A Program of Physical and Spiritual Practices for Youth at Takoma Academy

Problem. Encouraging high school youth to embrace the long-term benefits of holistic Christian activities that foster healthy lifestyle outcomes is challenging. The values of today’s youth are focused on the short-sightedness of immediate gratification, with little regard of the long-term consequences from spontaneous and often harmful choices. Furthermore, the ideals of society advocate that the pleasures of life are to be obtained in the present without a critique of their values or consequences thereof. Through compartmentalization and individualized living, adolescents, without an understanding of the holistic life of physical and spiritual disciplines, are prone to make choices that so often fragment their lives in matters of spiritual, mental, or physical development. The traditional church-based youth ministry program or Christian school response to the needs of youth emphasize the fragmented parts of adolescent brokenness and not the whole person. An after church youth meeting or a school-based sports program highlights either a one-day per week program, athletic games or team sports as an approach to minster to the fragmented needs of youth. Although these activities are useful in terms of demonstrating supportive events that are youth focused, they are often limited in their impact on the holistic needs of today’s high school age students. The purpose of this project is to develop a program as a Physical Education class that uses innovative physical exercises and Christian habits of spiritual disciplines to teach holistic growth for high school students at Takoma Academy. This project rejects any thoughts, philosophies, or religious beliefs that are not consistent with the Bible, Spirit of Prophecy, or lifestyle expectations as identified in the 28 fundamental beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Student practitioners at Takoma Academy adhere to a strict code of conduct and are challenged in all areas of life. The goal of this physical education course is to produce students who embrace physical fitness and Christian habits of spiritual disciplines as a way of life, not to produce martial artists. Method. The research was qualitative in that classes were taught at Takoma Academy as part of the regular physical education program. A curriculum was developed that integrated the teaching of physical and spiritual practices from a Christian perspective. Students who were enrolled in the physical education class of Taekwondo at Takoma Academy evaluated the program using a survey that they completed at the end of the semester. The survey assessed how successfully students conceptualized and applied the benefits of physical exercise and spiritual practices. Results. Students were taught how to conceptualize physical fitness and spiritual practices as a method to assist in the process of holistic Christianity. Students were taught how physical exercise, in the form of Taekwondo enhanced their physical fitness, and that the principles of exercise assisted youth in their spiritual development. Students discovered creative methods to practice Christian habits through spiritual practices, such as, Bible study, confession, faith sharing, service and worship

Accelerating Progress Towards the 2030 Neglected Tropical Diseases Targets: How Can Quantitative Modeling Support Programmatic Decisions?

Over the past decade, considerable progress has been made in the control, elimination, and eradication of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Despite these advances, most NTD programs have recently experienced important setbacks; for example, NTD interventions were some of the most frequently and severely impacted by service disruptions due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Mathematical modeling can help inform selection of interventions to meet the targets set out in the NTD road map 2021-2030, and such studies should prioritize questions that are relevant for decision-makers, especially those designing, implementing, and evaluating national and subnational programs. In September 2022, the World Health Organization hosted a stakeholder meeting to identify such priority modeling questions across a range of NTDs and to consider how modeling could inform local decision making. Here, we summarize the outputs of the meeting, highlight common themes in the questions being asked, and discuss how quantitative modeling can support programmatic decisions that may accelerate progress towards the 2030 targets

Teacher–Student Relationship Climate and School Outcomes: Implications for Educational Policy Initiatives

This article is a modified version of a paper presented at the Third Annual Sloboda-Bukoski Society for Prevention Research Cup Competition as part of Society for Prevention Research 17th Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.In recent discussions regarding concerns about the academic achievement of US students, educational policy makers have suggested the implementation of certain teacher policies. To address the limited empirical research on the putative educational impact of such policies, this study used multilevel structural equation models to investigate the longitudinal associations between teacher evaluation and reward policies, and student mathematics achievement and dropout with a national sample of students (n = 7,779) attending one of 431 public high schools. The student sample included an equal number of boys and girls averaging 16 years of age, and included a White (53%) majority. This study examined whether associations between teacher policies and student achievement were mediated by the teacher–student relationship climate. Results of this study were threefold. First, teacher evaluation policies that allowed students to evaluate their teachers were associated with more positive student reports of the classroom teaching climate. Second, schools with teacher reward policies that included assigning higher performing teachers with higher performing students had a negative association with student perceptions of the teaching climate. Lastly, schools with better student perceptions of the teaching climate were associated with lower student dropout rates by students’ senior year. These findings are discussed in light of their educational policy implications.http://www.springerlink.com/content/0047-2891/nf201