Resources: Youth Engagement Report

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Relating to Youth
  • Language
  • Scare tactics
  • Intergenerational partnerships
• Involving Youth
  • Engagement
  • Barriers to youth involvement
• Presenting to Youth
  • Know your audience
  • Icebreakers, activities and games
  • Technical aspects
• Involving Youth in a Meeting
  • Before the meeting
  • Sensitive facilitation and chairing
• Suggestions
• Resources

Introduction

Like any form of discrimination, ageism is hard to detect when you’re not on the receiving end. It occurs when a person is discriminated against based on his or her age (actual or apparent) and takes many forms, including being dismissed or ignored, treated with condescension, being subjected to a separate set of expectations, and being assumed to fit certain stereotypes¹. Ageism is arguably one of the most accepted forms of discrimination and while anyone can be subjected to it, youth are disproportionately affected. Its effects vary but can be harmful for both the victimized youth and those around him or her. Ageism can result in youth not being taken seriously, being ignored, having their voices silenced, and feeling targeted as trouble-makers. This can lead youth to believe that their input is not valued and that they have very little control over their role in society. They may become disengaged and are less likely to become involved in their communities or to make healthy, informed decisions (which impacts both their own lives as well as their communities).

Youth engagement and their involvement in all levels of discussion and decision-making are essential. It prevents youth from feeling ignored and marginalized, as well as ensures that their valuable input is heard, considered and incorporated into plans and decisions. It is especially important that youth are consulted when dealing with youth issues to ensure the outcome will be reflective of the views and experiences of the actual population in question. Plans and programs that emerge will be more sustainable and will deal with the root causes of the issue. For example, if youth are involved in a discussion about crime prevention, they will be able to speak to some of the reasons why youth commit certain crimes and methods of prevention that will be most effective. Youth engagement isn’t just about “creating the leaders of tomorrow” but ensuring that youth are supported, listened to and allowed to contribute NOW.

The goal of this document is to promote a better understanding of how to meaningfully and effectively engage youth. We will discuss methods that help or hinder relations with youth, outline how to present to and work with youth, and provide further suggestions for how to engage youth as well as a list of additional resources. The information in this document is based on research, consultation with our Youth Advisory Committee, and our own personal experiences and observations as members of a by-youth, for-youth crime prevention program.

Relating to Youth

a. Language

When talking to youth, it is important to use language they can relate to. While this means that complicated language should be avoided, it is just as important not to “dumb down” what you are saying because it implies that you think young people aren’t smart enough to understand. Both come off as patronizing and alienate the youth with whom you are trying to interact.

Avoid:

• Devaluing statements like:
  • “You are so smart for 15!”
  • “My daughter/son is your age!”
  • “We know what’s best for you”
  • “You’ll understand when you’re older”
• Using jargon, technical or academic language, or acronyms
• Giving examples that are inappropriate for your target audience. Don’t treat youth like little kids – they’re a lot smarter than they’re given credit for. At the same time, don’t overwhelm them with information they won’t be able to understand.
• Being overly formal – it comes off as intimidating and unapproachable. On the flip side, don’t try to act like you are the same age as them (for example, by using teenage slang and vocabulary that adults do not commonly use. For instance, don’t try to say things like “this is so cool, dude!”).

Do:

• Make references to current youth culture when giving examples. Instead of giving references from before their time, use examples that will be relevant to them to highlight your points.  For example, use an analogy from The Simpsons or Family Guy to illustrate your point.
• Use humour. Youth appreciate it when presentations aren’t stuffy and formal. Humour sends the message that the presentation will be fun and that you’re there to have a good time together.

b. Scare Tactics

Using fear as a teaching tool can be a risky tactic. When something genuinely scares us, we are quite likely to take the threat seriously and adjust our behaviour accordingly. However, your initial reaction when you realize someone is trying to scare you is likely to be anger; this is the reaction of the majority of youth to scare tactics. They interpret scare tactics as someone’s attempt to manipulate them (and in a way, this is true). The result of this is that youth will often shut down, ignore you, or grow angry if they believe you are trying to scare them.

