PART C: ENERGIZERS & TEAM-BUILDING ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT YOUTH-ADULT PARTNERSHIPS

Transcription

1 PART C: ENERGIZERS & TEAM-BUILDING ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT YOUTH-ADULT PARTNERSHIPS

2 The following energizers and team-building activities can help strengthen the core team and help the participants get to know one another better. These activities can be readily adapted and combined with other learning activities in the toolkit to reinforce core concepts or skills. The activities can be adapted for use in the community as well. 116

3 TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY YOUTH-ADULT PARTNERSHIP BINGO Overview This activity helps set the stage for the understanding that everyone has something to contribute, and that effective partnerships must utilize the skills, talents, gifts, and energies of all participants. When to Use This Activity This activity works well at the beginning of a training session or meeting. It can be adapted for participants who are meeting for the first time, for groups who have been working together for some time, or for mixed groups, depending on the characteristics included on the bingo card. This activity can also be used as a self-directed exercise for participants to complete when they first arrive at a meeting. Objectives to help participants get to know one another and learn the names of others in the group to introduce the participants to preliminary concepts relevant to the training to reinforce within the participants the importance of utilizing the talents, skills, gifts, and energy of everyone Time Required 15 minutes Group Size 10 or more You may need to adapt the rules of play to the size of your group. The intention is to get the participants to mingle and meet as many other participants as possible. Generally, with a group of 20 more, a participant may sign the same card no more than two times. For groups of 10-20, a participant may sign three times. With a larger group, the winner must achieve a full blackout on his or her card (i.e., one signature in each square). With a smaller group, you might limit each participant to one signature per card and require the winner to get a straight line across, up, down or diagonally, as in bingo. 117

4 Needed Materials flip-chart paper a marker tape copies of handout 11, Bingo Card, found on page 119, one for each participant pens or pencils, one for each participant Needed Preparation Write the following rules on a sheet of flip-chart paper, and post it where all can see: Each person may sign the same card only two times. The first person to fill in their entire card yells, Bingo! Have fun and meet as many people as possible! You may want to create your own the bingo card to fit the particular content of the session and the profile of your group. Make sure that a significant amount of the content remains relevant to youth-adult partnerships, community transformation, or child well-being. Also include some items related to personal talents of the participants, if you know this information. Activity Steps INTRODUCE THE ACTIVITY: 5 MINUTES 1 Distribute to each participant a copy of handout 11, Bingo Card, and a pen or pencil. Then review the rules you have posted on the flip-chart paper. Tell the participants that they will want to fill in all the spaces on their cards as quickly as possible (unless you have modified the rules due to the size of your group). Decide if you will have just one winner or more. If more, tell the participants that the game will go until the designated number of people have achieved bingo. PLAY THE GAME: 10 MINUTES 2 Invite the participants to begin the game. When someone yells, Bingo! check his or her card to be sure it has been completed correctly. Once a winner (or winners) has been declared, stop the game and thank everyone for playing. REFLECT AND DISCUSS: 10 MINUTES 3 Initiate a discussion with everyone using the following questions: What surprised you about this activity? What did you learn about our group? How can we use what we learned as we move forward with our youth-adult partnership? 118

5 HANDOUT 11 BINGO CARD B I N G O Was inspired by something they heard or saw today. Is a member of a successful youth adult partnership. Is sometimes frustrated by trying to find the time to have meetings with young people. Can spell leadership backwards. Is sometimes frustrated by trying to find the time to have meetings with adults. Has been surprised by the wisdom of someone from a generation different than their own. Can articulate what adultism means to them. Considers themselves young at heart. Knows of an organization with a young person on its board. Can say hello in more than four languages. Was or is a youth member of a board of directors. Expects youth to make their own decisions. Thinks that youth are leaders of today, not just tomorrow. Has seen a good movie lately. Knows how to step back without tuning out when working with youth or adults. Can describe five reasons why youthadult partnerships are a great idea. Is a person you would like to give a compliment to. Made a New Year s resolution and kept it. Lives in a place that has youth engaged in organizational leadership. Thinks he or she is a good listener. Knows the most popular place for young people to hang out in their community. Disagrees with the way youth are portrayed in the media. Traveled the farthest to attend this meeting. Has conducted a performance evaluation. Can tell a good joke. 119 Permission to reproduce is granted World Vision, Inc.

