My Journey Activity Menu
Choose one or moreActivities from the Menu that fit the group’s dynamic or design your own, however, this must include young people using the My Journey materials; either the My Journey Scale or Learning Curve Booklets or Learning Curve Posters.
The activities were suggested by staff, if you have another activity which works well please email the evaluation team and we can add it to the Menu.
These group activities can be used in a one to one session
Ice-breaker to introduce skills:Ice Breaker / Run a team building/ ice breaker / game with the young people or refer to one completed earlier
After the ice breaker discuss and review with the young people what skills they used, for example, communication, coping if a tower falls down, working with others and introduce the My Journey skills using the definitions on the Scale or Booklet). Ask young people why they might need these skills.
Introducing the Skills Activity
Activity Name / Description
Ordering the Journey / Divide the young people in to 4 groups and give each 2 skills and the cut up LevelsWorksheets. Ask them to sort the levels into the correct order (1-6). Then as a group discuss the order they have put the levels in and why.
What the skills mean / Write the Skill headings on flipchart paper around the room or on a table if limited on space,
Divide young people into small groups and ask them to match the skill descriptors with the correct skill – these could be cut up or written on post it notes (e.g. listening with communication). As a group discuss where they have put the sub headings and why.
Emphasising importance of skills / Asking their interpretation of skills and what skills mean to them – encourage them to think about the positives that come with improving skills.
Relate skills to tool box – you use different tools to fix things so you need to have good tools.
Activities to help young people measure
Activity Name / Description
My Journey around the room / Young people move around the room and look at the Learning Curve Posters on the wall. Ask them to think about what each skill means and to think about where they would be on the curve and why. Go through each skill as a group discussing the meaning, share with the group some of your scores (ideally low scores). Ask for volunteers to share their scores and the reasons they have chosen them. Gently coach the group to challenge their own scores by seeing if their examples /reasons match the learning curve descriptions.
Booklet / Learning Curve led Share and tell / Similar to ‘My Journey around the room’ but using the Booklets or Scaleinstead of posters.
Look at the first skill and discuss what it means (referring to skills definitions) pick a few examples and describe to the group what they might look like in practice for the skill (using the LC booklet for your reference). Share with the group some of your scores (ideally low scores). Ask for volunteers to share their scores and the reasons they have chosen them. Gently coach the group to challenge their own scores by seeing if their examples/reasons match the learning curve descriptions.
PowerPoint led Share and tell / Put the learning curve and skills definitions on to a power point presentation and discuss.
Stand by your score / Place numbers that represent the scale levels on the floor or put flipcharts around the room numbered one to six. Call out relevant scenarios to the group and ask the young people to move to the sheet they feel best represents them, such as working with others and how they would manage. You could use the examples within My Journey Learning Curve Booklet to help. Alternatively, go through the skills and ask young people to stand at the number that they feel best describes where they are on the scale. When they have decided which sheet represents them for a scenario, ask a few of them to describe why they have put themselves there.
Scenario line up / If young people do not feel comfortable enough to share their own measurements, you could call out example scenarios of a made-up young person and ask them to stand next to the score that feel is appropriate for that person. When they have decided which number represents the person, ask a few of them to describe why
Bulls Eye / Draw a bull’s eye on a piece of flipchart with rings numbered 1-6, starting with 1 at the centre, and ask young people to write their name on a post-it note and stick it on the ring that best describes where they are on the scale. Repeat for each skill. If young people do not feel comfortable enough to share their measurements could call out scenarios instead or use ‘x’s instead of names on post its.
Draw and discuss / Split young people into small groups and get them to plot on a graph where they are on each skill and discuss amongst themselves why they would give themselves a particular number. Alternatively, you could make up scenarios for an example person or celebrity and ask the YP to plot levels.
Mirror, Mirror / Using photographs to represent scenarios the young people may find themselves in, discuss the different skills needed in the scenario and discuss what the various reactions could be depending on their skill development using the My Journey scale.