No teenager wants to be preached to about the
dangers of drugs – we hear that more than enough. We want to be challenged, interacted with, and truly SEE the effects of drugs, not just be warned about them.

- Julia, age 15

A more effective method to educate youth and to get them to think critically about their actions and decisions is to give them as much information as possible (from all angles) about the topic you’re dealing with and then let them make up their own minds about what they should be cautious and scared of. This shows that you respect the judgment and choices of youth and are willing to demonstrate it by letting them make their own informed decisions.

Youth also find having concrete examples of the outcome/consequences of certain actions very useful. For example, our youth advisory committee has repeatedly stated that the presentations and workshops that they find most effective are those which have individuals who have been personally affected by an issue (such as a victim of impaired driving) talking honestly about their experiences. In comparison, they have a harder time listening to and even believing someone standing behind a podium who is telling them what to do. For example, if a police officer is giving a presentation about drugs, it is much more effective to complement his/her presentation with a talk from a recovered addict. The recovered addict can truly speak about the consequences of doing drugs, and youth are more likely to believe someone who has actually experienced their destructive consequences:

c. Intergenerational Partnerships

Intergenerational partnerships are based on the idea that both adults and youth have unique contributions to bring to the table. Each group has something different but equally valuable to share with the other. A successful intergenerational partnership uses this recognition to address problems in a meaningful way. For such a partnership to be successful, tokenism must be avoided.

Tokenism is one of the biggest obstacles facing youth, and occurs when youth appear to have a voice, but they have little or no choice about how they participate. Tokenism is youth participation for the sake of participation alone – for an organization to be able to say “we consulted youth” or for a photo op. Here are some suggestions on how to avoid tokenism and create a successful intergenerational partnership²:

1. Set out clear expectations and limits: Youth input should be sought from the beginning of a project, and their contributions should be attributed to them. It is important to clearly set out their roles so they know what they are responsible for. Power struggles are the most common reason for the breakdown of an adult-youth relationship. For this reason, it needs to be clear who makes what decisions and how the decisions will be made. These guidelines should be created jointly by youth and adults at the beginning of the project. Ensure support is available to help youth participate in all aspects of decision-making and provide them with a brief orientation manual about the project to help them get acquainted with it. Make sure that everyone is on the same page before decisions are made.
2. Encourage creativity and difference: Youth should be respected for the diversity, knowledge and abilities that they bring to the process. Regardless of their personal style or how they look, they all have a unique perspective to bring to the project. Empower youth to speak out when they face ageism within an organization: they should not feel scared to express their opinions and ideas.
3. Provide mentorship and support: Adult experience should be there for youth to draw on and learn from. Mentorship helps establish links between the people involved in a project. The mentor should be someone who is experienced in the area, but remember that mentors do not always have to be adults. Some of the most effective mentoring relationships occur between older youth and younger youth, or between youth who are experienced in a particular area and those who are not.
4. Communicate openly: Communicating openly means that you may have to be patient and listen to someone’s opinion even if you don’t like it. It is also vital to have an adult available to answer youth’s questions should they arise. Make sure youth know how their input is being used and what the next step is in the process.

Involving Youth

a. Engagement

How to Attract Youth to an Event:

When young people are challenged and interacted
with – when they are told that their opinion and input
is important, meaningful, and actually wanted – they desire to become involved.

- Julia, age 15

• Reward youth contributions – provide give-aways, prizes, community service hours needed to graduate from high school, a reference letter, etc.
• Let them know how they’ll be making a difference. Youth are very perceptive about the problems in their communities and want a chance to help and to genuinely have their voices heard. Provide details about how they will be involved and the impact that their participation will have.
• When recruiting youth, be enthusiastic! Youth won’t want to participate if it doesn’t look like fun or if they think it will be boring.
• Connect directly with youth: if you have a list of youth who are interested, be flexible. You should be willing to call them in the evenings and to respond quickly to their messages. Continue to call and leave messages until youth are reached.
• Using technology: make sure emails are current (youth frequently change their email addresses). Respond quickly to their messages; be prepared to wait for their response.³

