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THE PESA POST
The latest news, views and announcements from Parents, Educators/Teachers & Students in Action

The Community Based Organization of Teen Court

November 25, 2020
What’s Your Attitude of Gratitude? 
When kids who don’t have much find much to be thankful for, the lesson cuts both ways
Chances are good that most people reading this had a roof over their heads last night and won’t probably be wanting for food throughout the day. But not necessarily so for the students of woefully underserved Challenger Middle School in eastern Los Angeles County’s rural Antelope Valley. According to the California Department of Education, Challenger has an enrollment of 536 students, 96.1% of whom are socioeconomically disadvantaged, 25.6% are English learners, 9.3% have disabilities, 2.4% are experiencing homelessness and 1.1% are foster youth. Some 30% of the area residents live in poverty, with a per capita annual income of $14,748.

It’s not a group that, on the face of it, would seem to have a lot to be appreciative of. But when PESA was recently asked to do a workshop for students on “Gratitude,” the response was heartwarmingly positive, proving that even in incredibly difficult circumstances, youth can be a resilient and positive bunch.

“My dog!” “My brothers and sisters!” “Yoghurt!” These were just a few of the enthusiastic responses offered by students when asked what things in their lives they were thankful for. (And in case there was any doubt, that yoghurt response was repeated enthusiastically several times!) 
It’s precisely cohorts like Challenger Middle School students that PESA aims to serve through educational programming. The goal is to not only make up for gaps in education, but by tackling such social issues and themes as “Positive Thinking,” “Resolving Conflict,” “Stereotyping & Acceptance” and “Gratitude,” students will be exposed to concepts that might otherwise be lacking in a resource-strapped system. And by teaching these themes early on, it can potentially mitigate more serious issues, from truancy to petty crimes that, in turn, can escalate to actions that land a youth in the criminal justice system. It’s much more productive to educate away from such patterns than to try to break them after they’ve been set.

So, on the eve of Thanksgiving, in the midst of a global pandemic and a shattered economy that have left people so negatively impacted that it might seem there’s not much to be thankful for this year, it’s wise to take a lesson from the kids of Challenger Middle School. We all can probably manage a little gratitude, even in 2020.

Happy holiday!