COLLECTIVE

LEADERSHIP
Works
Preparing YOUTH & ADULTS
for Community Change

KELLOGG LEADERSHIP
FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE
Crossing Boundaries, Strengthening Communities
COLLECTIVE
LEADERSHIP
Works
Preparing Y O U T H & A D U LT S
for Community Change

KELLOGG LEADERSHIP
FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE
Crossing Boundaries, Strengthening Communities

KELLOGG LEADERSHIP
FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE
Crossing Boundaries, Strengthening Communities
W
 6930 Carroll Avenue
Suite 502
Takoma Park, Maryland 20912-4423
phone (301) 270-1700
fax (301) 270-5900
www.theinnovationcenter.org
info@theinnovationcenter.org

The Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development works to unleash the
potential of youth, adults, organizations and communities to engage together in creating
a just and equitable society. We connect thinkers and leaders of all ages to develop fresh
ideas, forge new partnerships, and design strategies that engage young people and their
communities. We turn theoretical knowledge into practical know-how that advances the
field of youth development and promotes social change. The Innovation Center for
Community and Youth Development is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

KELLOGG One Michigan Avenue East

LEADERSHIP
FOR COMMUNITY Battle Creek, Michigan 49017-4012
CHANGE phone (269) 968-1611
Crossing Boundaries,
Strengthening Communities
fax (269) 968-0413
W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION
www.wkkf.org

Since 2002, Kellogg Leadership for Community Change (KLCC) has helped
communities across the country explore the potential of collective leadership to reshape
their futures. In that time, hundreds of residents in 11 communities from around the
country have learned to share the mantle of leadership across traditional boundries such
as race, gender, culture and class. Empowered by their new relationships and new ways
of functioning as community leaders, KLCC fellows are developing solutions to difficult
local problems and charting new paths for their communities in the 21st century.

The Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development and the Center for Ethical
Leadership (www.ethicalleadership.org) coordinated the Kellogg Leadership for
Community Change Program phase II focusing on “valuing and building youth-adult
partnerships to advance just communities.”

The reproduction of these materials for use for non-commercial purposes in trainings
and workshops is permitted, provided that source information is cited and credited.
Any reproduction, translation, or transmission of this material for financial gain, in any
form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording,
or otherwise – without permission of the publishers is prohibited.

For questions on usage, assistance with training and consulting, or to obtain hard
copies of this tool kit, contact the Innovation Center at (301) 270-1700 or
www.theinnovationcenter.org.

ISBN: 978-1-60702-882-6
First Edition 9/08

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This tool kit draws upon the collective experience, work and sprit of phase II of the Kellogg
Leadership for Community Change project. The Kellogg Foundation and the Innovation
Center would like to recognize the contributions of the following organizations:

Big Creek People in Action, McDowell County, WV

Boys & Girls Club of Benton Harbor, Benton Harbor, MI
Center for Ethical Leadership, Seattle, WA
Dorsey & Associates, Sarasota, FL
Langhum Mitchell Communications, Washington, DC
Lummi Cedar Project, Lummi Nation, Bellingham, WA
Mi Casa Resource Center for Women, Inc., Denver, CO
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Roca, Chelsea, MA

We also want to thank the following individuals who contributed their skills and time to
the conceptualizing, writing, editing, designing and printing of this tool kit, including:

Ginger Alferos, Maenette Benham, Anisha Chablani, Wayne Ctvrtnik, Elayne Dorsey,
Cheryl Fields, Patrick Halliday, Derek Haney, Liji Hanny, Lisa Maholchic, Dale Nienow,
John Oliver, Gentry Philipps, Maria Pizzimenti, Caroline Polk, Karma Ruder, Zara Snapp,
Steve Stapleton, Ana Maria Thomas, Marsha Timpson, Michael Vendiola,
Hartley Hobson Wensing, and Wendy Wheeler.

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 Contents
Introduction 1

Section 1: Building a Team 5

Part 1: Who Should Participate? 6
Activity: Mapping the Sectors of Involvement
Tips: How to Build Trust Across Systems and Organizations
Activity: Creating Your Circle of Shared Leadership
Part 2: How to Recruit Social-Change Agents 18
Tips: Recruiting Members for Your Social-Change Group
Sample Lists and Forms for the Recruitment Process
Recruiting Coaches
Recruiting Evaluators
Issues Involved with Family Members on Teams
Transitions in the Organizing Team

Section 2: Youth-Adult Partnership Skills 29

Part 1: Skills for Strong Partnerships 30
Activity: What were you like at 15 years old?
Activity: Perceptions of Power
Activity: Defining “Youth” and “Adult”
Part 2: Getting Your Message Across 37
The PowerPoint Presentation: Not So Boring After All
Video Documentary Skills: Benton Harbor
The Y.A.P. (Youth-Adult Partnership) Rap

Section 3: Knowing Community and Place 41

Part 1: Visualizing Your Community’s History and Assets 42
Activity: Basic History Wall Exercise
Activity: Basic Gridding Exercise
Part 2: Sharing Your Community’s Story 66
KLCC II Sites and Digital Storytelling
Digital Storytelling Resources: Llano Grande Center for Research
and Development

Section 4: Creating Ways to Come Together 67

Part 1: The Gift of Gracious Space 68
Activity: Defining Gracious Space
Activity: Realizing Gracious Space
Tip: How to Create Gracious Space in Which Youth and Adults are Valued
Activity: Circles as a Way to Create Gracious Space
Activity: World Café

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Part 2: Coming Together to Overcome Differences 85
Activity: Charting Decision-Making and Power Sharing
Activity: Establishing a Decision-Making Protocol

Section 5: Individual Leadership and Relationship Development 93

Part 1: Simple “Getting to Know One Another” Activities 94
Tips: How to Host Successful Community Dinners
Activity: One-on-One Interviews
Activity: Head, Heart, and Feet
Energizers
Activity: Surveying with Marbles
Activity: Six Degrees of Separation
Activity: Appreciation Wall
Activity: Comparisons
Activity: Color Our World with Inspirations
Part 2: Deeper Activities 111
Activity: River of Life
Activity: What are your core values?
Activity: Defining Respect
Activity: Building Deeper Relationships with the Johari Window
Activity: Poster Exercise for Individual Goal Setting
Activity: Charting Individual Connections
Activities: Appreciating and Recognizing Individuals
Activity: The Block Game
More Short Activities to Explore Each Person’s Gifts

Section 6: Planning for Action 137

Part 1: Determining the Group’s Focus 140
Activity: Rock Activity for Community Change
Checklist for Choosing an Issue
Activity: Using the Fishbone Diagram to Generate Action Plans
Part 2: Staying Connected 149
Online Groups, Social Networking Sites, and Twitter
Tips: Using Online Forums

Section 7: Keeping Healthy: Strategies for Reflection and Learning 151

Part 1: Simple Strategies to Stay Healthy 153
Activity: What’s Up?
Activity: Teaching and Learning
Growth Planning
The Roca Medicine Wheel & the Medicine Wheel Reflection Tool
Activity: Making Faces
Reminder: Make Time for Fun!
Part 2: Deeper Evaluative Strategies for Staying Healthy 160
Activity: Most Significant Change
Activity: Photovoices

Section 8: Spreading the Word 181

Part 1: Sharing Stories and Introducing Your Community to Others 182
Part 2: Planning a Gathering of Community-based Organizations 183
Part 3: Creating a Communications Plan 184

Feedback 185

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CO LLEC T I V E L E A D E R S H I P WO R K S INTRODUCTION 1

Introduction
What is KLCC?
In 2002, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation launched the Kellogg Leadership for Community
Change (KLCC) initiative. Its goal was to help communities across the country explore
the potential for collective leadership to reshape their futures. The first of two of KLCC
sessions, mobilizing participants around the theme of Strengthening Public Will and
Action Toward Quality Teaching and Learning, engaged six communities and more than
125 participants to great successes. This tool kit draws on the experiences of KLCC
Session II: Valuing and Building Youth-Adult Partnerships to Advance Just Communities.
From the spring of 2005 through the fall of 2007, youth and adults in organizations in
five communities – the Lummi CEDAR Project, Lummi Nation of Bellingham, Washington;
Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor, Michigan; Big Creek People in Action, McDowell
County, West Virginia; Mi Casa Resource Center, Denver, Colorado; and Roca, Chelsea,
Massachusetts – worked together and forged relationships among themselves and with
their communities. These relationships enabled the groups to advance the common good
and discover new pathways for youth to serve as effective agents for social change.

The Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development, a nonprofit organization
devoted to unleashing the potential of youth and adults in creating community-change,
and the Center for Ethical Leadership, a nonprofit organization devoted to developing
core values-based leadership to advance the common good, served as the Coordinating
Organization for KLCC II and provided assistance and training throughout the initiative.
As the initial stage of the KLCC II drew to a close, we at the Innovation Center reflected on
our experiences serving these community groups. The lessons, we felt, were so profound
and helpful that we wanted to share them. What we have learned together – the practical
knowledge, relative successes, and failures – is collected for you in this tool kit.

What is collective leadership?

Ultimately, the resources in this tool kit are intended to help you build readiness for
collective leadership. Both sessions of KLCC placed collective leadership as the
cornerstone of their efforts, and we have found it to be the most effective and positive
way to affect real, sustainable community change. But what exactly is “collective
leadership”?

Because the field is still emerging, there is no single, common definition. Rather, we have
come to understand it by its hallmark: Collective leadership has the unique ability to
unite human, cultural, and technological resources so that local people come together to
improve their communities for a common wellbeing. It is most often motivated by a sin-
cere love of place – the leaders’ community – and relationships formed around that love
of place enable leaders to share their vision of and work toward a common dream.

In short, collective leadership transfers the focus from the “I” to the “we.” In a group
united by a shared purpose across differences of age, race, and gender, leaders affect the
kind of change that benefits their community as a whole.

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CO LLEC T I V E L E A D E R S H I P WO R K S INTRODUCTION 2

For more on collective leadership, see The Collective Leadership Framework:

A Workbook for Cultivating and Sustaining Community Change on the KLCC web-
site at: www.klccleadership.org

Why are youth-adult partnerships critical?

Youth-adult partnerships play a critical part in collective leadership. They bring youth
and adults together with a shared context in which participants learn, work, listen, and
dream without regard for differences in age. The result is an alliance stronger than any
of its separate components. The voice of youth gives adults a critical perspective and a
source of creative energy for all sorts of issues. Adults bring to young people important
experience and connections that help them transform their ideas into meaningful
actions. Each component of this interdependent partnership is critical to the success
of the other.

Why focus on building readiness?

In any process of community change, there are generally four stages of work: building
readiness, visioning and planning, implementation, and change and sustainability.
Although certain steps pave the way for others (visioning and planning, for example,
make implementation much more effective and efficient), it’s not necessary that you
follow these steps in a linear fashion. Each group’s situation is unique; think about
and apply these steps as they best pertain to your circumstances.

This tool kit focuses on building readiness for community change, which was the focus
of the work of the KLCC II sites during the first 2 years of the program. This stage is
all about building relationships. From these relationships comes an understanding of
your team’s strengths and assets and ways to cross boundaries through your work.
We’ve found that building readiness provides the best foundation for future success in
community change.

How do I use this tool kit?

The contents of this tool kit derive from the work of the KLCC II communities and the
national team that worked together for 2 years to move leadership and social justice
forward in the five sites. The tool kit is intended to give you concrete tips and practical
activities that you can apply in forming and strengthening a community-change group
and its work.

The tool kit addresses the following topics:

■ Forming your social-change group;
■ Setting a solid foundation for strong youth-adult partnerships;
■ Knowing your community;
■ Coming together in creative ways;
■ Developing relationships, both individual and group;
■ Planning your course of action;
■ Sustaining your group and its work, and;
■ Spreading the word about your group.

Groups that have an interest in all of these topics may opt to work through the tool kit
from beginning to end. Other groups may want to focus on just one or two topics. Either
approach is fine; choose what works best for you.

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CO LLEC T I V E L E A D E R S H I P WO R K S INTRODUCTION 3

The tool kit’s activities, tips, and handouts, based on experience, could be adapted for the
classroom or for more structured learning environments. Concrete links to community
experience, like those included in this tool kit, will enrich the learning experience many
times over.

Who should use this tool kit?

This tool kit is designed to be used by youth and adults who are interested in creating,
leading, facilitating, or participating in asset-based community development, community
building, or social justice efforts – basically, anyone who is interested in bringing about
positive change in a community. This might include, but certainly isn’t limited to:
■ Young leaders;
■ Youth workers;
■ Leaders of non-profit organizations;
■ Community organizers;
■ Government officials;
■ Managers of social services; and
■ Teachers.

The lessons distilled in this tool kit can benefit groups at any stage of development.
If your group is at the building readiness stage, the tool kit can teach you to engage
others; if your group is past the building readiness stage, it can help you strengthen
existing relationships.

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Building a Team:
ROLE S AND RECRUITING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

Successful recruiting manifests itself in different ways, depending on the

community in which you work. The Mi Casa Resource Center in Denver
learned this lesson early. Before Mi Casa was the organization it is today,
a small community of people in Denver had a vision for a group that
would incorporate youth and adults in a partnership for community
change and designed their recruitment strategies accordingly. To recruit
youth, the organizers created flyers about their program with messages
and graphics tailored to the areas where the flyers were posted. The
organizers also visited schools and other youth facilities to tell young
people about their new group. To recruit adults, they relied more heavily
on the Internet to contact local organizations and activist groups and
asked colleagues to recommend participants.

Interviews were the next step and enabled the organizers to make personal
contact with potential participants. They opted for personal interviews
rather than a group meeting because they found that dealing with
potential participants on an individual basis was the most efficient
approach. Interviews yielded a stronger sense of the applicant and
allowed the organizers to recruit applicants not typically seen as leaders.
Interviews also communicated to the potential participants the importance
of the project and the strength of Mi Casa’s interest in them as individu-
als. The approach used by the Mi Casa organizers may be useful in your
recruiting process.

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Part 1: Who Should Participate?

Communities are composed of people who get together through small groups and
organizations for a common reason. Some people might gather for economic reasons
and create a small business; others who love to play a certain sport might form a club
or team. In forming your own group for community change, you must consider who
should participate and how participants will share leadership roles. Thinking about
existing groups within your community and the different facets of leadership is a good
way to begin this process.

This section’s tips and activities are designed to help you identify who should participate
in your group, define the leadership roles participants may take once they become a
part of your group, and reflect on a group that you’re already working with to see which
people from new or underrepresented sectors might be helpful.

ACTIVITY: MAPPING THE SECTORS OF INVOLVEMENT

One way to think about sources from which your group might recruit is to cluster them
by sector. Each sector represents people who might participate in your group and work
for community change.

OVERVIEW
This activity is designed to produce a picture of the people and organizations involved in
community work and the type and level of their involvement.

OBJECTIVES
■ To identify the primary sectors that represent the people and groups in the community
■ To examine the level of involvement of people and groups in your work
■ To inform the direction for building relationships and involvement

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 1 hour

SUPPLIES
You will need a “sticky wall” for this activity – a large piece of ripstop nylon fabric (ours is
approximately 7 feet wide X 5 feet high) coated with adhesive spray. Sticky wall kits are
available through the Institute of Cultural Affairs, at www.ica-usa.org, or you can make
your own. Ripstop fabric is available at any fabric store; you can buy artist’s adhesive
spray at most office supply stores. If you’re having trouble finding either of those sup-
plies, you can always use spray adhesive on butcher paper rather than the nylon fabric;
you can also forgo the adhesive spray entirely and use large Post-it notes on butcher
paper or flip chart sheets taped together. Using pieces of tape, divide the sticky wall into
labeled sections that represent the sectors of the community, as identified in Step 1 of
the five-step process shown below. You will also need a flip chart, markers to write on the
flip chart paper, Post-it notes, and Handout 1A and Handout 1B.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 15 minutes Tell the group, “Looking at human resources is a Flip chart paper
Setting complex task. This activity was designed to provide
the a simple way of examining the people and groups in Handout 1A
context the community and how they can become a part of
our work.”

Ask group members to think about some of the

organizations and groups in their community and
write the names on flip chart paper. Urge the group
to think broadly – not just of organizations or groups
that have buildings attached to them.

Introduce the framework for sectors of involvement.