The Ladder of Youth Participation: truly effective youth participation can best be understood by plotting the different forms of youth engagement on a continuum. Effective youth participation occurs when youth have real responsibilities and are able to partner with adults to help achieve a goal. This form of participation makes youth accountable for their actions, allowing them to feel ownership of their decisions and successes. When engaging youth, the aim should always be to have them participate in a way that falls at the top of the Ladder of Youth Participation, pictured below⁴:

1. Strong Partnership (Youth initiated and shared decisions with adults)
2. Shared Decision Making (Youth and adult jointly initiated and directed)
3. Adult-Led Projects (Adult initiated partnership, but decision-making is shared with youth)
4. Partial Tokenism (Youth have been assigned to a task, but are not well informed or consulted)
5. Tokenism (Youth are included in a decision-making process, but in a non-representative, uninformed, unaccountable way)
6. Decoration (When youth are used to bolster a cause, or included in photographs, without real involvement or consultation)
7. Manipulation (When youth don’t have an understanding of the issues or choices,  but are made to act as if they do)

How to Effectively Engage Youth:

• Youth want to feel empowered. For this reason, it is important to represent their perspective and involve them in decision-making.
• Recognize the power of youth leadership and youth-run initiatives – support them!
• Have attainable goals
• Give youth participants the same respect you give all other participants.
• Include action, games and movement activities to keep everyone interested
• While it is important to provide youth ample opportunity for input, don’t force them to respond or share their opinions. Often, young people want some time to absorb what is being discussed before offering their own input.

b. Barriers to Youth Engagement

Organizational Barriers to Youth Participation

• Negative attitudes and stereotypes about youth
• Long meetings, overly complicated agendas, use of jargon, etc.
• Lack of trust between adults and youth
• Lack of resources allocated to the project, making action difficult⁵

Barriers Youth Face

• Youth can sometimes have problems keeping commitments because of factors beyond their control (money, school commitments, parents, accessibility, etc.)
• Two common stereotypes youth face are that they can’t do anything because they are inexperienced, or that they can do everything because they have so much energy. Neither of these assumptions is correct, and both make it more difficult for them to play a meaningful role in the decision-making process.⁶
• Tokenism remains the biggest barrier facing youth. Young people can tell when their opinions are not being valued. Tokenism is insulting and creates mistrust and resentment between youth and adults.

How to Overcome Barriers to Youth Participation:

• Ensure family commitment: make sure that youth and their parents have adequate information about the event well ahead of time. Give ample opportunity for youth to get the necessary permission from their parents before the event occurs.
• Arrange for transportation to and from the event. Often, youth can have trouble getting a ride to events if their parents are busy. Be prepared to drive youth to and from meetings if no other options are available.
• That being said, ensure the event is held in a central location that is easily accessible by public transit.
• Ensure meetings are short, concise and to the point. Avoid distributing lengthy documents if at all possible.
• Do not use jargon, acronyms or language that would be difficult for youth to understand. This type of language is exclusionary and makes youth feel that they are not fully involved in what is going on.
• Ensure that all adult participants are clear on the youth role. Make sure that youth have genuine input and are not there as the token youth participants.

Presenting to Youth

a. Know Your Audience

The way in which you present to youth varies significantly according to the age of your audience. Youth respond to different techniques at different ages; therefore, it is vital to know the audience to which you will be presenting so that you can tailor your presentation accordingly. However, you should remember that all youth develop at a different rate, and all characteristics will not be present in all youth in a particular age range. Below is a breakdown of typical youth learning characteristics at different ages:⁷

Kindergarten – Grade 2:

• Short attention spans (of about 5-10 minutes) mean that hands-on activities are essential.
• Activities should be broken into small steps with breaks in between for physical activity or games.
• Should provide lots of praise and encouragement for small successes.
• Avoid competitive activities or picking a winner – children in this age group see the evaluation of a project as a reflection on themselves.

