AFTER SCHOOL OVERVIEW
Own It! is an After School program for teens. We feature an integrated approach to history along with a focus on life skills & personal development.
The mission of Own It! is to expand participant awareness. We help them step up & feel empowered. Knowing that they live in history helps develop creative capacity to become leaders, make a constructive difference, and affect history.
Own It! activities support Community Building when used in joint programs for youths from differing parts of a community.
HISTORY SPRINGBOARD
Own It! uses American history and an individual's or family's past as sources for personal development.
Irrespective of one’s age, heritage, background, or education, the past matters. It is what one inherits as a person living in America (both the good and the bad). It is the starting point for the story we each write with our lives. Life is history, and history is life.
Left: "Celebrate Black Herstory & History" collage, public high school, 2019
LEADERSHIP
Students develop leadership skills by becoming more effective in pursuing what each cares most about — in their families, schools, communities, and eventually the country. Consistent, thoughtful self-assessment builds greater awareness, which is essential for leadership.
Right: Front and back view of Own It! T-shirts.
DETAILED, FLEXIBLE MATERIALS
Own It! now provides four after school program handbooks. They may be requested using tabs below. OYH does not charge for non-commercial use of its programs. All OYH materials are available under a Creative Commons license, here.
After school programs are encouraged to start Own It! using the Own It! Handbook for Ages 11-14 (15 lessons) or the Own It! Handbook for Ages 14-18 (13 lessons).
Students who have experienced one of these initial programs will be better prepared for the more advanced handbooks:
· Own It! Handbook - Does Democracy Matter in My Life? (5 lessons)
· Own It! Handbook - 21st Century Health Challenges & Inequities (5 lessons).
Each handbook includes lessons designed to last 45-60 minutes. However, the program is flexible. Facilitators are encouraged to adjust sessions for their individual group by expanding or adding to suggested activities.