

Transportation $2430Volunteer Training/ Retreat expenses $3127

Coordinator Compensation & Reimbursements $1206Other $674

Visions Leadership & English Training Camps: $25,036

Donation to Student’s Knowledge Center** $1,000

Total 2005 Operating Costs: $26,036

Funds Remaining $4963

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