For example a picture of a bus/train pulling away, this could prompt discussions on reliability, managing feelings, setting and achieving goals and communication. The young person could look at the timetable and plan to get the next one then call whoever they were meeting or they could call someone to help them or give up and go home without telling anyone.
Pairs / Split group into pairs. Give them two of the characteristics and ask them to discuss. Ask them to describe what each characteristic means and give 2 scale examples. Staff go first giving an example. Pairs present back to the group.
Experience Sharing / Small group discussions to share their experiences, e.g. times when they’ve found it difficult to communicate, and looking at how they can support each other during the programme.
I’m a celebrity, what level am I? / This game shows young people that even people they admire (e.g. role models, celebrities) will not have high measurements in all the skills.
Put numbers 1-6 around the room or if space is limited draw a bull’s eye on flipchart paper. As a group, write celebrities or role models (these could be from the sector or a favourite group theme) on post it notes and assign one to each young person.An example could be a famous footballer or band member who is very good at working with others in their team but hates doing press conferences as has low communication and confidence skills
Go through the skills and ask young people to stand by the number (or stick on bull’s eye if limited space) that they think represents where their character is on the scale.
Relate to programme / Staff think up examples related to the programme or sector e.g. a football match/setting up a business and come up with different skill scenarios
They could also ask young people to list the skills in importance for the sector (creates discussion but should emphasise that actually all the skills are incredibly important for the sector)
Scales / Show the young people physical examples of different-sized objects and ask them to identify the smaller or larger item. Then show them two pieces of scrap paper that are very close in size or a piece of paper crumpled up and an un-crumpled piece of paper and then get them thinking about measurements and measuring tools. Ask them how we can measure things we can’t see (e.g. confidence)
Bringing the skills to life / - Tell the young people that they all have these skills but some skills may be more advanced than others. Give relevant examples of how these skills can present themselves, e.g. “A single mum who clothes and feeds three children with very little money and has them all in bed by 7.30pm has skills in communication, working with others, setting and achieving goals, reliability and coping”
Relate the skills to employment using an example such as, “Every day I attended I turned up five minutes ahead of the start time. This shows an employer that I am reliable, pay attention and am self motivated”
- Use funny examples. For example, share an experience you have had, such as riding an ostrich on holiday and then relate it to being determined and setting a goal which you then completed.
- Encourage the young people to be creative and try to come up with their own unique examples. Depending on their confidence, ask them to either write it on the flipchart or tell the group.
Breaking down / Ask young person about incident issue and break down their reactions/behaviours into the skill areas and rate them.
Ask the young person to describe an activity which the young person thinks is every day. Then break it down and show it isn’t.
True measures / - Communication – if it’s a 6 from a young person do reflective skills asking them to communicate something then feedback on their skills.
- Ask what they think ‘communication’ is. “Give me an example of…”
- Relate pack to an activity and the roles/strengths of team members and where they see themselves
- If young person says “I don’t know” Say “If you did know, what do you think it might be?”
Pizza toppings / Using pizza toppings as the personal and social skills
Examples they can relate to / Using an example of an activity that they love doing and breaking it down into smaller pieces and getting them talking about each skill.
If first time using “my journey” and struggling with the concept of P & S skills, use football (or other interest) and describe scale/my journey
1:1 Reviewing / Reviewing in a 1:1 with a TP at the end of their journey, going through their personal fields, looking and discussing their qualifications and achievements and talking them through their journey so they can identify at what points they developed their skills.
Skills Darts / Skills on large dartboards and however it lands, young person describes.
Using feedback / - Use specific examples from course reports/staff feedback/perceptions
- Young person peer reflection – giving positive feedback on each other’s specific skills
- Talking to young people about your observations of them.
Scales / Scales 1-10 based by touching a counter of a counter or stone, use examples to create a baseline/.Then discussion to help young person reach a more accurate picture of where they are at.
Reflections / Give a general example of relate it to personal experiences. Empathise with the young person. Use their PDP’s from previous sessions.
Shared history – “family memories” “I remember when you first came here you were xyz” discussion etc
Re-framing / Re framing – sometimes young people think a negative thing that occurred can define a whole day, so looking at event in context and reframing it correctly.