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mystarjob.com, Saturday 11 April 2015
11
Learning from the
fantastic and the mundane
How is someone wired to learn for life?
By ALVIN DAN
alvin.dan@leaderonomics.com
T
HERE is a pre-requisite in our
journey to learn from life, and
that is to have awareness. What
I mean is that we need to be
aware of the things that are
happening around us, and the things that
are happening within us.
In this day and age, with the emergence of the internet and smartphones,
life is always moving on fast forward.
In the past, people used to ponder and
experiment when they could not understand how things worked, but these days
all one requires is internet access and
Google to find an answer.
The current generation has cut down
the time needed to reach an answer
to mere seconds. However, by having
information fed to us at speed, are we
forsaking a journey of learning at a more
careful pace that is such an essential process in life?
TAKING TIME TO LEARN
In DIODE leadership camps, we focus
on teaching young people from ages 8 to
19 a simple model called AVP where “A”
stands for awareness, “V” for vision and
“P” for plan.
In this model, we help youths understand themselves better. We start off
with simple personality tests that help
them be aware of who they are and how
they’re naturally wired.
By presenting scenarios in a group
setting, these young participants will
observe and understand how others are
wired as well.
The activities at DIODE camps focus on
creating an awareness within. The external awareness comes when the campers
accomplish challenging assignments
together, such as through day projects,
which require thinking and teamwork,
and are planned throughout the camp.
The bottom line for the project is to
achieve one important thing, which is to
“Make A Difference”, or as we fondly call
it, MAD.
We believe that when youths begin to
find out how they can make a difference
Diode 2015 camps
in their community, they will begin to ask
questions and develop a sense of curiosity about how society serves them and
vice versa.
By doing that, they will then get the
opportunity to embark on a journey of
learning and discovery!
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Those who really want to learn should
never stop asking questions. They might
be the very people who will one day find
answers to the questions that have yet to
be solved.
WHAT DID THE PAST CAMPERS
SAY ABOUT DIODE CAMPS?
As a facilitator of youth programmes,
my position on learning is that failure is
okay. Just take a good look in history, and
you will discover great men and women
who have failed countless times, yet they
are the ones who have learnt the most
throughout their lives.
Do not fear failing, for all you need to
do is to pick yourself up and try again. As
long as you do not stay beaten, as long
as you do not give up, life will always present itself with an opportunity to learn.
At the end of the day, that truly is the
beauty of life.
n Alvin Dan is
one of the youth
programme executives
at Leaderonomics.
His personal passion
lies in community
development. Using
his skills in behavioural
psychology, he plans
to continue developing
his expertise in
counselling in order to
assist others. To engage
with Alvin, email
editor@leaderonomics.
com
DIODE Kids
(June 9-10, 2015)
DIODE camps are conducted in a playful and
interactive manner. The
foundation skills taught
at camp equipped me to
excel as a leader. Projects
during camp were realistic,
adrenalin-pumping challenges
where I learnt to cooperate with respective teammates
to ensure all objectives were met. I also gained a clear
understanding of what can be improved. It doesn’t end
there. Participants are called back to the DIODE camp
headquarters after camps where they are given the
opportunity to return as co-facilitators to give back and
share their learning.
Eion Brian Towle | 15 years old
Diode Tweens Leadership Camp
I was introduced to
DIODE through The Star
last year. I joined DIODE
with zero capability
as a leader but, today I
am the Head Prefect of
SMK Methodist (ACS) Klang.
Throughout my learning
experience at DIODE, I realised that there is more to
being a leader than to lead. Traits like communicating,
decision making, inspiring, teamwork and many more
should also be present. DIODE has taught me to have
a vision and work towards it. Giving up is never an
option. By building my self-confidence, DIODE has also
helped me to face problems.
Rishaanthan Shantha Seelan | 17 years old
Diode Youth Leadership Camp
Venue: Dewan Besar,
6, Bgn Bakti Siti Hasmah,
Changkat Abg Haji Openg,
Taman Tun Dr. Ismail,
60000, KL.
TWEENS LEADERSHIP CAMP
(June 3-6, 2015)
YOUTH LEADERSHIP CAMP
(June 1-6, 2015)
Venue: Harmony Excellence Resort,
Lorong Chemperoh 1,
Kg. Janda Baik, 28750 Bentong, Pahang
ENJOY EARLY BIRD RATES! Sign up by 13th April 2015
CAMPS REGISTRATION ENDS 18th May 2015
Visit www.diodecamps.com or call us at +6 (03) 7957 5809 ext 2023 to secure your spaces in DIODE! See you there!