6 TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY COMPARISONS Overview In this activity, the participants use comparisons as a means for better understanding and accepting one another while establishing a safe and fun environment. When to Use This Activity This activity works well early in a training program to contribute to building the understanding, appreciation, and trust needed for future activities. Objectives to offer the participants an opportunity to get to know one another to help the participants better understand one another Time Required minutes Group Size Any size Needed Preparation You will need to develop a list of comparison questions (e.g., chocolate or vanilla, car or truck, bicycle or skateboard, ice cream or popsicle, books or movies, thinker or doer, extrovert or introvert, talker or listener, risk-taker or traditionalist, behind the scenes or out in front, etc.). Make sure that there is not a right or wrong answer in the comparisons. The list of questions should gradually become more difficult and highlight different perspectives, approaches, and abilities that are useful to work in the community. 120

7 Activity Steps SET THE CONTEXT: 2 MINUTES 1 Introduce the activity by sharing the following points: Creating a safe space where each of us can express our likes and dislikes is an important foundation for strong relationships. Sometimes we may be timid about speaking our preferences, ideas, and opinions, especially to people we do not know. One way to overcome this shyness is to share our thoughts on a wide array of choices. When we feel comfortable sharing our preferences and ideas, we are more likely to feel comfortable discussing our opinions on deeper topics. I will be presenting you two options for your consideration. Your task is to choose the one that best describes you or your preference. For example, if I say, Chocolate ice cream or vanilla ice cream? think about which option best describes your preference. If you chose the first option, move to the left side of the room. If you choose the second option, move to the right side of the room. If you simply cannot make a choice, stand in the center of the room. There are no right or wrong answers. PRESENT THE CHOICES: 10 MINUTES 2 Begin by presenting the first set of choices. Ask the participants to move to the appropriate place in the room. Then ask a few participants on each side (and in the middle, if anyone is there) to explain their choices. 3 Continue this process using the additional comparisons you have created. Be sure that the comparisons get a bit more difficult as you proceed. REFLECT AND DISCUSS: 5 MINUTES 4 Lead a large-group discussion using the following questions: everyone using the following questions: What did you notice? How did it feel to be part of the group? How did it feel to be alone with your choice (if that happened)? Were you surprised by anything you saw? What did you learn? How does what we experienced or learned in this activity apply to our work in youth-adult partnerships? Were you surprised by anything you chose? 121

8 TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION Overview This activity brings the participants together in a creative, fun, and meaningful way. The activity also illustrates the importance of discussing what really matters. When to Use This Activity This activity can be used as an icebreaker at the start of a session. With a large group, it can be used during a session to help the group go deeper in building relationships. Objectives to deepen relationships among the participants in a meaningful way to promote trust and appreciation among the participants Time Required 25 minutes Group Size participants Needed Materials a watch or timer a bell (optional) Activity Steps SET THE CONTEXT: 3 MINUTES 1 Tell the participants that this activity will help them to learn more about one another and to discover possible connections within the group. 2 Ask everyone to think of one question that would help them to learn about someone else in a fundamental way to understand who they really are. Ask for some examples (be ready to provide a few), such as the following: What is one dream you have for the future of our community? 122

9 What do you think are the skills you bring to our team? Name one person who made a positive difference in your life. 3 Allow a few minutes for the participants to think of a good question. QUESTION ROUNDS: 10 MINUTES 4 Ask the participants to forms pairs. Note that they will have one minute to ask their question and receive an answer. Then they will switch and the other person in the pair will ask his or her question and receive a response. 5 Start the process. After two minutes, ring the bell and ask the participants to quickly find another partner and repeat the process. 6 Continue the process until everyone has had the opportunity to talk with four to five people. SHOW THE CONNECTIONS: 5 MINUTES 7 Ask the participants to share the questions they were asked and the answers they gave, or the questions they asked and why they thought this question helped them to understand who the person is at a fundamental level. SPEAK OUT: 5 MINUTES 8 Ask the participants to forms pairs. Note that they will have one minute to ask their question and receive an answer. Then they will switch and the other person in the pair will ask his or her question and receive a response. REFLECT AND DISCUSS: 5 MINUTES 9 Quickly process the activity using the following questions: What did you notice by doing this activity? How did it feel to ask your question? Be asked? What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about our group? How can we use what we learned in this activity to strengthen our work in the community? 10 Before the participants leave, provide them with a brief overview of the next training session (if you are planning one). Be sure to note how the next session connects with the one they just completed. 123

