The WCF Youth Council year kicked off with members focusing on the positives and negatives they and their peers are currently facing. They came up with the following SWOT list.
Strengths
*Arrow Education Foundation & supportive educational system - if you want to graduate you can
* Size of community: large enough for opportunity, small enough to get connected.
* Kids are involved in activities/lots of choices & opportunities
*Supportive community
* Kids supportive of each other.
Weaknesses
*Community size - still small town; not enough activities - leads to boredom & bad behavior. Some don't take advantage of what's offered. Some see parties as logical progression in their social life.
* Parents are not taking responsibility for kids drinking, drugs, smoking...* The "average" student no longer exists; you are accelerated or not. The "have/have not." Why? Some students take advantage of technology - others don't. More focus on taking AP courses.
* Students expect adults to do things for them. Apathy, ex.: Students don't feel politics affect them.
* Drugs, drinking, smoking; peer pressure to do it.
* Teen pregnancy
Opportunities
* Plenty of extracurricular activities, clubs
* Students can find jobs
* Adults are willing to engage students that show interest.
* Wide range of classes offered @ WHS, Multi District & LATI
* Lots of volunteer opportunities
* Size of community helps students make connections.
Threats
* Students have been brought up to believe that whatever they do is OK. They haven't been made to accept responsibility.
* Lack of responsibility for actions: i.e., drugs or not taking courses to prepare for after high school - or just not showing up when they're suppose to.
* Students thinking it's OK to do drugs, smoke and drink because "everyone does it."
* Thinking that adults are going to take care of everything.
* Students not taking advantage of what is offered: classes, activities to help them gain direction.
* Kids don't get the "real world." Lack of understanding that what they do or don't do now affects the rest of their lives.
* Parents push kids to excel in school or sports more out of their needs/wants than the students'.
* Social networking leads to accelerated gossip, violence.
