NYO Games for Recess & Boom Whoopers
NAME | Paxxon & J-von
GRADE | 5
LOCATION | Anchorage, Alaska
Paxxon and J-von, two 5th graders in Anchorage, Alaska, are reimagining their recess time by introducing cultural games and activities that are important to their Indigenous and Filipino heritages, respectively. Both changemakers were inspired to act because their playground facilities are currently lacking: thus, they want to bring activities that are important to their culture and share with their classmates.
NYO Games for Recess applicant, Paxxon, recognizes that their school is on Dena'ina land, and they want to bring native games, like the 1 foot high kick, to the playground. He wants to share these culturally important games with his classmates, and he also thinks this would be a great space to prepare for the Native Youth Olympics, a program started in 1971 that students across Alaska compete in every year.
Boom Whoopers applicant J-von want to share his Filipino heritage and culture with his classmates. During recess, he wants to use boom whoopers to play a traditional Filipino game. J-von first wants to buy materials to make the boom whoopers, then decorate them with traditional Filipino art. He is confident that other students and teachers will be excited to help him with his project and share their culture with the community.
NYO Games for Recess & Boom Whoopers
NAME | Paxxon & J-von
GRADE | 5
LOCATION | Anchorage, Alaska
Paxxon and J-von, two 5th graders in Anchorage, Alaska, are reimagining their recess time by introducing cultural games and activities that are important to their Indigenous and Filipino heritages, respectively. Both changemakers were inspired to act because their playground facilities are currently lacking: thus, they want to bring activities that are important to their culture and share with their classmates.
NYO Games for Recess applicant, Paxxon, recognizes that their school is on Dena'ina land, and they want to bring native games, like the 1 foot high kick, to the playground. He wants to share these culturally important games with his classmates, and he also thinks this would be a great space to prepare for the Native Youth Olympics, a program started in 1971 that students across Alaska compete in every year.
Boom Whoopers applicant J-von want to share his Filipino heritage and culture with his classmates. During recess, he wants to use boom whoopers to play a traditional Filipino game. J-von first wants to buy materials to make the boom whoopers, then decorate them with traditional Filipino art. He is confident that other students and teachers will be excited to help him with his project and share their culture with the community.
NYO Games: I like our playground, but I think it could be better. We have swings, slides that are broken, things to climb on, but none of it really represents my culture. In Alaska, we have NYO games, which is Native Youth Olympics, and it is a big deal to be good at our traditional games which also has specific meanings and purpose in the history of my people. I live in the city, but miss being in the village and learning more about my history and culture.
Boom Whoopers: I have a nice playground with a lot of space to run around, but there are more kids than playground equipment to play on. My school has a lot of different cultures, but our playground is just swings, monkey bars, and structures to climb on. Our slide is broken.
NYO Games: My school is on Dena'ina land, and I would like to honor that by having native games for our playground. My favorite NYO game is the 1 foot high kick. I would like to make this and have it up at recess, so my friends and I can practice, so we can win NYO games. There are other NYO games I can make and add to my playground, but I would want to start with the 1 food high kick.
Update: My school has started its NYO Youth team and we are practicing and together we are going to make what we need for our playground.
Boom Whoopers: I would like to have more games to play at recess and also teach about my culture. I would like to make boom whoopers to have outside at recess that we could dance with. It is a traditional Filipino game and I think others would learning and playing it.
1. Buy materials to make boom whoopers.
2. Build boom whoopers and decorate with traditional Filipino art.
3. Teach my classmates and other students how to dance using boom whoopers.
I'm excited to share my culture with my school.
Update: Now that I've gotten my $50 gift card, I can buy PVC pipes and start making the boom whoopers. Thank you for the gift card.
NYO Games: I would ask my friends to help me. Some are also Indigenous like me, but others have different cultures, but all of us can be part of the NYO games.
I think other kids would see us practicing at recess and ask us to teach them. 5th graders are the oldest kids at my school.
I would also ask our PE teacher if we could practice NYO during gym. I would ask our Indigenous Support Leader to help as well.
Boom Whoopers:
There are other Filipino students in my school and Filipino teachers who I think would like to help me.
I think kids will see us playing and ask to learn and join.
I think our teacher will let me teach others during gym class and maybe he would let me come teach other classes, too.