DODSON HOSTS HAPPINESS INITIATIVE BY PEERS

Big things were happening in the little Class C school in Dodson over the last two weeks. Co-Creators of Happiness Initiative by Peers, Matthew Wu, age 16, and Alan Huang, age 15, accompanied by several friends and family members brought a whole new outlook on both the world and life to share with the students of the community. Wu is from Horace Mann School, NY; Huang is from Pingry School in NJ.

And what an inspiration the two are, in fact, the entire entourage is impressive! They brought to the quiet town a cultural introduction most of the kids have not experienced, nor may they ever again.

The two young men brings a unique curriculum which blends personal stories with interactive games and activities. The experiences explore the connections between their environment, their minds and behaviors. Accompanying the team of youth were Gwen Li and Grace Qiu Dodson welcomed the team with open arms and all those attending left with a feeling of excitement and a better understanding of not only themselves, but of others as well.

The Summer Camp introduced the youth to Mindfulness (introducing Happiness Curriculum by Peers), and Introduction to Debate. And no camp would be compete without Fun Sport activities, dodgeball, Mega V, Basketball and Art.

Sounds like a busy camp for two youth ages 15 and 16 to not only pull off but to be the instructors of...but they did.

The background on these skilled and talented youth is impressive. They have done teaching both in-person and online at the Tibetan Children's Village Refugee School for the past two years in Math, English and Social Studies. In the 2023-2024 school year they taught Happiness Curriculum at the Gateway School.

As to when did the teaching journey start, they stated, "During the Covid-19 pandemic, our generation faced significant mental health challenges, compounded by the confusion typical of our teenage years. Our curiosity lead us to India, where we sought wisdom from various spiritual leaders, including His Holiness Dalai Lama. He encouraged us to teach at the Tibetan Children's Village (TCV), a school for Tibetan refugees.

Throughout our teaching journey at TCV, we were profoundly inspired by the students' kindness and focus, despite their financial hardships and separation from their parents. This experience brought us back to our initial question: How did they manage to control their emotions so well?"

The two learned that part of the answer lay in their education; they had attended a debate-focus philosophy and ethics since the age of five, yes, five (5), which taught them to question everything and still be aware of others' perspective.

Working on a curriculum to teach others, they started looking for a way to help them express their feelings. They were able to see the struggle kids have in communicating with peers and adults, who are often seen as an authority figure. Children are taught to share their feelings. They are taught how to handle exploring life problems and mapping out solutions, keeping them aware of their situation if they get frustrated, rather than being blinded by their emotions.

Goals of the program are to improve the mindset by showing them they can change; and creating an enduring impact on the children they teach, fostering a drive for them to help others in the community. With the aim of transforming the mindsets of pre-teen by sharing their life experiences, learning by doing in nature, participation in games, debate, yoga, meditation and massage, they aim to make a connection between their environment, behaviors and minds.

Part of the teaching group that came to Dodson included Ivan Bratko, who is a visual artist, educator and consultant. He has been focusing most recently on marble, bronze, and wood. He has been focusing on stone as well. He was born and educated in the Ukraine and earned the title of Ukraine National Master.

His wife, Kateryna Podtabachna, also travels and works with the program. She is a certified practical psychologist and certified psychotherapist in Ukraine. She and Bratko teach art therapy together for kids.

During the two weeks of camp, children interacted through games and fun times. They also learned how to debate, going up against all the others in the cast and through their verbal expression and statement told and attempted to convince their peers why they should not be thrown off a hot air balloon. Creativity and ingenuity were ever-present in this group of youth.

The class activities introduced the kids to classes in painting, pottery, art and drawing, and hands-on creating of various crafts.

Working to bring the program to Dodson were Wendy Hopkins and Gary Weitz, retiring Superintendent, teachers, community members and a warm group of adults and volunteers. They would like to see the program return next year and would welcome others to attend. If you have questions, you may call the Dodson School at 406-383-4631.