Talk about each of the sectors on Handout 1A.
Briefly discuss the unique strengths and challenges
that each sector brings. Discuss the areas where
the different sectors overlap.

Go back to the flip chart and think about where

some of the organizations fit in. Important: Ask
whether any sectors might be missing. Some com-
munities have identified or split the four-sector
framework, creating up to seven sectors that best
captured what was going on in their communities.

Explain that “for the next 10 minutes, we are going

to focus on the organizations and individuals that
exist in each sector and examine our group’s rela-
tionship with them. This will help us develop a clear
picture of how we should move forward in building
involvement in our work. At the end of this activity,
we will have a plan for identifying all the key people
to __________ (fill in task – e.g., “invite to our
event”).

Step 2: 10 min Give each participant a stack of Post-it notes. Ask Post-it notes
Brain- everyone to think of at least one person or organiza-
storming tion in each sector and write the name on a note.

If you want to highlight the young people you’re

connecting with, ask people to write names of youth
on a different color of Post-it note.

Step 3: 15 min Ask all participants to go to the sticky wall and Sticky wall set up as
Filling in attach their Post-it notes in the category where they indicated above
the fit. After all the notes are posted, read the sections
resource one by one. After you read each section, ask people
map to write on Post-it notes any additional people or
organizations they think should be included.

Introduce the levels of the circle from core team in

the inner circle to the potential supporters in the
outer circle. Ask the group to look at all the Post-it
notes and organize them on the wall that way – with
close-in people in the center of the wall and less
involved people on the outside parts of the wall.

continued next page

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 3 25 min. Ask the group to think about what’s important about Handout 1B
adaptation a specific person. Use Handout 1B to describe roles
(optional) that people play.

Ask the group members to return to their Post-it

notes on the sticky wall and write LEVER, SYMBOL,
DOER, or OTHER on the note.

When they’ve finished, ask additional questions to

examine which role is most highly represented in
which sectors, and then discuss the implications of
this for your group’s work.

Step 4: 10 min Ask a series of discussion questions:

Reflecting ■ Which sectors are most full?
■ In which sectors are there gaps?
■ Where are youth most and least represented?
■ How could some of the people who are in the
“informed” category be made into direct
supporters?
■ What could you do to improve representation in
the various sectors?

Step 5: 15 min Make a plan for contacting and connecting with the
Planning people you identified. Assign teams to sectors or to
individual people and organizations. Make sure that
your plan is documented.

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HANDOUT 1A: THE RE SOURCE MAP

Voluntary Public
Sector Sector

Informal Private
Sector Sector

Here is a description of each sector:

Private Sector: Groups and organizations in this sector are created and supported by
private citizens, usually for economic gain. Typically, these are businesses in your
community; however, they may also include newspapers, radio stations, and other media.

Public Sector: The public (i.e., local, state, and federal government) supports groups and
organizations in this sector. Private-sector organizations include schools, libraries, local
government, and Cooperative Extension and other social service agencies.

Voluntary Sector: Run on a voluntary basis, groups and organizations in this sector
include non-profit groups, such as Boys and Girls Clubs, and religious groups.
Handout 1A
Informal Sector: Groups in this sector are not directly affiliated with an organization or
government. Examples include softball teams, card clubs, women’s groups, clans, and
kinship groups.

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HANDOUT 1B: TYPE S OF INVOLVEMENT AND ROLE S IN

THE RE SOURCE MAP
Types of Involvement
Core team members: People and organizations that participate in your group and regu-
larly attend meetings.

Team’s direct supporters: People and organizations that don’t come to all the meet-
ings (or even most of them) but would support the team by contributing to special events
or influencing other community members.

Informed of team’s work: People and organizations that haven’t supported the team in
any way yet but know what the team is doing and planning and could be brought in as
supporters.

Roles and Relations

LEVER If this person or group is

involved, we will get
access to other people or
resources or get other
people to come.

SYMBOL If this person or group is

involved, it will send a
special message to
others.

DOER This person or group will

jump right in and help us

get the work done.
Handout 1B

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DOCUMENTING THE RE SOURCE MAP

Below is an example of a completed resource map from a community group. Notice how
full some of the sectors are and how empty others are.

USING AND REUSING THE RE SOURCE MAP

Step 5 in creating a resource map is to make a plan for contacting and connecting with
the people and organizations you identified in the various sectors. This step puts the
resource map into action and can help organize your efforts to gain support for your
work. It should not be the final step, however. Here are some additional ways you can
use and reuse your resource map:
■ If you created your resource map during the building readiness phase, you can use it
during later phases to see how far you’ve come in involving people from various sec-
tors and shifting some potential supporters to real supporters or team members. As
your group’s work gets fully under way, create a new resource map. Reflecting on the
differences and similarities between the old and new versions of your resource maps
will help you identify areas where you have made progress or are stuck.
■ If you created a resource map as a way to recruit people to a specific activity, you
might want to think about making a new resource map for other activities.
■ If your resource map was created as a way to look at the people and organizations
that are generally connected to your group, you might want to make a new resource
map for a specific activity.

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TIPS: HOW TO BUILD TRUST ACROSS SYSTEMS AND ORGANIZATIONS

The essence of collective leadership is crossing boundaries. Significant boundaries that
many KLCC II sites encountered were those that exist between organizations. Different
types of organizations have different goals, ways of working, cultures, and values.
These differences mean that working together can bring tension, suspicion, and
misunderstanding along with the power of shared interests.

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you begin, or continue, to strengthen your
cross-organizational working relationships:
■ Organizations have different calendars and timelines. Be aware of these differences
(e.g., different busy and slow seasons or standard working hours) and ask about them
up front so that you can involve everyone more effectively. Different calendars,
however, can also bring new opportunities. For example, an organization that does
home visits in a certain season may have the time in its off-season to tag along on
some outreach efforts for your social-change group.
■ Organizations have different decision-making patterns and requirements. Some
may need an executive to sign off on even small matters; others will be able to move
quickly and less bureaucratically.
■ The history of previous working relationships between organizations can teach you
a lot. When you are trying to build or strengthen your own relationships with other
organizations, ask about the history of their relationships and what went poorly or
well.
■ Organizations have different cultures (i.e., patterns or values that influence all aspects
of their operations, from communications to celebrations). Sometimes organizations
are not conscious of their culture, so you’ll need to observe closely and ask thoughtful
questions of your partners to understand how they do things or perceive events.
■ Stereotypes exist about organizations as well as groups of people. Often these
stereotypes are true, but they can also often be misleading (i.e., “All businesses care
about is money,” or “non-profits don’t care about the bottom line.”). Take the time to
understand what motivates individuals in an organization and what they truly care
about in their community.

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ACTIVITY: CREATING YOUR CIRCLE OF SHARED LEADERSHIP

When you think about who should participate in your group, you must also consider the
participants’ skills and interests and how these assets translate into leadership for your
group. Some participants may be organizers and schedulers, some may be strong com-
municators and public speakers, and some may be best at researching and studying.
Once you understand the strengths of these participants you’ll be able to evaluate your
group’s weaknesses and work to overcome them.

OVERVIEW
This activity allows a team to self-evaluate by using the circle of shared leadership to
examine its strengths and gaps in skills, knowledge and experience.

OBJECTIVES
■ To build awareness of the skills and interests of the members of your group
■ To understand the concept of shared leadership
■ To understand the preferences, strengths, and gaps in the team

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 1 hour

SUPPLIES
You’ll need a sticky wall that’s divided with tape into four sections marked with the
names of the four elements of shared leadership. See Mapping the Sectors of
Involvement activity on page 5 for instructions on how to obtain or create a sticky
wall. You’ll also need copies of Handout 1C and Handout 1D for all participants.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min. Say, “Our team is composed of diverse people with

Setting diverse interests and skills. We’ll spend the next
the hour doing an activity that will help us more closely
context examine what these are so that we can get a better
picture of our team’s strengths and weaknesses.”

Step 2: 20 min Use the inventory on Handout 1C. Urge people to Post-it notes
Creating a use the blank spaces.
skills and Handout 1C
interests After people have completed both sections of the
inventory inventory, ask them to circle five interests or skills
that they want to share with the team. Point out that
these don’t have to be the things that they think that
10 min they’re best at but the things they really want to
contribute to this group.

