KIDS HURT TOO
HAWAII
CAREGIVER ROLES
Support each youth in a beneficial manner
Provide mentorship to develop strengths
PHYSICAL SET TING
A multidisciplinary building, that has Kids Hurt
Too, Foster youth Coalition, as well as other
resources such as mediation, and community
resources.
Located on the edge of Chinatown considered to
be a rough area
SIMILARITIES
Focus is on providing positive experiences,
through activities and crafts
Provide positive mentorship and role models to
help guide the youth
DIFFERENCES
Programs to help parents provide support to
children
Less structured (if youth decide they no longer
want to participate they have the option of doing
something more to their energy and emotional state
of that day
POSITIVE IDEA 1
Using wood sanding to show that loss can help
develop and polish a person into who they are, and
that it takes timer can be endless depending on goals
POSITIVE IDEA 2
Find a fun activity the youth will enjoy, then find a
lesson or learning opportunity, rather then pick a
learning goal and finding and activity after
POSITIVE IDEA 3
Do not have just specific activities for the day but
provide the youth choices, allowing them to develop
the ability to make appropriate choices for their
energy and emotional levels.
CHALLENGE 1
Finding new and innovate ways to keep the
youth’s attention
Many youth do not enjoy the same thing making
this difficult on occasion
CHALLENGE 2
Leaving my own comfort zone
This has been an ongoing challenge for me
CHALLENGE 3
To find innovative ways to engage the youth in
ways that would be new, as well as great learning
experiences and fun.
INSIGHT 1
Some cultures are more inviting to outsiders than
others
In Hawaii they shared and welcomed people, and
seems less inviting in Canada, requiring knowing
someone to witness many aspects
INSIGHT 2
Everyday activities can be used as learning
opportunities.
These can be fun, as well as create new
connections for the youth
INSIGHT 3
That our society often over regulates youths
activities in programs.
Sometimes the youth just need a safe place to do
what they need to at that time for themselves.
CULTURAL SIMILARITIES
Both Hawaiin and Canadian Aboriginal cultures
put great value and meaning on animal spirits.
Both cultures traditionally look to living with
nature rather than controlling it.
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
In Canada the aboriginal people have a very
difficult stereotype to overcome compared to the
Hawaiin aboriginal culture.
I believe this is partly to do with tourism, and
partly the way in which the cultures are celebrated
PHILOSOPHY
To enjoy life to it’s fullest with those around me,
and to take the opportunities to grow and learn
while I do so.
PHILOSOPHY 2
To take the bumps and hurdles life puts in my
path and turn them into a positive learning
experience and outcome from a negative situation
WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT
ME
I learned that I adapt to new areas quickly and
fairly easily
That given the opportunity, I enjoy activities on
my own as much as I do with groups depending on
the activity
I WILL NEVER FORGET
I will never forget how much freedom the
children at Kids Hurt Too had, from helping create
the name, to choices of activities.
I will also never forget how hard the facilitators
strive to provide a place of healing for each youth in
their own way.