While reading this document a quote that stuck out to me the most was, "Good youth workers: have a well-developed sense of self and can use reflection to understand how their own identity impacts upon their understanding of and work with others," . I feel like this is important for every YDEV student to hear and understand. When growing into an adult we go through a lot of changes in life and experience a lot of different scenarios that can shape us into who we are. It is important through these experience that we knoe who we are to our core, so that we do not let anyone or anything stray us away from our character. It is important to know when this could potntilly be happening, reflecting on your negative actions is crucial for change. I would hope all are students studying YDEV  because they care and have pure intentions when it comes to child care, so it is important to make sure our actions align with what we believe in and who we are as people. We know there are bad apples in the industry and when we are in tune with our identitys it is easier to confront people, sstems, or laws that we feel go against the future of children. A new idea I learned and am also stilla but confused on, is some of the terms we shouldnt use to refer to the youth. "young offenders", teeage parents" , and "NEETs". Not that these are terms I would use but these just seem kindve randomly thrown in the text and I dont believe these to be words commonly used. I didnt even know what "NEET" meant so that was also a new term learned. This term refers to those who are not in employent, education, or training. This term is definitely offensive so it was good to learn so I can avoid. Another good word from the text to define is "holistically", which means looking at the whole picture instead of just one part.For example, if you study a person holistically, you don’t just look at their grades—you also think about their health, emotions, family, and environment all together. Welfare practice is another important term to know the meaning, and it is the study and application of how communities, governments, and professionals support people’s basic needs—like safety, housing, food, health, and emotional well-being. Learning about welfare practice is important because it helps us understand how systems of support work, why some people face barriers to accessing them, and how we can improve these systems so that everyone has a fair chance at living a stable, healthy life. The last new idea I learned was about the big difference between voluntary involvement and pre-determined involvement. Voluntary involvement means kids choose to participate in something because they’re genuinely interested or motivated. Pre-determined involvement is when kids feel pushed into something, often because of outside factors like parents, teachers, or even wanting to follow their friends. This really stood out to me because kids are heavily influenced by their peers—sometimes they’ll join an activity just because their friends are doing it, not because they actually enjoy it. Understanding this difference helps explain why kids might lose interest quickly if they didn’t choose the activity themselves, and why giving them real choices can make their involvement more meaningful.

When I was younger, soccer camp was the perfect example of voluntary involvement for me. I really wanted to do it, and because of that, I was excited to show up every day. It not only taught me the sport itself, but also helped me build fundamental skills at a young age—like teamwork, discipline, and communication. On top of that, I made new friends and got to train alongside older teenagers who we could look up to. That experience stuck with me because it showed how much more you can get out of something when you truly want to be there, instead of being pushed into it.

Living Into Our Values

 This assignment was really fun because it aligns with some personal work I have been doing lately. Self-identity is important for me because it helps remind me that I am exactly who I think I am, so nobody can try to tell me who I am. Following, I will paste a link to the Google Doc for my assignment! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lR2Jh-HZFPlQd78pR1J-O52VkC5AB3WT5oYbNdQbXZ4/edit?usp=sharing

Policy OPED

 When I think about Out of School Time (OST), the first thing that comes to mind is soccer. I’ve been playing since I was a little kid, but high school soccer was where it really started to shape me. It wasn’t just a sport—it was kind of my anchor. Honestly, I don’t think I would’ve made half the friends I did in high school without being on that team. Walking into school already knowing people from practice made everything feel less overwhelming. Instead of being nervous about who to sit with at lunch or who I’d bump into in the hallway, I already had a community waiting for me.

The friendships I built on that team weren’t just the kind where you high-five on the field and then go your separate ways. They turned into real, lasting bonds. Long bus rides, running drills in the rain, celebrating wins, and even laughing off the rough losses—it all pulled us together. We started as strangers who just happened to play the same sport, but over time we became something closer to family. By senior year, those teammates were some of the people I trusted most.