Ask participants to write each interest or skill on a

separate Post-it note.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 3: 15 min. Provide an introduction to the circle of shared Sticky wall

Filling in leadership. Use Handout 1D.
the circle Post-it notes
of shared Say, “Look at each of the Post-it notes in front of
leadership you. For each note, ask yourself, ‘To what kind of Handout 1D
leadership does this skill or interest contribute?’ For
example, ‘motivating’ would probably be ‘champion’
and ‘observing’ might be ‘relate experience.’”

Ask participants to put each note in the section of

the sticky wall where it fits. Many notes will fit into
more than one section. In these cases, people can
choose a section, write the note twice (or as many
times as needed to put it in all applicable sections),
or put it on the border between relevant sections.

Step 4: 10 min. Ask the group the following questions:

Reflecting ■ Looking at the wall, what stands out?
■ How did it feel to do this activity?
■ What do you see that’s exciting?
■ Where do you see gaps?
■ How can we fill these gaps?
■ What does this mean for our team?

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HANDOUT 1C: SKILLS AND INTERE STS INVENTORY

(Adapted from Community Partnerships for Youth, Youth in Governance, 1994)

Name Date

Remember that a skill is something that you can do, something in which you are proficient or have
expertise.

“I am good at ________________________“ (Circle the appropriate words and add more of your own.)

Writing Defining Researching

Analyzing Organizing Evaluating
Creating new things Planning Directing
Starting new things Coordinating Delegating
Developing Implementing Leading
Recruiting Persuading Administering
Counseling Training Educating
Reconciling Encouraging Negotiating
Bookkeeping Promoting Budgeting
Reporting Motivating Giving my opinion
Fundraising Communicating Public speaking
_________________ _________________ __________________
_________________ _________________ __________________
_________________ _________________ __________________

SKILLS A SSE SSMENT

This exercise can help you determine the skills you currently have and could use with a community
group, as well as gain new skills.

Place a check mark under the column(s) after each skill to indicate which skills you have, which ones
you enjoy, and which ones you wish to develop.

Have Enjoy Wish to Develop

1. Assembling (kits, models) ____ ____ ____
2.
3.
Researching, doing experiments
Creating music, art, or literature
____
____
____
____
____
____
Handout 1C
4. Communicating: talking, listening ____ ____ ____
5. Influencing people ____ ____ ____

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SKILLS ASSESSMENT (CONTINUED)

Have Enjoy Wish to Develop

6. Organizing, scheduling ____ ____ ____
7. Constructing ____ ____ ____
8. Analyzing, examining ____ ____ ____
9. Performing ____ ____ ____
10. Counseling ____ ____ ____
11. Leading ____ ____ ____
12. Following directions ____ ____ ____
13. Using computers ____ ____ ____
14. Drawing, painting ____ ____ ____
15. Risking, trying new things ____ ____ ____
16. Attending to details ____ ____ ____
17. Educating, teaching ____ ____ ____
18. Promoting, marketing ____ ____ ____
19. Observing ____ ____ ____
20. Advocating, lobbying ____ ____ ____
21. Handling disputes, making peace ____ ____ ____
22. Coordinating, arranging ____ ____ ____
23. Speaking to the public ____ ____ ____
24. Creating, imagining ____ ____ ____

Look at your assessment:

■ Does anything surprise you?
■ Was it difficult or easy to do this assessment?

Think about ways you can use this assessment individually and with your group!

Handout 1C

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HANDOUT 1D:THE CIRCLE OF SHARED LEADERSHIP

When people think of leadership, they often think of the “traditional leader”: the
person who is good at public speaking, has experience, and is well respected by many
people. The idea of shared leadership recognizes that there are several ways to provide
leadership, some of which are not traditional. Shared leadership is a way for groups
to make decisions by coming to a consensus. It allows a group to take the diverse
opinions of all involved and incorporate them, in some form, into the actions of the
group. The following diagram illustrates the different parts of shared leadership.

People who RELATE People who FACILITATE

EXPERIENCE share their help move the team or
wisdom, skills and knowledge community to their goals
with the group. through discussions at meetings
They connect the present with or gatherings. They rely on
the future. the group’s ability and
seek consensus.

People who CHAMPION People who IMPLEMENT

are those who really get behind work with their team or
an idea and provide the spirit community to take the actions
and will to get the ball rolling. that will help them move toward
They get the word out—letting their goals. They enjoy the
people know what is going on discovery that comes

and building the effort. with doing things and
moving toward results
and outcomes.

Handout 1D
A team needs to have all of the parts of shared leadership represented. Individual group
members can fill one or more roles, and multiple group members can fill the same role
at the same time. Watch out for individual overload – the situation where one person
performs all the roles and gets overwhelmed.

(Adapted from Institute of Cultural Affairs, www.ica-usa.org)

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Part 2: How to Recruit

Social-Change Agents
Recruiting a diverse, energetic, and motivated group of people is essential to creating
positive changes within a community. We recommend that you aim to bring as many
voices as possible to the table, to give your message as much power as possible when
you take it to the community. Diverse members will also broaden your group’s ability
to think creatively and strengthen your work.

This section is designed to help you be intentional in your recruiting efforts. The activi-
ties in the first part will help you think of people across the community to recruit and
attributes to look for during the recruiting process; the following tips give you more
specific ways to recruit and things to keep in mind while you’re recruiting for certain
roles on the team (e.g., coaches, organizers, and evaluators).

TIPS: RECRUITING MEMBERS FOR YOUR

SOCIAL-CHANGE GROUP
After reflecting on lessons learned from the recruiting process at the five KLCC II sites,
we took that collective knowledge and condensed it into 13 tips to guide you in
recruiting your own social-change agents.

1. Develop detailed criteria or lists of characteristics you’re seeking in your

social-change agents and questions you would want to ask during an interview.
*See Sample List of Characteristics of Successful Team Members and Sample
Interview or Geting-to-Know-You Questions.
2. Create different flyers for different audiences and brainstorm for possible places in
your community to advertise your program.
3. Make application and nomination forms. Visit community centers, schools, and
after-school programs to talk about your group, and leave application and nomina-
tion forms with employees, counselors, and teachers. *See Sample Application and
Sample Nomination Form.
4. Put together a fact sheet that explains your group’s goals and history, as well as
your criteria for participants, including the participant’s time commitment. This is a
great way to inform your applicants about the program. *See Sample Fact Sheet.
5. Ask your personal contacts about people they know who might be interested in your
group. *Use the Sample Nomination Forms.
6. Send flyers, application forms, and nomination forms to listservs, community groups,
and all contact lists. Nomination forms are especially important when you recruit
young people. Nomination forms allow adults and young people to identify others
they believe can be change agents in the community and honor them with a
nomination. The nominee then feels a greater sense of responsibility toward the
organization, cause, or group.

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7. As you receive responses, schedule interviews or get-to-know-you conversations with

all applicants. Make sure they have a strong sense of your program. Your fact sheet
can be a big help here.
8. Try to ensure that the interview or recruitment committee represents as broad of a
range of voices from the community as possible. Also, avoid formal interviews.
Casual interviews or conversations help everyone feel more comfortable and able to
relate more easily. Remember that the interview is your opportunity to get to know
your potential participants and, in turn, their opportunity to ask questions about
your group.
9. During your interviews, ask how the applicants heard about your program and
whether they know anyone else who might be interested in the group.
10. Follow up with applicants no longer than a week after their interview, or give them the
exact date when you’ll notify them. It’s hard for them to be left without an idea of
next steps.
11. Don’t feel that you have to accept everyone into the group; however, know that many
people will have skill sets that are not immediately apparent in an interview setting.
Young people especially might not feel comfortable opening up during a first meeting,
so it’s helpful to include them in the conversation or interview. Creating a safe space
is crucial. *Refer to the Gift of Gracious Space activity in Section 4.
12. Once you’ve chosen your group’s members, invite them to an informal community
event so that everyone can meet. We’ve found community dinners to be successful.
*Section 5’s How to Host Successful Community Dinners contains tips on how to
do this.
13. With the bulk of the recruitment process behind you, remember always to be on the
lookout for people who exhibit your desired characteristics. Your group’s participants
will move, leave for college, or drop out of the program, and you’ll want to fill their
place. Also keep in mind that, after your initial recruiting, your criteria for applicants
might change. Furthermore, your whole group can now be involved with recruitment
and interviewing. *For more info about transitions within your group, see
Transitions in the Organizing Team in this section.

