Young Tibetans Educational Club ( Y-TEC ) is a non-profit making organisation, comprising of parents, volunteers and Tibetan children in the U.K. It was formed in 2006 and joined as a wing of The Tibetan Community in Britain, shortly after forming.
Mission Statement
To provide youth work and informal education for Tibetan children in the United Kingdom with aims to :
- Develop personal and social skills
- Preserve Tibetan language, culture and heritage
- Strengthen self-confidence and Tibetan identity
- Develop friendships with other Tibetan children
- Have an opportunity to participate in new experiences e.g. outdoor activities.
Who are we?
Y-TEC is currently led by a board of five, comprising of Tenzin Takla (Founder/Director and parent), Pempa Lahmu Samuels (Curriculum co-lead; Primary school teacher and parent), Jamyang Dorjee (Curriculum co-lead; Teacher and parent), Tsering Yangchen (Parent representative board member and parent) and Tsering Passang, Chairperson of the Tibetan community in Britain.
Y-TEC Summer Camps
To date, Y-TEC has held eight annual summer camps lasting five days. Whilst these are mainly run for Tibetan children in the United Kingdom, when places are available, we have also received children from outside the U.K.
Camp workshops/lessons have included sessions in Tibetan literacy (reading/writing), Tibetan oracy (listening/speaking), Choe and Ethics, Instrument instruction including Dranyen, History, Geography, Public speaking, Calligraphy , Khabsey (Tibetan cookie) making, Tibetan gorshey (circle dance) and song workshops.
Camp has historically also included a chance to participate in outdoor activities. Over the years, these have included kayaking, raft building, rock climbing, high-ropes courses, caving, windsurfing, horse-riding, Jacob’s ladder, crate-stacking and laser tag.
We have also run sessions for parents in the past including Public speaking, Supporting children at school and Eleven-plus (secondary school admission) discussions.
Over the years, camp is a great opportunity for children of Tibetan ancestry to get together, make new Tibetan friendships, build a foundation of Tibetan identity and nurture their understanding of their culture and heritage. We hope that through camp, parents and children will come together to form the very foundations of a successful, cohesive community which will strengthen us all as individuals, Tibetans and world citizens.
Acknowledgements
As organisers, we have felt privileged to have shared camp with all the parents, volunteers and children, who have attended over the years. Everyone that attends has always been willing to lend their time, effort and support to camp. We welcome parental input and involvement at camp and extend an invitation to any parents who wish to run their own workshops for future camps.
We remain extremely grateful for the support from the Tibetan Community in Britain , Y-TEC board and all our donors. On behalf of the Y-TEC board, we would like to thank everyone involved and request your continued support for the future.
Bhoe Gyalo!
An Interview with Dr Tenzin Takla – Founder and Director of Y-TEC
Contact Details:
Y-TEC Director: Tenzin Takla
Phone: 020 8 447 5986 / 0787 576 0840
Address: Y-TEC, 14 Valley View, High Barnet, Herts, EN5 2NY
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://sites.google.com/site/projectsummercamp
Facebook: Y-TEC Facebook Page