What’s funny is that soccer also taught me how to work with people I didn’t necessarily click with at first. When you’re out on the field, it doesn’t matter if you’re best friends or barely talk off the field—you still have to figure out how to trust each other and move as a team. And then, little by little, that forced teamwork turns into real connection. That’s a life skill I still carry with me today.

Reading McKamey and Restler’s piece made me realize that this is exactly what OST is supposed to do. They talk about how these programs give kids opportunities outside of academics—spaces to build confidence, learn social-emotional skills, and just be themselves. That was soccer for me. It gave me a place to grow that wasn’t about grades or tests, but about teamwork, resilience, and friendship.

Looking back, I think high school would’ve felt a lot lonelier without soccer. The field was where I found my voice, where I learned how to push myself, and where I built relationships that made the rest of school feel more manageable. That’s why OST matters so much—it’s not “extra,” it’s essential. For me, soccer was more than a game; it was where I found my people, my confidence, and my own little corner of community.

Like everyone else lately, I’ve been binging Wednesday on Netflix, and while I was watching, I couldn’t help but connect it to the McKamey and Restler reading. At first, I was just in it for the mystery and the sarcastic one-liners, but the more I watched, the more I realized the show isn’t really about what happens in the classroom at Nevermore. Wednesday’s biggest growth happens in all the other spaces—fencing practice, the Poe Cup race, late-night adventures, and the friendships she builds (even though she tries so hard to act like she doesn’t need them).

That clicked for me because McKamey and Restler argue that Out of School Time (OST) programs are where so much of the real learning happens. It’s those moments outside the regular school structure where kids figure out who they are, build confidence, and learn how to work with other people. Watching Wednesday reminded me of my own OST experience—soccer. Playing all through high school gave me the same sense of belonging and community she eventually finds. I made friends I probably never would have without the team, and the practices and games taught me how to work with people I didn’t even know at first. Over time, that turned into bonds that carried me through high school.

So yeah, maybe Nevermore looks nothing like my high school, but the point still stands: what happens outside of class can be just as important—sometimes even more—than what happens in it.

Identity Map

Identity Map 

This Book is Anti-Racist Review

 Reading “This Book is Anti-Racist” was very affirming and motivating. Recently, I have been really focused on my identity and who I want to be. It is so easy to get caught up in what others think about you or to let those anxious/intrusive thoughts slip through. I have realized it is very important to be active in the way you think about yourself. Whether it is through journaling or just having more intentional thoughts. I like to live by the phrase “I am exactly who I think I am,” meaning I am not what others tell me unless I start to believe it. This is way easier said than done, but it comes with practice. For example, my anxious thoughts have told me for years that I am “lazy” and “unmotivated” because when I have a lot on my plate and I am overwhelmed, it can be harder to even start one task due to the stress of them all. Before I took into account my true identity and how I want to identify, this was a natural common thought of mine that I never considered to be weighing me down. Now I intentionally practice telling myself positive things about myself or things I want to become. If you tell yourself you love yourself enough times, you'll start to believe it, just like you do when people tell you something negative about yourself enough times. This book touches on this recent topic in my life, but in a societal way, and some things you cannot change about yourself with enough words of affirmation, like gender, race, age, social class, education level, etc. What one can convince themselves of is that these aspects do not make you “good” or “bad,” no matter how many times society tries to drill it in our brains; they do not define you, but they are a part of you. So daily, I make it a point to think about who I want to become, and be exactly who I think I am. 

I felt as though this image really portrayed what was talked about in this reading. It symbolizes how equal opportunity can affect how people "see" the world. When everyone is put on the same size box not all of them can see due to their differences. Their boxes should coordinate with their identity, not a standard image of what everyone's identity should be. When the boxes coincide with their heights, everyone is now on the same playing field. However, equal opportunity should not be the only solution, but also altering outdated and ignorant views on people due to their physical differences. The ideology needs to change.