Young Leaders Training, Bristol – Session Plans

Friday 12th October 2012

8pm Craft session – Peg doll leaders

Aim: For the young leaders to create peg dolls of what they see as the ideal leader.

Outcomes:

  • To discuss what qualities make a perfect leader
  • To be a creative icebreaker
  • For them all to create a perfect leader to take away with them

Time Check / Activity / Resources
5 minute / Introduction: Discuss the session aims and explain the activity
10 minutes / Qualities of the perfect leader:Participants are asked to think about the qualities of the perfect leader and write them down. / Paper
Pens
20 minutes / Creating perfect leaders:Participants will then use the creative materials to make their peg doll into the perfect leader. / Peg per participant
Creative materials
10minutes / Presentation: Each young leader will present their peg doll to the group and point out the qualities they have shown.
5 minutes / Summary:Chance to ask any questions, say how they thought the session went and summarise the key points.

9pm Introduction & expectations

Aim:To get the young leaders and workers to introduce themselves and to discuss everyone’sexpectations.

Outcomes:

  • Everyone to create their superhero self
  • Everyone to share their expectations including worries, what they're looking forward to and what they're hoping to learn.

Time Check / Activity / Resources
5 minute / Introduction: Discuss the session aims and the activities we will do
15 minutes / Superhero self: Each participant will be given a piece of paper and creative tools will be available to use. They will then be asked to draw a superhero version of themself including superhero name, powers and costume. / 12 A4 sheets
Creative tools
Example
Comics
List of adjectives
10 minutes / SuperheroesAssemble: Once these have been done they will then share them with the groupexplaining their superhero selves. They will also be asked to start with name, age and where they are from.
20minutes / Expectations Chart:Divide a piece of flipchart into three and put the headingsWorries, Looking forward to and Hoping to learn on the sections, ideally drawing a little face to represent each. Then hand out post its to each participantand ask them to write on individual post its their worries, what they are looking forward to and what they hope to learn. Once done, ask everyone to stick them on the flipchart.Everyone must write one thing for each but can write more. / Flipchart
Post its
Pens
5 minutes / Feedback: Once everyone has finished,feed back the post its to the group.
5 minutes / Summary:Chance to ask any questions, say how they thought the session went and summarise the key points.

Sunday 14th October 2012

11:30am to 1pm Discussion techniques

Aim: To share with the young leaders good discussion techniques and put them intopractice.

Outcomes:

  • To share good discussion techniques with the young leaders and with each other
  • Link to the A to Z of Good Discussion
  • To put some of the good techniques into practice through debating and agree/disagree.

Time Check / Activity / Resources
5 minute / Introduction: Discuss the session aims and the activities we will do
15 minutes / What is a good discussion? Ask the group to suggest good discussion techniques from ones they know or have used,linking them to the A to Z guide. Also ask why they are good discussion techniques. / A to Z of Good Discussion (copies available from Folk Office)
Flipchart
25 minutes / Debate Preparation:eg"There should be a set leaving age for school" (or a suggestion from a participant). First ask the group to show hands if they are for or against the statement.Split the group into those For and Against the statement. Give the groups 20 minutes to plan their points and prepared the presentation of those points. / Flipchart
30 minutes / Debate: Each side will be given a chance to present a point and then the other side a chance to response. After 20 minutes ask each side to get back as a group and create a 1 minute summary for their argument. Finally have a show of hands to see which side people agree with after the debate.
5 minutes / Feedback: The group will be asked if this was a good discussion. Which techniques from the A to Z of Good Discussion were used? / A to Z of Good Discussion
15 minutes / Agree and Disagree:Put an 'Agree' sign on one wall and a 'Disagree' sign on the opposite wall. Read out each statement to participants, asking them to stand somewhere between the walls to answer the statement. Then ask one or two participants why they're standing where they are. / Agree and Disagreesigns
4 / 5 statements (these can be anything, varying from fun eg "chocolate is better than cheese" to serious eg "the voting age should be lowered to 16")
5 minutes / Feedback: The group will be asked if this was a good discussion. Which techniques from the A to Z of Good Discussion were used? / A to Z of Good Discussion
5 minutes / Summary: Chance to ask any questions, say how they thought the session went and summarise the key points.

3pm to 4pm Action planning

Aim:To support the young leaders to set and plan future actions

Outcomes:

  • To help the young leaders to set individual action plans
  • To decide the top three actions for the whole group to act together
  • To make a plan for the top actions
  • Create a pledge card that will be sent to the young leaders in 3 months.

Time Check / Activity / Resources
5 minute / Introduction: Discuss the session aims and the activities we will do
5 minutes / Your Actions: We will ask participants to write down at least one action for them to do from the weekend. If this is individual then they will be asked do one the whole group could do. / Examples
Post its
5 minutes / Top Three Actions:Participants will be asked to sick their actions up. Then each person will be given 2 sticky dots and asked to vote on their top two. The three actions with the most votes will become the top three actions for the group
20 minutes / Balloon Action Planning: The group will be split into three and each small group given a top action each. Then a balloon template to complete on that action. / Balloon template (diagram of balloon including:
  • The hot air - things that will help you get to your goal.
  • The sand bags - the things that will hold you back.
  • The basket - for anyone that can help you out.
  • The wind - anything that might take you off course.
List of support available
15 minutes / Feedback: Feedback their balloons to the rest of the group
5 minutes / Create Pledge Cards: Each participant will create a pledge card saying what action they pledge to do. This will be collected by the facilitator and sent to them in 3 months’ time. / Pledge Cards
5 minutes / Summary:Chance to ask any questions, say how they thoughts the session went and summarise the key points.