What does it mean to be a Good Citizen?

At Moorelands, all year round, we strive to be good citizens in our community. There are many definitions of a citizen but to narrow it down, it means, that you belong and identify with a community. However, the question remains, what makes someone a good citizen?

In Moorelands’ dictionary, citizenship means accepting and respecting others. We protect the environment and do our share as part of the community. By learning CITIZENSHIP through our programs, our participants understand that leaders have a duty to engage in tough conversations. We actively educate ourselves on pressing social issues, and always stand up for what is right in the community. (https://www.littlegermanytucson.com/)

ACCEPT OTHERS

A community is a collection of people, no matter who they are or where they come from. It’s a place to belong and feel included. Moorelands has a culture of acceptance, we always practice accepting everyone for who they are. If you identify with a culture, gender or religion, you are welcomed and a good citizen would recognize this.

RESPECT OTHERS

I think we can all agree that no one is perfect. Sometimes people make mistakes but it’s always important to treat others with respect, even when we disagree. Part of being a good citizen means abiding by the community code and learning how to engage in debate respectfully so we can all be safe and enjoy being together in the community. Having respect means to listen, cooperate, and choose your actions, attitudes and behaviours appropriately. When we disagree with others, we need to be peaceful problem solvers so we can work things out. Then we could find a solution that is for the benefit of the group as a whole.

DO YOUR PART

At Moorelands, we have a way of thinking and doing things through our Habits and Qualities; make it a habit, and do it with quality. Being a good citizen is taking care of the environment you are a citizen of. We do this by protecting and maintaining a healthy environment to show our citizenship. For example, this past year, Moorelands Kids’ BLAST after-school program participated in the Annual Giving Tuesday event. Where each site collected garbage in the nearby Flemingdon Park.

PARTICIPATE

A good citizen gets involved and participates. One way to do this is by participating or initiating community gatherings. Citizenship is all about creating new memories. At Moorelands we are all about creating new memories and this summer you have the opportunity to take part through our Virtual Summer Camp programs!

If you’re a little too old to be a camper (boo!) Maybe you can consider partnering and supporting this program by sending camp to kids!

Let’s all strive to be good citizens wherever you find yourself. In any capacity that you are able to; as a Canadian Citizen, a Moorelands’ Citizen or a citizen to your nearest community.

by BLAST program leaders Samia & Voda