SAMPLE LISTS AND FORMS FOR THE RECRUITMENT PROCE SS

Sample List of Characteristics of Successful Team Members

We’re looking to recruit team members who share the following interests and
demonstrate the following characteristics:
■ A demonstrated commitment to leadership roles on behalf of children and youth;
■ A proven track record for making things happen in your school, community, or other organization;
■ A likely ability to make a long-term contribution to high-quality education in your community;
■ An ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and those who may hold approaches
and perspectives different from your own; and
■ A willingness and ability to make an 18-month commitment to full and regular
participation during the implementation of this initiative.

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Sample Interview or Getting-to-Know-You Questions

Candidate: ___________________ Interviewer: ___________________ Date: _________________

1. What is the greatest gift you have ever received (or given)?

2. Tell us about a positive relationship you’ve had with a young person/adult – the characteristics,
dynamics, and roles of that relationship, and what eventually happened.

3. What people in your life do you respect, and why?

4. What is an important issue in your community that you feel is unjust or unfair? Have you
attempted to change it? How and why? (If not, why not?)

5. What are some experiences you’ve had in the community that you would like to share with us?
(Activism, school, work, etc.)

6. What does your schedule look like? Can you give a 2-year commitment to this program?
What might prevent you from doing that?

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Additional Questions for One-on-One Meetings with Potential Participants

7. What do you personally hope to gain from this program?

8. What changes do you hope to see in the community?

9. What are your strengths that you would like to share with the group?

10. What are areas that you would like to learn more about?

11. What are some issues that motivate you to work toward a just community?

12. Imagine yourself in 2 years. Where are you? How have you changed? What have you learned?

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Sample Application

We are seeking 20 YOUNG PEOPLE (ages 13–24) and 10 ADULTS (ages 25+) with the following qualifi-
cations:
■ Able to dedicate 5–10 hours per month
■ Have a connection and investment in the Latino community
■ Live in the greater Denver area
■ Demonstrate a desire to work in equal partnership with youth and adults

The vision of this program is threefold. We aim to develop diverse, non-traditional community leader-
ship; mobilize collective action to improve local conditions and quality of life within the community;
and create and realize a shared vision of a Just Community (as defined by the participants).

Please provide your contact information below.

Name Circle One: Youth 13–24 Adult 25+

Address

City State Zip Code

Telephone Email

Please use the back of this form to answer two of the following questions:
■ If you could change anything in the world, what would it be, and why?
■ What is an issue you feel your community faces? How would you fix it?
■ What is your experience working with youth and/or adults?

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Sample Nomination Form

We are seeking 20 YOUNG PEOPLE (ages 13–24) and 10 ADULTS (ages 25+) with the following qualifi-
cations:
■ Able to dedicate 5–10 hours per month
■ Have a connection and investment in the Latino community
■ Live in the greater Denver area
■ Demonstrate a desire to work in equal partnership with youth and adults

The vision of this program is threefold. We aim to develop diverse, non-traditional community leader-
ship; mobilize collective action to improve local conditions and quality of life within the community;
and create and realize a shared vision of a Just Community (as defined by the participants).

Please provide your contact information below.

Name Relationship to Nominee

Address

City State Zip Code

Telephone Email

Please provide the following information about the nominee:

Name Circle One: Youth 13–24 Adult 25+

Reason for nomination

*Please use the reverse side if you need more room.

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Sample Fact Sheet

Vision: Value and build youth-adult partnerships to advance just communities.

The vision of this program is threefold. We aim to develop diverse, non-traditional community
leadership; mobilize collective action to improve local conditions and quality of life within the
community; and create and realize a shared vision of a Just Community (as defined by the
participants).

Fellowship: The Fellows are young people (ages 13–24) and adults who volunteer to spearhead
change in our community.

■ What is a Fellowship? This fellowship brings together an intergenerational group with diverse
backgrounds, experiences and interests with the common goal of promoting and nurturing
collaborative leadership and community change. Throughout the program, Fellows develop an
intricate understanding about the interpersonal relationships within the program, organization,
community, and public. The Fellowship is, in essence, a training ground for community leaders.
Through their relationships within this group and with the greater community, Fellows learn about
social justice issues, networking, planning, organizing, how to conduct research, and, ultimately,
how to effect change in the world.
■ What is the program’s duration and compensation? This is a 2-year, volunteer-based program.
The number of hours will vary as projects become more defined, but we anticipate that Fellows will
need to dedicate 5–10 hours per month to the program. Compensation will come in many forms,
including food, activities, and travel.

Seeking: We always welcome new members.

We look for members who are…

■ Interested in creating change in the community;
■ Able to meet twice a month, evenings 5:30–7:30 pm;
■ Able to attend our National Gathering in June 2007; and
■ Able to commit to the program through October 2007.

Contact: Please direct interested parties to…

Resources: www.klccleadership.org

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RECRUITING COACHE S
Coaches help hold your group together. A coach’s role is to hold the vision and values of
your group, and, to that end, facilitate the growth, development, and involvement of the
group and its members.

Selecting the right coaches for your program is crucial to its success. When looking for
someone to fill the role of a coach, especially in the context of a youth-adult partnership,
it’s important to keep a few characteristics in mind.

Successful coaches are…

■ Sensitive to age, gender, background, and cultural differences in a diverse group;
■ Passionate about youth and adult partnerships, social justice, leadership develop-
ment, and collective leadership;
■ Passionate about learning as well as helping others learn;
■ Respected in the community and by the those involved in your group;
■ Part of an organization that supports your group’s work;
■ Flexible, respectful of others, and effective in establishing trust and rapport in working
with other coaches and participants;
■ Experienced in working with people of different ages and from different income levels,
races, and ethnic backgrounds;
■ Experienced in structured leadership development for both groups and individuals;
■ Experienced in culturally focused leadership development; and
■ Knowledgeable about the local community and the issues it faces.

Coaches must also have a skill set that includes…

■ Good communication and listening skills;
■ The ability to bridge significant differences and build trust despite these differences;
■ Effectiveness in supporting others as they identify their own strengths;
■ Comfort in organic and transparent learning processes;
■ The ability to design and deliver training;
■ The potential to guide others to gain knowledge about their community and its history
and issues;
■ Skills in mediating difficult situations;
■ Competence in group facilitation;
■ The ability to separate the personal from the professional;
■ The capacity to give power to the group so that group members can build their own
leadership capacity;
■ The know-how to identify technical assistance needs and then locate providers; and
■ The ability to network within an ever-changing context.

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RECRUITING EVALUATORS
Most community-change efforts will benefit from an outside evaluator to document the
lessons and stories that arise from the group’s work. Evaluators help group members
reflect on and disseminate the information they gather, and by doing so, provide valuable
feedback to inform future leadership-development work. Any evaluators you hire should
be truly independent. That means they should not be employees of the lead agency on a
project. Independent evaluators should be well versed in community-based research or
part of another research and evaluation organization. They should exhibit a strong con-
nection to the lead agency and as well to the community, though this connection can be
the result of other community-change efforts. Evaluators don’t necessarily need a PhD
to be effective in a community; however, they must be flexible, open minded, able to
observe and to give candid feedback.

Every social-change effort can conduct some type of evaluation. If your budget won’t
stretch to cover outside evaluation, don’t worry; self-evaluation can be a powerful part of
any project. If members of your team will be your evaluators, whoever leads that effort
should be able to see the work with a measure of objectivity.

Evaluators who work on efforts that emphasize youth-adult partnerships, collective

leadership, and social justice should be…
■ Eager to partner with young adults in the development, implementation, and reporting
of the evaluation process;
■ Interested, open, and capable of learning new skills and approaches to evaluation;
■ Flexible, respectful of others, and effective in establishing trust and rapport with a
network of evaluators and a group of leadership fellows;
■ A self-starter who can initiate and follow through on the project in a timely manner;
■ Excited about being part of a community of learners and aware that all members have
something of worth to contribute to the group;
■ Comfortable giving feedback to the organizing team in a timely and effective manner;
and
■ Receptive to feedback themselves and willing to adapt their approach to the needs of
the community, the team, and the lead agency.