10 TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY GUESSING GAME Overview In this activity, the participants build skills in giving and receiving positive feedback, which can be an important element of successful youth-adult partnerships. When to Use This Activity This activity should be used with participants that know one another well or have had an opportunity to participate together in several other activities or projects. It can be used before or after other sessions where difficult decisions have to be made or where an assessment and evaluation will occur. Objectives to deepen awareness of the participants unique talents that contribute to their shared success to provide the participants practice in giving and receiving positive feedback to foster goodwill and appreciation among the participants Time Required 30 minutes Group Size 25 participants or less Needed Materials small slips of paper, one for each participant a bowl or hat pens or pencils, one for each participant flip-chart paper markers Needed Preparation prepare small, folded slips of paper with the names of each participant, one name per slip 124

11 Activity Steps SET UP THE ACTIVITY: 3 MINUTES 1 Invite the participants to bring their chairs into a circle. Explain that this activity offers an opportunity for the participants to articulate what they appreciate about one another. 2 Pass around the bowl or hat with the names inside. Ask everyone to select a slip of paper, ensuring that each participant gets someone else s name and that no one tells whose name he or she has picked. APPRECIATE AND GUESS: 15 MINUTES 3 Ask the participants to look at the name noted on their slip of paper and then to think about one thing they appreciate about the person noted. Distribute pens or pencils and direct the participants to write down their responses on their slips of paper. 4 Ask one participant to start by sharing what he or she appreciates about the person whose name he or she drew. This person should NOT say the name on the slip yet. 5 Ask other members of the group to guess who the participant is describing. If no one guesses, then the participant should reveal the persons name. Continue around the circle until everyone has had a chance to share. REFLECT AND DISCUSS: 10 MINUTES 6 With the large group, process the activity using the following questions: What did it feel like to participate in this activity? What was it like to think of the gift or talent of the other person? What was it like to learn and hear about what the person identified for you? What else did you learn from this activity? Based on our discussion, what do we need to remember about giving or receiving positive feedback? How can what we learned be applied to developing youth-adult partnerships? Or to our work for community transformation? 7 Before the participants leave, provide them with a brief overview of the next training session (if you are planning one). Be sure to note how the next session connects with the one they just completed. 125

12 TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY HUMAN KNOT Overview This activity invites the participants to practice collective problem-solving skills. It equalizes relationships between youth and adults using a variety of skills including effective communication, risktaking, listening, and creativity. It also reminds the participants how different people can play different roles in a group to help achieve a common goal. When to Use This Activity This works best after the participants know one another. It can help to energize a group or reinforce learning from other sessions on partnership skills such as communication, respect, listening, creativity, trust, etc. In using this activity, pay attention to relevant cultural norms of the community and be sure to be sensitive to differing physical abilities and boundaries of the participants. If any participant is physically incapable or would prefer not to participate, find a different activity. Objectives to provide the participants an opportunity to practice collective problem-solving skills to foster amongst the participant a sense of trust and cooperation Group Size 6-25 participants Time Required minutes Activity Steps SET THE CONTEXT: 2 MINUTES 1 Explain that the participants are going to play a fun, interactive game that will get everyone moving and help to reinforce the importance of good communication and teamwork. 126

13 PLAY THE GAME: 10 MINUTES 2 Ask the participants to stand in a circle and place their hands in the center of the circle. If the group is larger than 25, you may want to ask participants to form teams of no less than six people, including both youth and adults on each team. Ask each person to grab a hand of two different participants. Make sure that nobody holds both hands of the same individual or holds hands with either person standing next to them. 3 As the group works to solve the problem, you should be watching to notice any patterns, breakthroughs, or strategies used. REFLECT AND DISCUSS: 10 MINUTES 4 If the group or teams cannot accomplish the task within the set time limit, decide if you wish to give them additional time. Once the participants have completed the task (or you have called time), lead them in a large-group discussion using the following questions: Describe what happened. What feelings did you have as you were working through this activity? What patterns did you observe? What caused you to have a breakthrough? What helped or hindered your progress as a group or team? How do the things that helped the group or teams be successful in this activity apply to successful youth-adult partnerships? How can you apply the lessons learned from this activity in your work with youthadult partnerships? Be sure the following key points are included in the discussion: Behaviors and attitudes that contributed to success in this activity are similar to those that build successful partnerships (i.e. communication, teamwork, trust, encouragement, results-orientation, and celebrating success.) Participants may fall into different roles in the group or team in order to be successful in problem-solving and communications. One has to build on one s strengths and also try out new behaviors. 5 Before the participants leave, provide them with a brief overview of the next training session (if you are planning one). Be sure to note how the next session connects with the one they just completed. 127