Grades 3-4:

• This age group has lots of energy, making physical activities a must.
• Tend to jump from one interest to another, so activities divided into small steps are best.
• Are concrete thinkers and pay better attention if they are engaged in hands-on learning.
• Have a strong need to feel accepted and look for adult approval – provide encouragement and recognition for even small successes.

Grades 5-6:

• The opinions of peers become more important than the approval of adults at this age.
• Beginning to test values and morals and often seek adults who will discuss them.
• Are beginning to think more abstractly. Solutions presented by adults are often rejected in favour of finding their own solutions.
• Small groups provide a good opportunity for them to test ideas.
• Avoid comparing these youth with one another and take care to avoid embarrassing them.

Grades 7-9:

• Are highly focused on themselves and their peer group.
• Many are growing into their own unique abilities, making it a great opportunity to introduce them to leadership roles.
• Are mastering abstract thinking, and sometimes come up with new ways of doing things that challenge adults.
• Set their own goals based on their needs and priorities – goals set by others will likely be rejected.
• At this age, they are able to initiate and complete tasks without supervision. The role of the adult leader should be that of an advisor.

Grades 10-12:

• Are capable of determining their own schedule and only require general directions if they are assigned familiar tasks.
• Are able to make serious decisions, but still turn to adults for support and guidance.
• While adults no longer control activities, they should serve as resources and help stimulate the thoughts of these youth.
• Tend to be focused on themselves, and see their own time as more valuable than the time of others. However, they are learning to cooperate with others and desire responsible leadership.
• Making a difference is important to these youth.

b. Icebreakers, Activities and Games

Icebreakers are games played to metaphorically “break the ice” at the beginning of a meeting, presentation or workshop. They’re especially useful when the people playing don’t know each other too well yet. They allow everyone present to get to know one another, establish that the rest of the day is going to be fun and engaging, and humanizes each party, eliminating the “us vs. them” division which can kill a partnership. However, they should probably be avoided if the youth already know each other quite well as they will not feel that they are getting anything out of the game and may be bored. An activity in which the goal is team-building might be better in these cases. Games and interactive activities can be useful later on in a presentation to either bring energy and focus back or be used as teaching tools for the material being dealt with.

When choosing a game to use, first consider what purpose you want it to serve: do you want it to make people more comfortable with each other? Are you using it to introduce a topic to the group?

No matter what the age group is, people tend to be more attentive when the person presenting is talking about themselves or real life situations.

- James, age 14

You also need to think about the physical space you’ll have to work with (indoors, outdoors, whether you can make noise, if you can get up and move around, etc.). Come prepared to play the game: make sure you have all the equipment and materials you need, and try explaining the game’s instructions to someone else ahead of time. They will be able to tell you if they are clear and easy to follow. Prizes are also something to consider bringing but if they are edible (candy, chocolate), avoid common allergens such as nuts.

A list of popular icebreakers can be found in Appendix A of this report. Some great sites that also have lists are:

• http://wilderdom.com/games/Icebreakers.html
• http://www.icebreakers.ws/
• http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson196.shtml
• http://www.funattic.com/game_icebreaker.htm
• http://www.humanpingpongball.com/gm.html
• http://www.mwls.co.uk/icebreakers/

c. Technical Aspects

In order to keep the attention of youth during a presentation, it is important that any visual material you use (such as a PowerPoint or slide projections) is bright, colourful and interactive. Slides that have a lot of text are not stimulating or engaging. Use pictures, graphics and sound/video clips while keeping the text to a minimum (only put up key phrases and then elaborate on them orally). The same goes for any handouts (such as a fact sheet or an overview of the material you’re presenting) – be concise!

The language you use should also be appropriate for a younger audience. Jargon and technical terms should be avoided and if you need to use acronyms, keep the number you use to a minimum and spell them out clearly when you first use them. Also try to avoid simply reading from a script; this can damage your credibility with the youth, as it makes you look like all you know about the topic is what is written in front of you.