Evaluators must also have a skill set that includes…

■ A philosophy of evaluation. They must be able to make the evaluative experience a
dynamic and learning process that supports decision-making. They must also be
willing to be co-learners and teachers and facilitators for the work of the group.
■ Flexibility for fieldwork. They must be open to participatory and other alternative
methodologies of collecting evaluative data.
■ Cultural responsiveness. They should use a culturally responsive and sensitive
evaluation process and ensure that all voices are heard during this process.
■ Writing skills. They should write clearly and have the capacity to write for different
audiences (including different languages) in a variety of formats.
■ Communication skills. They should exhibit strong communication skills and be able
to relay complicated information and concepts in an-easy-to-understand manner.
They also should have strong listening skills and be skilled observers of nuance and
dynamics.

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■ Assessment skills. They should have the knowledge and the skill to collect quantita-
tive and qualitative local data, and analyze the information, and present it in varying
formats for varying audiences. Evaluators should also be able to develop data-collec-
tion instruments and ensure the reliability and maintenance of data quality and
integrity.
■ Experience. They should have previous evaluation experience and understand the
potential of evaluation as an empowering leadership tool that integrates learning with
doing.

For a more complete treatment of evaluation, including activities and tips to use during
the evaluation process, see Section 7 of this tool kit – Keeping Healthy: Strategies to
Sustain Your Group.

ISSUE S INVOLVED WITH FAMILY MEMBERS ON TEAMS

Community-change work builds on existing relationships and opens avenues to new
ones. You will be recruiting long-time friends to get involved and reaching out to those
who have never crossed your path. Family members can be a great source of new people
who not only have strong personal connections with those already on your team but
may also have strong shared values to bring to your work.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when you’re recruiting and working with family mem-
bers on teams:
■ Family involvement can help boost participation in your group. For instance, to
attend meetings, older youth may need to bring younger relatives in their care. Those
younger members can turn out to be active participants.
■ Parents and young people who are involved in the program together can help support
and encourage one another’s participation.
■ Both parents and young people need to give one another space to speak their minds,
be independent, and be themselves; however, it’s often difficult to step out of family
roles. Be aware of these dynamics. Perhaps adults are accustomed to greater degrees
of power or control; perhaps young people are accustomed to obeying without ques-
tion. In a collective leadership context, both partners need to step back (or forward!)
to allow for equal participation.
■ Relationship-building activities and youth-adult partnership activities can help family
members move beyond their normal patterns of interaction – to move out of traditional
family roles – and acknowledge everyone’s gifts and strengths. In your group’s work,
incorporate activities that invite young people and adults to listen and learn from one
another and activities that prompt family members to communicate and work together
in new ways. The activities in Section 2, Youth-Adult Partnership Skills, can help
you do this.

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TRANSITIONS IN THE ORGANIZING TEAM

Most community-change efforts will at some point have to deal with transition – young
people may move away for college or a job, and adults may relocate or find they no
longer have the time to commit to your group. It is much better to be prepared for such
transitions than to be caught off guard.

In KLCC II, the Mi Casa and Benton Harbor sites lost their adult evaluator. Although both
sites found adult members to step in – at Mi Casa, a local university professor agreed
to work with the group’s board, and in Benton Harbor, a board member moved into the
evaluator role – transition within an organizing team can be difficult, particularly in a
close-knit group.

We’ve gathered some tips to help you bring new people on board and make transitions
more seamless.
■ If possible, transfer all knowledge before a person leaves the team! This includes
getting a list of daily, weekly, and monthly activities for the new team member.
■ Have the departing team member brainstorm the most important qualities needed in
the person who will take over the position.
■ Let the team know about the transition as soon as possible, so that you can answer
questions and allow the group to feel a part of the process.
■ Whenever possible, keep ties open with people who leave. You’ll want to call on their
knowledge in the future!
■ When looking for replacements, use the community and an advisory board (if you
have one) to help. Because they know the project best, they will know the best people.
■ And remember: Transition can be positive for your group. Use it as an opportunity to
bring in new ideas and add energy to your project.

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Youth-Adult
Partnership Skills
Youth-adult partnerships were the central focus of KLCC II and a
prominent component of efforts toward collective leadership at all five
KLCC II sites. Youth-adult partnerships, however, must be deliberate.
They don’t arise without concerted effort, and this effort – well intentioned
though it may be – requires certain skills if the partnership it works
toward is to be successful in effecting community change.

Over the course of KLCC II, we watched large numbers of young people
and adults work together to better their community. At Roca in Chelsea,
Massachusetts, a highly respected youth coach began her involvement in
the program as a shy, timid young woman who came to Roca solely to
work toward her GED. As she spent more time in the program, she
formed stronger relationships with her fellow participants and joined the
pro-immigrant group. There she met an adult who became her friend
and mentor, inspiring her to take on more leadership roles within Roca
that spilled over into her involvement with her community of Chelsea.

This relationship – which prompted a young person and an adult to create

change within themselves and subsequently in their community – became
strong and sustainable because neither partner overlooked the effort
involved in establishing a rapport of sincere trust. In this instance,
genuine conversation (both serious and joking) and the use of peace
circles contributed to the creation of this trust.

As you’ll see in your own group, no two relationships are identical.

Nevertheless, the foundations of strong relationships share many common
elements. This section provides tools to establish the foundation for strong
and successful youth-adult partnerships – a foundation that will allow
each relationship to develop in its own, unique fashion. For even more
youth-adult partnership activities and resources, see our Creating Youth-
Adult Partnerships tool kit and Youth-Adult Partnership: A Training
Manual in the Activities, Tool Kits & Reports section of our website,
www.theinnovationcenter.org.

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Part 1: Skills for Strong

Partnerships
Getting to know others – their history, likes and dislikes, sense of humor, perspective –
doesn’t happen overnight or without work, however fun the work may be. As you’ve
probably learned, forging strong relationships is a slow process of building trust that
requires time and effort.

Forming a youth-adult partnership is no different. To form a strong, successful, and

sustainable youth-adult partnership, your participants will need to develop certain
skills and attitudes and understand both the benefits and challenges of this kind of
relationship. The activities and tips in this section are designed to help you and your
participants do just that.

ACTIVITY: WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AT 15 YEARS OLD?

A successful youth-adult partnership requires that participants grow to understand and
relate to one another. When young people and adults gain the other’s perspective, their
work together is strengthened. Prompting adults to recall themselves at age 15 is a way
to break down barriers between generations and create a sense of commonality. Barry
Cheekoway of the University of Michigan developed this activity in his publication
“Adults and Allies.” Mi Casa revised the activity for use in their community.

OVERVIEW
This exercise is generally most effective as an icebreaker at the start of a meeting. It
offers the opportunity for young people to share stories about their life and for adults to
recall their own youth. Youth and adults are paired up and given questions to guide their
conversations. These two-person conversations segue into a larger group discussion
about the forces that facilitate or limit youth-adult partnerships.

OBJECTIVES
■ To share participants’ experiences as young people
■ To identify commonalities between youth and adults
■ To identify positive characteristics of community involvement for youth and adults

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 30 minutes

SUPPLIES
You will need a flip chart on which you’ve written basic information about the workshop
(e.g., objectives) and copies of Handout 2A for each participant.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min Welcome participants to the workshop and review Flip chart with workshop
Setting the workshop’s objectives. Ask them objectives
the to think back to when they were 15 years old: to
context remember the clothes they wore, the people they
hung out with, how they felt about the world, and
why they felt that way.

Step 2: 5 min If participants are already well mixed as a group, ask

Creating them to pair up with someone they don’t know well;
pairs if not, ask them to count off by twos, to make sure
that people aren’t paired with someone they might
know. As a final precaution, ask if any pairs are well
acquainted, and if so, pair them with others.

Step 3: 20 min Invite the pairs to share with their partner, using the Handout 2A
Listening questions on Handout 2A as a guide. It’s important
and that they get to the questions about how adults took
sharing part in their communities as youth. Another way to
encourage conversation is to ask one person to
share for 10 minutes while the other listens, and
then switch roles. If participants are 15 or younger,
ask them to answer the questions based on their
lives now.

Step 4: Gather as an entire group. Ask the group a series of Flip chart
Reflecting 10 min discussion questions. You may want to use the flip
chart to jot down notes from participants’ answers. Markers

■ What did you have most in common with your

partner? What was different?
■ Share one of your partner’s stories.
■ When you were young, how were adults involved
in your community?
■ When you were young, what kind of community
service or community change were you
involved in?
■ What did you learn from the conversation?
■ How can we carry these lessons forward into our
work together?

