The Changing Trends of Adolescents at the Ark

Abstract

This project originated from my work at Christ the King Catholic School in Detroit Michigan during my career development quarter. At Christ the King I worked with third graders who were troublesome in class. The principal needed someone who could give these troubled students individual attention, both with their schoolwork and special projects. I worked with these third graders on moral development and conflict resolution. With all the problems that these small children were facing, I began to wonder what they would be like in adolescence. I also realized that although there are many organizations for adolescents to tum to, these young children with problems were being overlooked. The teachers and the staff were making their best attempts to help these children, but without outside assistance, they were having little success. It is true that there has been much research and reports on this subject, yet there was little data or statistics specifically on Kalamazoo. This knowledge led me to realize that the best way to gain information on adolescent problems in Kalamazoo would be through the impressions of those who work directly with adolescents.