Interaction is key to any presentation but is especially important when dealing with youth. As a result of experiences with ageism, youth often end up feeling that no one will listen to them or take their input seriously. A good way to overcome this in presentations is to interact with your audience and encourage open discussion. One particularly effective method is to put up four signs around the room you are presenting in; they should read “absolutely!”, “yes, but…”, “no, but…” and “no way!”. Read out a statement that pertains to the topic you are dealing with (for example: “drugs are a normal part of growing up”) and then tell the youth to stand up and move in front of the sign they most agree with. Ask the members of each group to explain why they chose the position they did; allow youth to move from group to group if they change their mind during the discussion. This activity encourages critical thought and lets youth know that you value their true opinions and don’t just want them to regurgitate what they think you want to hear.

The two overarching things that you should always consider when presenting to youth are the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Silly) and that you must be flexible. The length of your presentation and the path it will take will vary each and every time you do it depending on your audience and how eager to participate they are. Look through your presentation beforehand and identify the sections you can eliminate if you run out of time. Also plan out things you can do (such as a game that deals with the subject matter) if you have extra time.

Involving Youth in a Meeting

a. Before the Meeting

You know it is a good presentation when you have
been dismissed by your teacher to go back to class
and everyone walks back in complete silence.

- Christy, age 17

• Make written information available for reference.
• Ensure that youth are properly prepared for the meeting. Send them information packages or make a briefing phone call so that youth arrive fully prepared.
• Emphasize that their presence is important and that their input will be missed if they don’t attend.
• Remember that parents of younger youth often influence if they will attend or not.⁸

b. Sensitive Facilitation and Chairing

• Make meetings relevant, on-topic, fast-paced and fun.
• Give everyone time to get to know everyone else before turning to the serious points on the agenda.
• Make sure youth know their roles and responsibilities before the meeting starts.
• Allow a mentor to sit with youth to help explain things as they are adjusting to the process.
• Keep the meeting moving – don’t get stalled on a single issue.
• Don’t rush to a decision – make sure everyone has given input.
• Give breaks to keep everyone alert.
• Include skill-building activities to develop the abilities of participants.
• Provide food (including healthy snacks – not just cookies and juice!).
• Allow time for evaluation by youth delegates and ask for feedback at the end of the meeting. “Check-ins” and “check-outs” at the open and close of the meeting can facilitate this (when each person takes a turn briefly commenting on their expectations/feelings about the meeting before it begins, and offers a brief reflection/comment on the meeting after).⁹

Suggestions

A further, more general suggestion for engaging youth is that if you are planning anything that will involve them (whether it be forming a youth group, doing a presentation, creating a workshop, or starting some sort of program), actively involve them in the planning process. Youth voices are not insignificant or less important than adult ones and they have a lot of valuable information and experiences they can contribute: USE IT. A method of doing this which is gaining more and more popularity is the use of youth advisory committees. A youth advisory committee is a group of youth who are representative of the youth you are concerned with (for example, members could be from all across Canada, of varying cultural or socioeconomic backgrounds, etc.) who give you input on whatever you ask of them. You might ask them for their experience with a particular situation, teaching tactics they have found to be particularly helpful, to review material you want to disseminate, anything!

Resources

The Youth Friendly Guide to Intergenerational Decision Making Partnerships
Apathy is Boring
Youth Infusion
Presentation Helper: Tips For Presenting to Young Audiences
What Kids Can Do
At The Table: Youth Voices in Decision Making

Appendix A

Icebreakers, games and activities

a. Icebreakers

Name of Activity: Wink Murder

Objective/Outcome: Make the youth comfortable with each other through a fun and mysterious game.

Time: 15-20 minutes, depending how many rounds you play.

Materials: None.

Instructions: Sit the youth in a circle, facing each other. Choose one youth to be the ‘detective’. Send this youth out of the room or get him to shut his eyes and look away. Ask the remaining youth to close their eyes and put their heads down. Pick a ‘murderer’ by tapping one of them on the shoulder. The role of the murderer is to outsmart the detective by killing off everyone without being discovered. To do so, he must make eye contact and wink at someone without the detective seeing him (note: no one knows who the murderer is besides the facilitator who chose him). After someone is winked at, he or she must wait five seconds, then loudly ‘die’ and lay back on the floor. The detective has three chances to guess who the murderer is. If he does not accurately identify the ‘murderer’ in three guesses before everyone dies, the murderer wins.