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HANDOUT 2A: WHAT WERE YOU LIKE AT 15 YEARS OLD?

In pairs, consider the following questions:

■ What was it like being 15 years old?

■ Where did you live?
■ What did you look like?
■ What made you different?
■ What was important to you – what did you think about a lot?
■ How did you feel?
■ Who were the young people who participated actively in the community?
■ What were they like?
■ What did they do?
■ What kept you from participating more actively in the community?
■ What could you have done to participate more actively?
■ Who were the adults who worked well with young people?
■ What were their qualities or characteristics?
■ What could adults have done to help you participate more actively?

Handout 2A

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ACTIVITY: PERCEPTIONS OF POWER

Understanding the balance of power within a partnership is essential to understanding
how the partnership functions and to participating in the partnership. However, the per-
ceived balance of power is often quite different from the desired balance of power or even
the actual balance of power. Once you are aware of your group’s feelings about the bal-
ance of power, you can work together to maintain or change that balance.

OVERVIEW
This activity works best at the beginning of a meeting, before participants have had a
chance to discuss their roles in the youth-adult partnership. It also works well to book-
end a meeting – opening and closing with the same activity to visualize how participants’
feelings about the group’s balance of power have changed over the course of the meeting.
Participants line up according to their perception of their influence in the group’s power
scheme, and the conversation in Step 3 discusses how balances of power affect the
group’s work.

OBJECTIVES
■ To examine what participants feel is their position of power relative to the group
■ To explore whether young people feel that they are as powerful as the adults

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 15 minutes

SUPPLIES
You’ll need a flip chart and markers for this activity.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min Tell the group, “Understanding the balance of power

Setting in true partnerships is critical to the work we are
the trying to do with youth and adults. The power
context balance can be one of the challenges partnerships
encounter. Today, we’re going to talk about power
relationships within this group and examine how you
feel those relationships affect what we hope to do.”

Step 2: 5 min Instruct participants to put themselves in a single- Enough space for your
Lining up file line that stretches from the person who feels he group to stand in a
and or she has the most influence in the group to the single line
counting person who expresses a feeling of having the least
off influence. Explain that this must be done silently:
participants are not to talk or compare notes. They
are doing this on their own perception of their
influence, not anyone else’s.

When participants are in a single-file line, have

the group count off, from one to whatever number
of participants there are, beginning with the person
who is in the “most influence” position.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 3: 5–10 min Ask a series of discussion questions: Flip chart

Reflecting ■ How did it feel to do this activity?
and ■ How did it feel to be at one end of the line or the Markers
discussing other? How about the middle?
■ What did you notice when everyone lined up?
■ Think about another group you’re involved in:
How would that group line up? Where would the
adults be standing? The youth?
■ What do you think made different people stand in
different places?
■ What can we learn about youth-adult partnerships
from this activity?
■ What would you most like to remember about
this activity?
Appoint a group member to, using the flip chart
and markers, take notes on the discussion. Revisit
this activity and these notes as your group’s work
progresses.

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ACTIVITY: DEFINING “YOUTH” AND “ADULT ”

Many difficulties of youth-adult partnerships result from the partnership’s lack of a
definition for “youth” and “adult.” Exploring different perceptions and definitions of
these terms can help participants come to a common understanding of the dynamics
of the partnership.

OVERVIEW
This activity explores various definitions of youth and adults. Some groups may end
up with a common definition that your entire group can agree upon, or your group may
realize that everyone’s definition is going to be different. Either way, articulating
definitions – however many – of “youth” and “adult” will strengthen your partnership’s
foundation.

OBJECTIVES
■ To help partners, groups, and organizations begin to define the terms “youth” and
“adult”
■ To strengthen the partnership through a better understanding of what each age group
brings to it

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 35 minutes

SUPPLIES
You will need a sticky wall, paper, and markers for this activity. Art supplies are optional.
See Mapping the Sectors of Involvement activity on page 6 for instructions on how to
obtain or create a sticky wall.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min Explain to the group, “Forming and working in

Setting the youth-adult partnerships reveals the challenges and
context benefits of working with the opposite age spectrum.
A common difficulty in this work is not having a def-
inition of what ‘youth’ and ‘adult’ is. So, today we
are going to come up with our own definitions of
these terms and talk about how these definitions
relate to our work.”

Step 2: 10 min Have participants divide into groups (no more than Flip chart paper
Creating 10 members per group) that include both youth and
definitions adults. Provide each group with paper and markers Markers
(optional: and art supplies). Instruct each group to
develop a definition of “youth” and a definition of Art supplies (optional)
“adult” and to write its definition on the paper.

Once the groups are done, ask them to prepare a

presentation representing the definition. It can be
anything from a skit to a song, a poem, or a mes-
sage for a bumper sticker. Encourage the groups to
be creative.
Ask the groups to post their definitions on the sticky

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 3: 10 min wall, one group at a time. Then have each group Sticky wall
Presenting read its definition aloud and perform its presentation.
definitions

Step 4: 10 min After all the groups have presented, ask a series of
Reflecting discussion questions:
and ■ What did you notice about the definitions?
discussing ■ What words, phrases, or images caught your
attention?
■ What similarities do you see across the definitions?
■ Can we come up with a single definition for
“youth” and “adult”?
■ What are the benefits of coming up with one
definition?
■ What differences do you see across the defini-
tions?
■ What are the benefits of operating with multiple
working definitions of these terms?
■ How is this information important to you in this
youth-adult partnership?

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Part 2: Getting Your

Message Across
Youth-adult partnerships are exciting relationships, so exciting that oftentimes
participants want to tell others about the work they’re doing and the ways this work
and the partnership affect their lives. When youth and adults together tell their shared
story, this can be a partnership building activity in itself. The activities in this section
highlight some of the ways KLCC II members shared their message about youth-adult
partnerships.

THE POWERPOINT PRE SENTATION: NOT SO BORING AF TER ALL

We know that the words “PowerPoint presentation” can evoke memories of painfully
boring classroom lectures or dry corporate presentations. We know because we’ve been
there, too. But don’t discount the digital slide show as an engaging way to deliver a
message. If used creatively, PowerPoint presentations can be an exciting, effective,
and lasting way to introduce new concepts, topics, or skills to your group.

Make sure that your presentation is stimulating: use lots of pictures, sounds, and
animation. Avoid big blocks of text, which can be intimidating for an audience. Instead,
try bullet points, and discuss them to make group members active participants in the
presentation. Also, remember to be kind to your audience’s eyes; use a font that’s big
enough to read and color schemes that are easy to look at.

The link below will take you to a PowerPoint presentation the Innovation Center made
for a conference about youth-adult partnerships. In this presentation, pairs discuss the
elements of successful partnerships they’ve experienced, and small groups brainstorm
ways to make a strong youth-adult partnership.

Click below on the title to view the show and the activities. You can also visit
www.theinnovationcenter.org and browse by resource type within our “Activities,
Tool Kits & Reports” section — you’ll find the presentation located under “Tool Kits and
Resources.” We hope you find the show enjoyable and take away ideas for your own
presentations while learning a bit more about youth-adult partnerships in the process.
Feel free to use the slide show with your own groups to stimulate discussion on youth-
adult partnerships.

Learning, Leading and Unleashing Potential: Youth-Adult Partnerships

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VIDEO DOCUMENTARY SKILLS: BENTON HARBOR

Video documentary was a popular tool for the KLCC II sites to share the stories of their
lives and communities and to record the progress of their work. The Benton Harbor Boys
and Girls Club worked with the Innovation Center and a film crew to create and produce a
video to document its work and the successes of youth-adult partnerships within the
Benton Harbor community. Through this video, called Come Out Shining, you come to
know and understand some of the people involved with the group, the dynamics of the
group itself, the tensions and issues in the town of Benton Harbor, and the way in which
all three of these factors come together in a partnership for collective leadership and
community change. This video tells an inspirational story that can motivate you to form
equally strong partnerships between youth and adults. It can also serve as an example
for your own work with video documentary and for programming ideas and models of
meaningful youth-adult interaction.