14 TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY MIRROR, MIRROR Overview In an effective youth-adult partnership, roles are fluid and there are elements of mutuality; sometimes partners lead each other, sometimes they mentor each other, sometimes they work hand in hand. This activity provides the participants with a fun and interactive opportunity to explore different concepts of leading and partnering. When to Use This Activity This activity can be used at the beginning of a training session or as a quick and fun introduction to training activities focused on specific youth-adult partnership skills, such as communication, teamwork, shared leadership, and so on. Objectives to help the participants identify aspects of a working partnership to provide the participants with a visual representation of a partnership in action to highlight for the participants fun and creative aspects of working in partnership Time Required minutes Group Size Any size Activity Steps MIRROR ACTIVITY: 10 MINUTES 1 Invite the participants to form pairs. If possible, ask adults to partner with young people. Ask the pairs to stand, facing each other. 2 Ask the pairs to choose someone to go first. Then designate that person as leader, and the other as the follower. The job of the follower is to match their partner s every move, acting as their partner s reflection. The task of the leader is to initiate movements for the follower to mirror. 128

15 3 Allow about three minutes for the pairs to work through this first round of the activity. 4 After three minutes, ask the pairs to switch roles and conduct the activity once again. After three minutes, call time. REFLECT AND DISCUSS: MINUTES 5 Invite a few of the pairs to briefly share their experiences. Then lead a large group discussion using the following questions: What did it feel like to be the leader? What did it feel like to be the follower? What surprised you about this activity? What patterns did you notice? What was helpful to you as a follower? What was helpful to you as a leader? 6 Ask if anyone reached across the invisible mirror and grabbed the hand of their partner? If anyone did, ask the following questions: Why did you do it? What inspired you to do that? 7 Share the following key points with the participants: There were no instructions that prevented you from reaching across the barrier; however, many (perhaps everyone) assumed the barrier was there from their past experience with mirrors. The act of reaching through the invisible mirror is a metaphor for breaking through the barriers we can perceive when working with others. Many of these barriers are our own perceptions. The good news is that we have the power to break through these barriers. Common tips for success include creativity, risk-taking, trust, communication, and willingness to adapt to the needs and abilities of your partner. 8 Conclude by helping the participants to draw some conclusions about working in youthadult partnerships based on what they learned from the activity. Use the following questions: Based on this activity, what are some challenges you think we face in working in partnership? What lessons can we draw from this activity to help us in our work in youth-adult partnerships? 129

16 What is important to remember to do as we work together as partners? What should we try to avoid? What one or two things that you are going to do differently in your partnership in the future? 9 Before the participants leave, provide them with a brief overview of the next training session (if you are planning one). Be sure to note how the next session connects with the one they just completed. 130

17 "Youth and adults working together in partnership is a good thing because it helps us become more united as one. Not just adults and young Adults as being separate but one as a whole." FRANCESCA GARCIA (Washington Heights, NY), youth participants COURTESY LAURA REINHARDT

18 TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY CHANGING PERSPECTIVE Overview To effectively work together, people need to be able to understand others perspectives. This is particularly important between young people and adults, who frequently see the world differently. This activity is designed to help the participants experience how one s perspective can quickly change. When to Use This Activity This activity can be done any time as a way to set the stage for sessions focusing on the importance of perspective in building youth-adult partnerships or overcoming barriers to youthadult partnerships. Objectives to help the participants understand the importance of perspective to remind the participants the value of remaining open-minded to inspire creativity and energy in the group Time Required minutes Group Size 8-40 participants Activity Steps MOVE CLOCKWISE: 5 MINUTES 1 Invite the participants to stand in a circle. Ask them to tilt their head back and look up at the ceiling and to imagine the face of a clock looking down at them. 2 Now ask the participants to look at the numbers on the imaginary clock face and to raise their arm straight up towards the ceiling with their index finger pointing to the ceiling (the face of the clock). Then they should trace a circle in a clockwise direction. You will want to make sure everyone s fingers are pointed up and moving in the same direction. 132

