Celebrating International Youth Day with Circles Washtenaw County | Guest Blog
- Daishayanea Jackson
- Aug 12
- 4 min read
Daishayanea Jackson is the Children's Program Coordinator at Circles Washtenaw County. She has an educational background and experience working with youth. By day she is a Youth Services Paraprofessional at a library. She has a passion working with youth, creating opportunities and experiences for them to explore their creativity, try something new and feel inspired to be who they want to be.
Greetings from Circles Washtenaw County in Ypsilanti, Michigan! I am Daishayanea Jackson, the Children’s Program Coordinator here in Washtenaw County. In celebration of International Youth Day on August 12th, I want to share pictures of my amazing kiddos and what we do in our program to support, encourage, and love them every Tuesday night. I have been in the Children’s Program Coordinator position for almost 2.5 years now. During my time here, I have revamped the way we do programming. I still follow the curriculum, but I put a spin on things using my education background and experience working in elementary education. Each month we choose a theme that correlates to, or highlights awareness for, that month’s [special campaigns] . For example, with May being Mental Health Awareness Month, I tend to focus on emotional health; but I also include physical health because our minds and bodies are
interconnected and my kids enjoy running around and playing. As September is the month kids go back to school, we focus on building relationships.
In addition to choosing themes that connect with each month, I try to pay attention to how my kids experience programming and respond to the different activities I plan. My younger kids are adventurous and will try just about anything, but my older kiddos really enjoy talking and having discussions. I tailor activities to their needs and interests while still including skills and ideas that they can develop or enhance. I noticed that [the element] of experience was lacking from programming, so I began reaching out to local individuals or organizations that create space for the kids to explore, tap into their creativity, and build connections within the community. These experiences opened the kids up to a new world beyond our Circles space and made the theme of the month more fun to explore. We have had field trips to the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum, where the kids explored “slime time” and states of matter for our July focus on STEM. At the Youth Arts Alliance, we explored music; we’ve also worked with a personal trainer who did fitness activities.
Recently, I brainstormed a Circles Summer Camp because I am aware of how costly and inconvenient summer camps can be. Scheduling and transportation can be challenging for families, so our camp would ensure that children have access and opportunities to learn, play, and connect with others while on break from school. Circles Summer Camp was created and, during the past few weeks, children have had the opportunity to experience different activities, field trips, and engagement with youth community organizations on a weekly basis.
I noticed that [the element] of experience was lacking from programming, so I began reaching out to local individuals or organizations that create space for the kids to explore, tap into their creativity, and build connections within the community.
After a few weeks of Circles Summer Camp, I attended the Circles USA Youth Support Call that Kris and Addie hosted, and I shared with the group that I had started this camp for Circles Washtenaw County. This got Kris’ idea gears turning, and I mentioned to her that if she wanted to create something for all Circles chapters to use, I would meet with her. The next week Kris, Jessica Lyseng (a Circles Washtenaw County teacher who has supported me in planning our summer camp activities) and I met. Together we started brainstorming and outlining the Camp Kaleidoscope curriculum. This initiative is also meant to offer Circles Children program coordinators, teachers, and volunteers the opportunity to slow down and connect with the kids in playful, adventurous, engaging ways. [We wanted programming] that would support our children growing in areas like compassion, emotional health, respect, leadership, teamwork, etc. This summer camp has created space for all that and then some. My kids have enjoyed summer camp and often say, “Can we do that again next week?”, “What are we doing next week?” or “ I’m not ready to leave yet.” The joy in their faces, the laughter echoing in the gym or outside as we’re running around playing tag with water guns, has been the highlight of my role as a Children’s Program Coordinator.
We welcome guest blog contributions from all roles of the Circles network, including staff, Circle Leaders, Allies, partners, volunteers, and champions. Whether you have a success story, best practice, or insight to share, we’d love to feature your perspective!
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