Mobilizing for Change: Youth Action Groups
The process we recommend is one where teens provide the
primary input. Adults help to facilitate
and certainly can give their input; however, teens are the ones who should be
most involved with this process. They
are most familiar with their peers, school, and community. Programming should have ownership and common
identity among the teens.
Cross the Line
One way to discover the attitudes of your group is to play
Cross the Line. This
activity will involve labeling and personalizing about our values, our
backgrounds, our teachers, and our experiences.
There are many versions of this game, below is one idea, and it is very
adaptable.
Go There Activity
Break into groups of four to six and link arms. Have the group, without communicating, think of a spot to go to within the room. On the count of three, while remaining linked in arms and without communicating, each member of the group will go to the spot they are thinking. The point of the activity is to show that if everyone has a different vision within the same group then they aren't on the same page. You want to make sure everyone in the group is on the same page as far as what the vision and purpose of is of their group and its mission. You can also label different areas of the room with different issues your club may want to address this year and see where the students want to go.
Use the planning tool below to focus on three things: Vision, Value, and Victory.
Vision: What exactly is the strategy or direction that you see your group doing? What is the mission of the group?
Value: What does your group bring to the community? How important is what you bring to the community?
Victory: What is considered a victory? What goals or achievements do you have in mind?
Use the planning tool below to focus on three things: Vision, Value, and Victory.
Vision: What exactly is the strategy or direction that you see your group doing? What is the mission of the group?
Value: What does your group bring to the community? How important is what you bring to the community?
Victory: What is considered a victory? What goals or achievements do you have in mind?
Individual vs. Environmental
Prevention Programming is divided into two categories; individual
prevention and environmental prevention.
Individual approaches focus on helping people develop knowledge,
attitudes, and skills they need to change their behavior. One way to do this is through peer to peer
education. Environmental approaches
focus on creating an environment that makes it easier for people to act in
healthy ways. Social norms is an
excellent example of an environmental strategy.
When individual approaches are combined with environmental strategies there
is a greater chance at success.
Planning Environmental Strategies |
Planning Individual Programs |
P.L.A.Y.
Promoting Leadership Amongst Youth doesn't just happen by planning and implementing programs and strategies. Students need opportunities to practice and hone their leadership and team skills at every meeting. A great way to do this is to play with purpose.