The rise in juvenile delinquency cases has drawn the attention of many parties. As agents of change, students have a role to play and have shown concern for this issue.
They began to study and seek solutions to this social issue. According to data from the Special Region of Yogyakarta Police, there has been an increase in criminal cases in various areas of Yogyakarta.
A total of 58 reported criminal cases were recorded, with most perpetrators being teenagers.
It is suspected that one of the causes of juvenile delinquency is the erosion of cultural values and etiquette, which rapid technological advancements have gradually displaced.
The Student Creativity Program in Community Service (PKM-PM) team from Universitas Gadjah Mada, supported by the Directorate General of Learning and Student Affairs of the Ministry of Education, introduced the importance of manners or etiquette.
The PKM-PM team studied the erosion of manners and etiquette and the preservation of culture among children, particularly in Tamanan, Sleman Regency.
The PKM-PM UGM team named their study “Sinergi Nyawiji.” The Sinergi Nyawiji team consists of five students: Afila Nisa, Dini Aurellya (Faculty of Engineering), Dorothea Eudora (Faculty of Geography), Canesha Louise (Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences), and Fella Sulfa (Faculty of Economics and Business).
In conducting the study, the PKM-PM team invited children at Memetri Wiji Studio to learn about cultural diversity in Indonesia, local cultural preservation, and the importance of etiquette in daily life.
Afila Nisa, the team leader, stated that the goal of Sinergi Nyawiji’s learning program is to introduce culture and manners to children.
This introduction is carried out using the Javanese language as a form of preserving Javanese culture.
Meanwhile, in their study, the Sinergi Nyawiji team used fun, interactive, and flexible learning methods based on their developed curriculum.
Such methods certainly made the children at Memetri Wiji more enthusiastic and motivated.
“This is different from the previous curriculum, which only focused on Javanese songs,” said Afila Nisa at UGM on Monday, Jul. 22, 2024.
Dorothea Eudora added that the materials presented included an introduction to Indonesian culture, such as various traditional houses, traditional clothing, traditional musical instruments, traditional dances, and the Javanese script.
“For etiquette, we present it using visual aids like cards and snakes and ladders, and we invite students to practice writing the Javanese script directly,” explained Eudora.
Canesha Louise said the students were monitored by providing pocketbooks and flipbooks to track their activities.
After receiving material on manners, the students were expected to engage in the etiquette activities listed in the pocketbook.
“Such as greeting parents, saying hello, bowing when walking in front of elders, and so on,” she said.
As an implementation of in-depth cultural learning, Fella Sulfa stated that the students were invited to tour the Prambanan Temple.
They were introduced to the history of the temple, various types of temples, and the reliefs there.
“After visiting Prambanan Temple, students were asked to recount their memorable experiences during the learning sessions,” said Sulfa.
Nur, the manager and instructor at the Memetri Wiji Studio, expressed her joy with the curriculum updates from the Sinergi Nyawiji team.
The students, she noted, were enthusiastic about the program offered.
“We hope the program can teach children about the potential in Tamanan,” she said.
Hasto, the head of Tamanan, echoed the same hope. He strongly hopes that Memetri Wiji Studio will remain active in its activities while supporting the team’s student creativity program.
“We all hope that Memetri Wiji can become a valuable asset for Tamanan, and the Memetri Wiji Studio is expected to continue operating with teenage mentors,” said Hasto.
Dini Aurellya hopes for the continuity of the Sinergi Nyawiji team.
Through this program, she hopes to create pioneers of independence in cultural preservation who adhere to the concept of innovation.
This would make the program an inspiring and educational platform for anyone who wants to learn and appreciate Indonesia’s cultural diversity.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Lintang