Gerard, I have had a similar experience. Here is what I recommend.
For many of the younger children, the open space sessions will not be very interesting - a long time, talking about matters that are abstract to them. I would approach people in the community who might be interested in convening sessions that are hands-on, with kids in mind: art, movement, music, group games, etc. Since these sessions go up on the agenda wall with the others, then it is not a separate "child care" track, but part of the whole. And adults may choose to attend also of course (imagine creating a dance or painting along your theme of "what do we want to have in the future, and how do we create it?" Whether the law of two feet can fully apply to children depends on the norms of supervision at your school. If the law does apply to all, then a six year old may leave the art session to wander the halls to find her mother's session, and children may be butterflies here and there if they so choose. If this is not comfortable to the sponsors then there could be adult or youth escorts to assist children who are ready to use their "two feet". A third choice is that children are only checked in and out of the "childrens" sessions by a parent, but then they are no longer equal participants in the OST, and the "childrens" sessions are not part of the whole, either. When we held a similar event at a school, many, but not all, of the young children chose to attended the art sessions, and many of the older children participated in other groups. At closing circle most of the kids chose to sit on the floor in the middle. After our once-around with the talking stick, the children shared their artwork individually and sang two songs, and that was our closing. It was marvelous. Chris > From: Gerard Muller <g...@openspace.dk> > Reply-To: OSLIST <osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu> > Date: Tue, 6 May 2003 10:14:35 +0200 > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Subject: [OSLIST] OS with kids - please advice > > Dear All, > > I have been asked to facilitate an Open Space for a school. The theme > will be: "What school do we want to have in the future, and how do we > create it ?" > > When discussing who should participate, the conclusion at this moment is > the Board, the schools staff, parents, children and a couple of others > who have > a say about or expertise in this. > > My question is about the children. This school has children from 6-16 > years old. The preparation group I am working with feels the older > classes could participate. I expect also the younger ones would just do > fine - except that probably they will not be given a choice to > participate or not - parents who want to join the meeting will just take > them along so as to not have to pay for someone to look after them. > > Anyone else has any experience with this ? > > Greetings from Denmark, > > > > > Gerard Muller > Open Space Institute Denmark > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, > Visit: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
