Teach youth how to belly breathe by having them lie down and put their hands on their bellies. See how deep they can breathe in and how slow they can breathe out. When youth find themselves angry, remind them to put their hands on their bellies and to breathe through the anger. Encourage them to …
Provide spaces for youth to practice the skills of mediation between them as well as facilitation of group discussions and problem solving. Hone their skills in active listening, open-ended questions, leading with solutions, etc. Role playing different scenarios is an effective way to learn to mediate and facilitate. (See also: Rotating Facilitators)
Take on a particular current or historical event. Find disparate sources of reporting and media on the event to compare. Who wrote the articles? Ask why they are presenting very different perspectives on a particular issue. What is the tone of each article and how does that make a difference in how we feel about …
Youth are buyers and sellers in a marketplace activity where human rights are the only commodity. In buying particular human rights and in designating the value of each category of human rights, the aim is to get them to reflect on the importance of each human right before promoting or selling it.
Use discipline to develop character and not to punish. Discipline means “to teach” and should not be punitive but should help a child to grow as a person. Use consequences rarely, and instead focus on solutions. When appropriate, follow the “Four Rs” of Logical Consequences: 1) Related, 2) Respectful, 3) Reasonable, and 4) Revealed, in …
Use a literature circle to discuss major elements of a story that is developmentally appropriate to the audience. Include its characters and events. Are the characters realistic or are they symbolic? What motivates the characters to make the choices they do? How does the social, political, or economic context influence the work? Is there a …
While in the discovery phase of problem solving, listen for who might be effective in serving on a core team of planners. Listen for interest, skills and other referenced leaders in the community. Get youth to sit quietly and ‘listen’ with you when exploring solutions to problems in the community. Who do they hear? Who …
A great visual tool to show the imbalance of a brain that is experiencing anger or rage, and how it is possible for the anger and rage to subside, thus gaining control of our reactions. Get a clear glass bottle or jar, add water, glycerin, and glitter with a lot of sparkle (recipes and videos …
Have youth find at least two photographs from a movement—past or present—against what are perceived as unjust laws. The goal is to find photographs that express both sympathetic and unsympathetic opinions about the protest. They write captions for the photos, explaining what it is about the photograph that makes them think it either supports or …
How do leaders lead? What do they do? What do they need to know to be successful? This activity assumes that leadership can be learned through the practice of skills, through guided reflection and discussion, and through observation and analysis of everyday leaders in everyday situations. Youth learn to identify leadership skills in themselves and …