Kids? Students? Young People?

I have always referred to the CH youth as kids, no matter how old they are. When we received our YouthBuild grant, they consistently chastised us when we'd say "kids" and interject "STUDENTS!" or "YOUNG PEOPLE!" This was a tough switch (and one I rarely used!)

But yesterday I was having a conversation with one of my staff who suggested that we do start to refer to the kids who come to YouthBuild as students or young people. When we have orientation, we stress to them that we will treat them as the young adults that they are (16-21) so if we refer to them as "kids", isn't that counterproductive?

I pondered this...When I worked at the crisis shelter, that was a "home" where the youth lived, so I think it was a bit easier to consider them "kids". Also, during my years in development, I found that folks were more likely to have a heart for homeless "kids" instead of "teens" (heck, our mission statement even uses the word "children"). But the youth who come to YouthBuild are, in fact, "students". They come, they learn, they go home. And although some of them might live at the CH shelter or our transitional living program, I'm not the one there taking care of every day needs in that capacity.

I think also that when we/I view a young person as a "kid", our "kids", there's a bit more intimacy. "Students" seems a bit more sterile to me but it helps keep who they are in perspective, draws the boundary lines a bit deeper perhaps. I'm willing to test out the "student" reference to see if it creates a higher respect factor (which was the point of the person with whom I was having the conversation).

Still, I look at the pictures above and the relationships I've developed...they are my kids, our kids. And I don't believe that thinking of them in that way is a bad thing...