Values education for children and young adults - Living Values Education
Values Education for Children and Young Adults



Guyana

Indira Persaud

Pre-school Administrator


guyana@livingvalues.net



Current Status  -  June 2002 

In early March of this year a briefing took place with five university students in the Sociology Faculty about Living Values: An Educational Programme and the scope for use and planning initiatives. Among them was a member of our local LVEP team.


This encouraged the group to take up the challenge to present a group paper as an end of year community project. This took the form of several meetings and workshops with parents, caregivers and teachers after which an evaluation and suggestions for future projects were highlighted. The sessions listed below are the initiatives of this group.


On March 21 and April 20, 2002, an hour lecture/promotion and workshop/discussion on the use and practice of values for parents of toddlers was done at a playschool managed by one of the LVEP team members. This attracted about 15 parents.


In late April, a two-day session was held at a Community High School. The Headmaster was an active participant in the organisation and discussions. Participants were issued with certificates of commendation.


A similar session took place at a country school in late April. This session attracted a wider cross section of persons from the community ? children, parents, teachers and professionals.


In all these sessions a story of values was enacted by a group from the Brahma Kumaris in the form of "The Wizard of Oz".


Guyana was fortunate to have the President of LVEP, Inc. visit in May. Professor Wondoloski met with the participants of the preceding workshops for a session on the Introduction to LVEP. Participants numbered about 80.


Overall, there has been a request for further sessions, with more interactive and in-depth sessions on the values.


A series of programmes is planned for the rest of the year to deal with discovering values in the self, to live values and to share and nurture values. Attached is a copy of the report submitted by the University group.


In the county of Berbice, the weekly values class for children ages 5- to 12-years old is continuing at a Brahma Kumaris Centre. Reports from the parents are encouraging as they see positive results in the children's behaviour and school performance. There has been good attendance by the twenty-five children. Activities are varied - story telling, speaking, singing, skits, etc. This group's attendance at a function organised by the local arm of the Catholic Church sparked an interest in the values class and sessions for parents.


Two sessions on discovering and applying values in the Nursing Profession were done at a country hospital in October last year.