Name of Activity: Squeeze Murder (similar to Wink Murder)

Objective/Outcome: Make the youth comfortable with each other through a fun and mysterious game.

Time: 15-20 minutes, depending on how many rounds you play.

Materials: An area large enough for the youth to walk around in.

Instructions: Choose someone to be the ‘detective’. Send this person away from the group. Ask everyone else to close their eyes and put their heads down. Select the ‘murderer’ by tapping someone on the shoulder. Tell the youth to begin walking around, shaking hands with everyone, and ask the ‘detective’ to come back into the room. The role of the ‘murderer’ is to outsmart the detective by killing off everyone without being discovered. To do so, she must squeeze the person’s hand while shaking it. The person whose hand was squeezed must wait five seconds (while still walking around shaking hands), then loudly die and fall to the floor. The detective has three guesses. If he does not accurately identify the murderer in three guesses and before everyone dies, the murderer wins.

Name of Activity: Balloon Master

Objective/Outcome: Be the last person remaining with an un-popped balloon.

Time: 5-10 minutes.

Materials: String, enough balloons for each person.

Instructions: Have everyone blow up a balloon and tie a string (about 2 feet long) to it. Now have everyone tie the other end of the string around their ankle. Players must run around and try to pop others’ balloons by stepping on them. The last person with an un-popped balloon wins!

Name of Activity: Clump

Objective/Outcome: Youth have fun in an interactive and mobilizing game.

Time: 10 minutes.

Materials: None.

Instructions: Have the youth walk around and mingle. Randomly call out a number. The youth must try and get into groups of that number. Any youth that do not end up in a group are out of the game.

b. Getting to Know Each Other Games

Name of Activity: String You Together

Objective/Outcome: Learn each other’s names and unique facts.

Time: 15 – 20 minutes.

Materials Required: Ball of string/yarn.

Instructions: Arrange everyone in a circle, standing or sitting. Begin by stating your name and one unique fact about yourself (for example: “I have 7 siblings, I have a pet iguana, I can lick my elbow…”, etc.). Hold onto your end and toss the ball of string to someone else in the circle. This person now must say her name and one unique fact about herself. Holding onto her place on the string, she then tosses the ball to someone else. Continue this until everyone is holding a piece of the string. Now work your way backwards, rolling the ball of string back up. You must, however, call out the person’s name and remember their unique fact before you can toss it back to him or her!

Name of Activity: Autograph Bingo

Objective/Outcome: Initiate conversation between youth and learn about each other (names/facts).

Time: 10-15 minutes.

Materials Required: Pre-made Bingo cards, pens/pencils for youth, prizes.

Instructions: Hand each person a Bingo card with each square containing a statement (for example: “I have blue eyes, a pet rabbit, traveled outside of Canada, run in a marathon, a birthday in March…” etc.). Tell the youth they have 5-10 minutes to fill up their Bingo cards by finding people to sign in each box. Remind them that they will have to verify the answers they sign for! Have the first three people done read off their Bingo cards, explaining why each person signed in order to win (for example: “Billy has a pet rabbit named Ralph, Sally traveled to Mexico last winter…”, etc.).

Name of Activity: M&M Game

Objective/Outcome: Youth get to know each other, share facts about themselves.

Time: 10 minutes.

Materials Required: Bag or two of M&Ms or Skittles.

Instructions: Each youth grabs a handful of M&Ms. For each candy they grab, they must answer a specific pre-determined question allocated to each color (for example: red = favourite hobbies, blue = most embarrassing moments, yellow = favourite movies, etc.). The number of candies of each color the youth grabs determines how many responses they must come up with for that question (Ex: 3 yellow M&M’s, must say three favourite movies).

