Youth Division Update

Once again, September is upon us. September is a time of change and new beginning and at the AKC things are changing for the better.

We, the instructors, have been struggling with three issues for some time. The first is a legacy schedule that offers classes on Saturday morning. This time slot has been particularly problematic and we have had to cancel many Saturday classes over the past year. We feel, and are sure you will agree, that this is unacceptable.

Our solution may surprise some of you. Our Saturday class has been cancelled. In its place, we have moved the white and yellow class to Monday night from 6:30 to 7:30. Tuesday classes will remain the same and be targeted at blue belt and up and Thursday will remain orange and green material.

The second obstacle that we as instructors face is the problem of help. It is difficult for a single instructor to effectively teach a group of students and keep the work challenging and interesting. We will be posting a schedule of classes for the next semester and will be looking for volunteers from the adult class to help fill in and assist.

The third challenge that we have faced is to keep the students focused and provide them with the material they need. To help facilitate this, A curriculum is being developed that will allow us to plan for material coverage and also allow the students and parents the ability to plan class attendance to ensure that required material is covered.

We feel that these changes should improve that overall program and allow more focused progress for the students. As always, your feedback is welcome and appreciated.

By: Joe Power
Youth Division Coordinator