19 3 Ask them to keep tracing the clock. After a few seconds, ask them to slowly bring their arms down while continuing to circle their finger in the same clockwise direction to create a spiral. They should keep moving their finger down through the spiral to just at or below the waist. You will want to make sure that everyone is now looking down to their hands with the fingers spiraling in front of or just below their waists. 4 Ask the participants to keep moving their finger in a circle but to note the direction their finger is moving. If they have trouble with what you are asking, tell them to now imagine the face of the clock is on the floor looking up at them. Their finger is now moving in a counterclockwise direction. There may be some giggles or confusion as the participants realize their fingers are going counter-clockwise despite the fact that you instructed them to keep moving in a clockwise direction. Let the participants try it again if they want to. REFLECT AND DISCUSS: 10 MINUTES 5 Use the following questions to invite the participants to reflect on the activity and connect it to youth-adult partnerships: What just happened? What surprised you about this activity? Why do you think the change happened? Based on this activity, what can we tell others about perspective? How does this remind you of other times when you needed to shift perspective? How does the lesson from this activity connect to what we have been learning about building youth-adult partnerships? 6 Conclude by sharing the following key points: The direction your finger was moving did not change, what changed was your perspective (i.e. looking up and then looking down). Things can look very different when we change our perspective or are open to changing it. Sometimes our view of things can shift even when we are not intending for it do so. Just putting ourselves at a different vantage point may be enough. 7 Before the participants leave, provide them with a brief overview of the next training session (if you are planning one). Be sure to note how the next session connects with the one they just completed. 133

20 TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITY SURVEYING WITH MARBLES Overview This activity helps the participants to visualize their peers responses in a concrete way, gleans evaluation and survey information, and strengthens understanding among all. When to Use This Activity This activity can be readily adapted to be used at different points during your training program. At the beginning of a meeting or training program, it can help the participants get to know one another. At midpoint, it can help with getting a sense of which ideas hold the most promise or appeal. At the end, it can be used to evaluate ideas or data on possible next steps. The instructions that follow assume that you are surveying based on age-groups (e.g., ages 13-14, 15-18, 19-21, 22-29, 30-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70). However, you can survey according to any grouping (or factor) you like (e.g., gender, area of the country you live in). Adapt the categories to fit your training group and the session objective. You can also adapt the structure of the activity. You can use it as a stand-alone, with the entire group participating at the same time. Or you can run it as an independent or informal activity, before the start of a session (as people gather) or as the group leaves for a break or as people reconvene from a break. In these cases, instructions can be verbally shared and posted on flip-chart paper, and marbles can be provided to the participants as they arrive to or after they return from a break. You will want to process the activity with everyone, however. Objectives to gather ideas, suggestions, and feedback from the participants to help the participants assess gathered information, suggestions, and feedback Time Required 20 minutes Group Size 8-40 participants 134

21 Needed Materials 5-10 blank index cards a marker tape 5-10 glass vases or other clear containers that are wide enough at the top for marbles to fit in and large enough to hold a lot of marbles marbles of various colors (a different color for each group you create and enough of each color for everyone in a group to use for each statement. For example, if you have five participants between in the age-group, and five statements, you will need 25 marbles of whatever color you assign to that age-group.) Needed Preparation Determine how you will group the participants (by age-group, gender, geography etc.). Prepare 5-10 statement cards using the following statements. Make sure the statements are clearly written. You live in the community where you were born. You participate in a youth-adult partnership. Your life has been changed because of (insert program name here). You feel the power of youth-adult partnerships in your work. You believe you can make change in your community. You feel that your voice is heard during this workshop. You have learned something new during this workshop. You have had fun during this workshop. You have ideas on how to improve our community. You know someone who may want to volunteer to join our team. You know of an organization that could support our work for community transformation. You would like to expand your involvement with our group. Set out the glass or plastic containers on a table next to a wall in the training room, and post one statement on the wall above each container. Activity Steps SET THE CONTEXT: 10 MINUTES 1 Group the participants according to the factors you determined before the session. Designate a marble color for each group. Then provide each group with the needed marbles (their assigned color, and one marble for every participant for each statement card you have posted). 2 Introduce the activity by sharing the following points: Each of you has been given different-colored marbles according to your ages (or whatever groupings you are using). I am going to read a series of statements aloud. These are the same statements that are posted above each container. 135

22 PLAY THE GAME: 10 MINUTES 3 Read the first statement, and invite the participants to place a marble in the appropriate container. 4 Repeat this process until you have read all of the statements. 5 Collect any leftover marbles the participants may still be holding. REVIEW THE RESULTS: 5 MINUTES 6 Gather the containers and share the results with the participants. You can do this by actually counting the marbles or by simply displaying the containers with the results. REFLECT AND DISCUSS: 5-10 MINUTES 7 Process the activity with the participants using the following questions: What do you notice? How did it feel to do this activity? What does this tell us about who we are as a group? (adjust depending on the focus of your statements) What patterns did you notice in terms of who felt which statements were true for them? What insights does this give us? How can we use this information as we work together as youth-adult partners for community transformation? 8 Before the participants leave, provide them with a brief overview of the next training session (if you are planning one). Be sure to note how the next session connects with the one they just completed. 136