Name of Activity: Line Up!

Objective/Outcome: To acquaint the youth with one another with regards to both physical and personal characteristics. Emphasizes cooperation and collaboration.

Time: 5 minutes.

Materials Required: None.

Instructions: Divide the youth into two even groups. The object of the game is to compete to see which group can line up the fastest according to the criteria identified by the facilitator. After naming the characteristic (height, age, alphabetical order, etc) give them to the count of ten to organize themselves. If a group finishes before the facilitator reaches ten, they should all raise their hands. The group that lines up fastest with fewest errors wins. A series of best two out of three can be done.

c. Team-Building Games

Name of Activity: Amoeba Tag

Objective/Outcome: Gets youth moving and running around, while requiring them to work together in order to tag other people.

Time: 10 minutes, or depending on how many rounds/how long before they get tired of running.

Materials Required: An area large enough for youth to run around in.

Instructions: The game begins with one person being ‘it’. When he tags someone, they must hold hands and work together to tag others. When four people are joined, they break off into two groups of two, both groups being it. The person who avoids becoming ‘it’ the longest wins.

Name of Activity: Mine Field

Objective/Outcome: Builds leadership and trust amongst team members.

Time: 20 minutes (may vary depending on size of course).

Materials Required: Blindfolds (one for each group of two), objects to represent ‘mines’ if an outdoor course is not available.

Instructions: Guides must lead a blindfolded individual through an obstacle course (mine field), using verbal cues only.  Ask the youth to find a partner and decide who will be the guide (youth can take turns). Tie a blindfold around the remaining individual and spin him around a couple times to disorient him. The guide must lead the blindfolded individual through the course without stepping on any mines (for example: “take three big steps forward. Take two little steps to the left,” etc.). The guide learns how to be responsible for team-mates while the blindfolded person learns to rely on team-mates.

Name of Activity: Get a Clue

Objective/Outcome: Gets youth moving around and talking to each other in a fun and interactive way.

Time: 20 minutes (more or less, depending on how many people and how quickly they ask questions and guess).

Materials Required: Pre-made pieces of paper with names of animals on them (or whatever topic you choose), tape that will stick to foreheads or clothing.

Instructions: Stick a piece of paper naming an animal (or other category) on each youth’s forehead or back, in a way that allows everyone to see it but them. They are allowed to ask ten yes or no questions to anyone in the group they want, a maximum of two questions to the same person (for example: “does it live in the rainforest? Does it have a tail? Does it have 4 legs?”). After eight questions, they have the choice to guess their animal, but if they are wrong they lose. At the end of their ten questions, they can guess their animal. If they do not guess it correctly, they can ask two more questions, and guess one last time. If they are still incorrect, they lose. The object is to correctly identify your animal. Those that do can move onto a bonus round, where they only get five yes or no questions to identify a new animal.

Name of Activity: All Aboard!

Objective/Outcome: Requires the group to work together in close proximity to solve a practical, physical problem. Emphasizes group communication, cooperation, patience and problem solving.

Time: 20 minutes (five to explain, fifteen as a limit to complete the task).

Materials Required: Tarp or blanket large enough for everyone to stand on.

Instructions: Begin by getting everyone to stand on the tarp. Challenge them to turn the tarp over without anyone touching the ground in the process. Give the group a time limit of fifteen minutes to do so.

Name of Activity: The Lava Pit

Objective/Outcome: Group needs to work together and communicate effectively in order to beat the game.

Time:  20 minutes (a time limit can be placed, such as fifteen minutes plus five minutes to explain)

Materials: Paper plates (the number depends on size of groups. Each group receives a third of the number of plates as there are players – a twelve player team gets four plates, etc. – tape (to mark the sides of the lava pit).

Instructions: Make up a scenario that the youth are being chased and need to cross a field of hot lava in order to escape. Divide the youth into two even teams. Give each team the paper plates explaining that when they step on these plates they will not sink into the lava. The group must figure out how to get from one side of the lava pit to the other (Point A to Point B, marked on the floor with tape). Only one person can be on a plate at a time, and the plates may be picked up and moved. Key to the game is that only one person will need to work their way back across the field to help the rest across.

