Values and Activities

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Practical Curriculum

At YCM, students focus on practical skills including English language, IT,  general knowledge, sewing, cooking, housekeeping, social issues, and current events. Furthermore, students are shared character-building skills such as self-reliance, independence, creativity, compassion, and critical thinking. YCM encourages students to ask questions, to talk about their goals and challenges, and to be aware of the difficulties faced by others.

Expectations and Responsibilities

Students attend because they wish to experience the atmosphere and sharing style of the rumah pembinaan. Students are under no obligation to join the school, but do so of their own volition, and are simply obliged to continue their commitment if they enrol. It is a very different setting for students who have experienced economic hardship in their daily lives, including unfair treatment due to their poverty, or disappointment in traditional educational environments.

Free Education

For many households in Indonesia, educational costs are a burden. At YCM, students attend free of charge. Our students have all experienced economic hardship and, as a result, they are considered eligible to join YCM. If required, some students are also provided with food and transport to enable them to attend. Furthermore, YCM assists some families to pay fees at public schools which students attend in addition to YCM, by facilitating sponsorship.

Friendly Atmosphere

YCM hosts communities and special activities, and enables students to build genuine and lasting friendships with one another. Tutors know the backgrounds of their students, which ensures that all students feel accepted and supported. YCM is proud to offer a welcoming environment in which all newcomers quickly become part of the YCM family.

Achieving Dreams

At YCM, students are encouraged to discuss their ambitions and to develop and visualise their dreams. The foundation is affectionately referred to as “The House of Dreams”. YCM aims to support as many students as possible in finding suitable opportunities for employment or further education.

Groups

From Monday to Friday, YCM offers morning and afternoon sessions in a range of topics. Within these sessions, class groups are divided according to students, ability to communicate and their level of analytical skills and global awareness, rather than simply by age.

The morning sessions often accommodate dropouts from traditional schools, while the afternoons typically cater for students who attend YCM in addition to their other educational commitments. Some students choose to attend both sessions.

The current group system has classes based on age, students aged 9 to 15 years attend basic classes for English, computers and other general knowledge. These names were chosen by the students to represent the beliefs and goals of their class groups. Students aged 15 to 23 years are participate in one or more of the Youth Programs (these are Bogor Tours, Multimedia, Gardening, Handicraft, and Creative Writing). Each Youth Program has a student leadership structure with two students appointed as student leaders, and a tutor assigned as a counselor to provide support and guidance.

Tutors select different topics each day that are relevant to each class and appropriate to the skill levels of the students. The tutors have a range of specialties, and share their knowledge with their students accordingly.

Communities

Every Saturday, YCM is home to several student communities. Students can elect to join various groups, including:

  • Fun English
  • Multimedia
  • Futsal
  • Volleyball
  • Music & Vocal
  • Art

These sessions allow tutors to share knowledge with students in an ongoing structure. Students are able to direct their talents and to develop particular interests in a setting with likeminded peers.

Life Skills

YCM also believes in “learning by doing”. Students are given the opportunity to discuss from new responsibilities, and undertake tasks outside of the classroom including:

  • Preparing daily meals for fellow students and tutors
  • Shopping for cooking and cleaning supplies
  • Cleaning classrooms and kitchen areas
  • Student Council roles

Students are self-responsible for these tasks. There is no formal schedule, but all students are expected to identify tasks that require completion, and to ensure that tasks are completed to an appropriate standard. The atmosphere that is created by this level of responsibility and trust is significant. Students become engaged and enthusiastic in all tasks.