SMOA's approach is youth driven. Knowing, understanding, working with, serving underserved youth, their parents, communities, is SMOA's mission. Central to this is the firm understanding that each and every community in the world, has different youth-needs and priorities.
Examples include: 32% of community youths in Grades 4-6 lacked computers at home and therefore, could not reinforce school-taught lessons in hardware, software, let alone coding. This affected computer learning, tutoring and group-networking on extracurricular and school-based projects. SMOA worked collaboratively with both supportive and responsible adults, school members, community resources both in the region as well as locally to develop solutions. Fundraisers, grants and internet service cooperation resulted in cost-free computer rentals to youths in need, ensuring that computers were used only as part of a wide-area-network (WAN), and therefore, server protocols ensured inappropriate use, with this being defined by school-board policies (100% compliance (!)).
Another community had youth that sought a biking club, had bikes in varying states of disrepair. While interest was in the outdoors, associated ecology, environmental stewardship, the immediate, "fun" was biking (versus walking !). SMOA leadership, deploying via DPSL, working with again, supportive and responsible adults, community biking resources, connected with underserved youth, interactively ascertained the need, validated the same, and then, collaboratively worked a solution that served all stakeholders, starting with the youth.
Critical to note that Community-Specific does not just mean the youth got what they wanted/needed. It also means that what was delivered addressed the need in a measureable fashion, and this was communicated and accepted by those that supported the solution. Essential to understand that SMOA views "Community" as not just the youth community, but the ecosystem wherein the youths exist, and with SMOA input, thrive. This community/ecosystem varies across the world, and its needs are important. For example, the local bike shop which contributed its technicians to service and teach how to service bikes, had needs. This included advertising space on the local SMOA website, the school newsletter, the local PTSA, and direct request to Responsible Parents, to remember those that supported their youth.
Community specific also means that the various Trunks will be applied differentially across the world's communities. Ecology may mean stream conservation efforts in one location, whereas it may mean tree planting in another and in another, flower beds. In some, it may mean home planter boxes and seed starters. In yet another, it may mean working with the municipality to set aside a plot for a school-based vegetable garden where ecologic principles are applied, showcasing environ mental stewardship.
Unlike efforts wherein an entity/organization enters a community with a solution (literacy, etc.), SMOA's approach is entirely ecosystem specific, drawing from DPSL working with local stakeholders and youth.
Examples include: 32% of community youths in Grades 4-6 lacked computers at home and therefore, could not reinforce school-taught lessons in hardware, software, let alone coding. This affected computer learning, tutoring and group-networking on extracurricular and school-based projects. SMOA worked collaboratively with both supportive and responsible adults, school members, community resources both in the region as well as locally to develop solutions. Fundraisers, grants and internet service cooperation resulted in cost-free computer rentals to youths in need, ensuring that computers were used only as part of a wide-area-network (WAN), and therefore, server protocols ensured inappropriate use, with this being defined by school-board policies (100% compliance (!)).
Another community had youth that sought a biking club, had bikes in varying states of disrepair. While interest was in the outdoors, associated ecology, environmental stewardship, the immediate, "fun" was biking (versus walking !). SMOA leadership, deploying via DPSL, working with again, supportive and responsible adults, community biking resources, connected with underserved youth, interactively ascertained the need, validated the same, and then, collaboratively worked a solution that served all stakeholders, starting with the youth.
Critical to note that Community-Specific does not just mean the youth got what they wanted/needed. It also means that what was delivered addressed the need in a measureable fashion, and this was communicated and accepted by those that supported the solution. Essential to understand that SMOA views "Community" as not just the youth community, but the ecosystem wherein the youths exist, and with SMOA input, thrive. This community/ecosystem varies across the world, and its needs are important. For example, the local bike shop which contributed its technicians to service and teach how to service bikes, had needs. This included advertising space on the local SMOA website, the school newsletter, the local PTSA, and direct request to Responsible Parents, to remember those that supported their youth.
Community specific also means that the various Trunks will be applied differentially across the world's communities. Ecology may mean stream conservation efforts in one location, whereas it may mean tree planting in another and in another, flower beds. In some, it may mean home planter boxes and seed starters. In yet another, it may mean working with the municipality to set aside a plot for a school-based vegetable garden where ecologic principles are applied, showcasing environ mental stewardship.
Unlike efforts wherein an entity/organization enters a community with a solution (literacy, etc.), SMOA's approach is entirely ecosystem specific, drawing from DPSL working with local stakeholders and youth.