Name of Activity: Name Game

Objective/Outcome: Create a collective identity and uniqueness within your group.

Time: Ten minutes.

Materials: Paper and markers.

Instructions: Each group must create a team name and team slogan or cheer. Give each group ten minutes to do so. Tell the groups that at the end of the time, each group must present and explain their team name to everyone else, and demonstrate their team slogan or cheer. The group with the most creative team name and slogan/cheer wins.

Name of Activity: Dizzy Lizzie

Objective/Outcome: Get dizzy and win the race!

Time: Ten minutes.

Materials: Bat or stick, tape to mark beginning line.

Instructions: Have each group line up at the starting line. The first member from each group will run to the bat, put their forehead on one end and spin around the bat ten times, while keeping the other end of the bat on the ground. After spinning, they must run back and tag the next member of their team, who runs and does the same thing. The first team to have all of its members back across the starting line and sitting down wins.

Name of Activity: How Well Do You Know Canada?

Objective/Outcome: To work as a team to answer as many questions about Canada as possible.

Time: Fifteen minutes.

Materials: Pre-made quizzes containing all sorts of questions about Canada, pen/pencil for each group.

Instructions: Hand each team one copy of the quiz. Answer as many questions as possible within ten minutes (for example: “name all the provinces and territories, what two colors are on the flag, whose picture is on the back of the dime, what city is hosting the 2010 Olympics, etc.”). The team with the most correct answers after 10 minutes wins.

Name of the Activity: Better Letter

Objective/Outcome: To work collaboratively as a team to come up with as many words as possible.

Time: Ten minutes.

Materials: Cut-up pieces of paper (five for every player), pen/pencils for every player

Instructions: Divide youth into teams. Hand each youth five pieces of paper (roughly three inches x five inches). Ask them to choose any five letters of the alphabet, and write down one letter on each piece of paper (remind them to not show these letters to the other members of their team. After everyone has done this, have each team put all their cards in a pile. Set a time limit (five – six minutes) and challenge the teams to use their cards to make as many words as possible, using each of their letter cards only once. Words must be three letters or more and short forms are not allowed. The team with the most words at the end of the time limit wins.

Name of Activity: Canadian Pictionary

Objective/Outcome: Youth have fun guessing common Canadian stereotypes, phrases, objects or places.

Time: 20 minutes, or until all papers have been drawn.

Materials: Pre-made slips of paper containing common Canadian stereotypes, phrases, objects or places, chalkboard and chalk or paper and markers.

Instructions: Divide youth into groups. One member from each group grabs a piece of paper at a time. They must somehow draw whatever it is in on their piece of paper, while their teammates must guess what it is they are drawing. Each team has a maximum of one minute to guess. The team that guesses what their drawer is drawing the quickest gets a point. After each team member has had a chance to draw, the team with the most points wins. (Examples include: “Parliament”, “Igloo”, “Poutine”, “Eh”, “Beaver”, “Toque” etc.)

1 The Youth-Friendly Guide to Intergenerational Partnerships, 2004

2 The Youth-Friendly Guide to Intergenerational Partnerships, 2004, p 8.

3 Positively Engaging Youth and How to Engage Youth? Child and Youth Health Network of Southern Alberta. 2007.

4 Hart, Roger A. Children’s Participation: From Tokenism to Citizenship. Innocenti Essays No 4, UNICEF, 1992, p 8.

5 The Youth-Friendly Guide to Intergenerational Partnerships, 2004, p 6.

6 The Youth-Friendly Guide to Intergenerational Partnerships, 2004, p 6.

7 Youth Learning Characteristics. Purdue University, 2002. < http://www.four-h.purdue.edu/foods/Youth%20Learning%20Characteristics.htm>.

8 The Youth-Friendly Guide to Intergenerational Partnerships, 2004, p 14.

9 The Youth-Friendly Guide to Intergenerational Partnerships, 2004, p 14.