Check out the Benton Harbor youth-adult partnership video on our web site,
www.theinnovationcenter.org. Go to Activities, Tool Kits and Reports and browse
by Resource Type to see our list of Tool Kits and Resources.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR Come Out Shining VIDEO

■ What words, images, or sounds stood out for you in the video?
■ What feelings did you witness in the video as people talked about youth-adult
partnerships and their community?
■ What feelings did the video provoke in you?
■ What messages did you take away from the video?
■ How can this discussion help inform your next steps on youth-adult partnerships
in the community or the organization?

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THE Y. A .P. (YOUTH-ADULT PARTNERSHIP) RAP

Members of the Mi Casa group in Denver were so taken by the success of their work in
youth-adult partnerships that they were moved to sing… or rap. The “Y.A.P. Rap,” written
and performed by an adult partner and a youth partner at Mi Casa, tells the story of two
men and their experiences working with each other.

I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU HEARD ABOUT ME You like the youth, you like adults
BUT I’M A TEACH YOU BOUT THE Y.A.P.s You like the way we work
NO INTERRUPTIN’ PEOPLE WHEN WE SPEAK We show respect and always value
Everybody’s worth
The fellowship – we’re in a meeting
We’re working on projects I’m not that kid trying to holla
We got a thing for the city, Cause I’m acting out
The people, the problems Naw, I’m that kid trying to holla
Cause I want to help
We know that if we work together
Then maybe we’ll solve them I’m an adult, but I know
So we get youth and adults together What the Y.A.P.’s about
And we get it goin’ Collective leadership
Not leaving anybody out
We run a peace circle
Just to get to know each other Look baby this is simple
An hour later, we’re all talking You can’t see
With one another You rollin with me
I love you, homie You rollin with that Y.A.P.
Hey man, you’re like my older brother
You’re like the other part of me Lyrics by
Except a little younger Adam Roybal, adult partner
Eric Sotelo, youth partner

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Knowing Community
and Place
Past and place are central elements in any community-change effort.
A community’s past not only helps shape individuals but also forms a
picture that tells the story of a community. Likewise, a community’s
place – the space it occupies, how it is used, and who uses it – creates
much of its identity and spirit.

Members of the Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor understand their
community’s history and location as essential to their group’s work.
Benton Harbor, Michigan was once a thriving manufacturing town,
home to many African Americans moving out of the South. Now, Benton
Harbor has a population of about 13,000 people, an unemployment rate
nearing 40%, and a median household income of approximately $13,000
per year. A bridge, dubbed by some “the longest bridge in the world,”
connects Benton Harbor to its neighboring town of St. Joseph. St. Joseph
is nearly all white, but racial makeup only begins to mark the differences
between the two communities.

When it came time to identify and address the most pressing issues in
their community, members of the Benton Harbor Boys and Girls Club,
acutely aware of their community’s place and history of racial segregation,
spoke of the racial divide between St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. They
pointed toward an improved education system as a means to heal their
community while strengthening ties with their neighbors across the
bridge. With the goal of lowering the high school’s current drop-out rate
and affecting long-standing change in their community, group members
initiated a tutoring program for students and a college application and
financial aid application workshop for parents.

Every community occupies a unique place and is marked by a unique

history. The activities in this section will help you discuss and understand
how both past and place are related to and affect your community and how
you can best use the assets and lessons of both in your community-change
efforts.

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Part 1: Visualizing Your

Community’s History and Assets
Every community has a history, or perhaps multiple histories. Maybe your community’s
past is shaped most prominently by a specific culture or industry. Think about your own
history and the history of your group; what stands out in your mind as significant? Is it
a specific person’s life and works, a specific event?

Regardless of what shapes the past, all communities, all groups, all individuals have a
history, and that history is an inescapable component of what or who they are today.
Recalling your community’s past and connecting it to its present is an important exer-
cise in your work for community change. It is also an exercise that can foster connec-
tions between youth and adults over a shared investment in place. Fundamentally, how-
ever, recalling your community’s past should prompt discussion of its assets and how
your group can best use those assets in your work.

The following activities are based on the notion that, to change the present, you must
first understand the past. They are designed to help you transform discussion of your
community’s history and assets into concrete plans that aim for sustainable community
change.

ACTIVITY: BA SIC HISTORY WALL EXERCISE

Creating a history wall can bring a fresh perspective to your community’s past.
Understanding and talking about your community’s past is a way to unite young
people and adults, evaluate previous community-change efforts, and better focus your
group’s efforts.

OVERVIEW
This participatory activity generates a shared picture of your community’s history and
its assets.

OBJECTIVES
■ To create a shared picture within your group of the history of the community
■ To identify both the gifts and the challenges from the past that may affect the future
of the community

TIME REQUIRED
After the advance preparation, about 1.5 hours for the entire activity

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ADVANCE PREPARATION
Work with a few members of the larger group to answer the following questions:
■ How far in the past do you want to go back: to the time when the oldest person was
born? To a time in early history that is significant?
■ What is the overarching question?
■ What are the “divisions” on the wall (e.g., society, community, individual)?
■ What do we want to do with the finished project?
■ What materials besides written notes do we want to use? (If people want to use
pictures, sound recordings, or other media, make sure they bring these.)

SUPPLIES
This activity requires a sticky wall – a large piece of nylon coated with adhesive spray.
See the Mapping the Sectors of Involvement activity on page 6 for instructions on how
to create or obtain a sticky wall. The activity also requires half-sheets of paper or index
cards, markers, tape or thumb tacks, colored arrows, butcher paper, and flip chart paper.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 30 min Split the sticky wall into three horizontal sections. Half-sheets of paper
Setting up before the On the far left side of each of the three sections, put
session up a half-sheet of paper labeled, respectively, “in Sticky wall
starts society,” “in the community,” and “in youth’s lives in
the community.” Markers

Along the top of the wall, put a set of half-sheets Tape or thumbtacks
with dates on them (see Figure A).

Step 2: 15 min Say to the group, “We’re going to look at the history
Setting and journey of this community by recalling key
the events, people, and actions that have affected
context our community, its spirit, and especially its young
people.”

“Every neighborhood or community has a richer and

more powerful history than just one person can be
aware of. We want to take the next 60 to 90 minutes
to develop a shared picture of our community’s
history and journey, to come to a new appreciation
of our shared past.”

Ask some “warm-up” questions:

■ When did you first become connected with the
community?
■ What is one key event that you remember
happening in the community?
■ What key people were involved in the events?
■ Why is it useful to look at our history?
■ Why is it dangerous if we don’t look at our
history?

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 2: Explain how the wall is set up: A timeline runs along
Setting the top. On the sides are the different groups whose
the history we are examining (society, community,
context youth). Explain what each category is, and get the
(cont.) group to provide examples of events that could go
into each category.

Explain the purpose of this activity: “We will be

doing this to answer the question, ‘What are the
resources and challenges that come from the past
related to __________ (complete sentence with the
overarching question you decided with the group
beforehand – e.g., youth in the community).”

Explain the process that will be used: “First, we will

brainstorm individually, and then we will share our
ideas in teams. When all the events are on the
timeline, we’ll step back and reflect on our
community journey.

Step 3: 45 min Say to the group, “To start our brainstorming, take Markers
Brain- 3 to 5 minutes working alone to jot down about
storming three events for each of the three categories. Write Sticky wall
your notes for each event/category on a separate
half-sheet. Try to include events from different Half-sheets of paper
time periods, and write the approximate date in the
corner of your paper. Butcher paper across top
of wall
“In groups of three, share ideas and eliminate
duplicates. Write each event on the half-sheets of A set of colored arrows
paper that are in front of you. Write one event per
sheet, and write in large, easy-to-read letters. Be
sure you write down some ideas for each category.
Take about 10 minutes to do this, putting your
half-sheets on the wall as you go along.”

NOTE: If a lot of people are present, consider asking

for ideas that are unique and clear and ask a few
volunteers from the group to put about 50 of the
half-sheets on the sticky wall.

When all the half-sheets are posted, the wall will

look like Figure B. Read through all the half-sheets
in one category, from left to right, and allow partici-
pants to ask questions about the stories they’d like
to hear more about. Let people tell stories that oth-
ers want to hear. Ask if anything is missing. Do the
same for the other categories.

NOTE: There may be many negative events as well

as positive ones. As a facilitator or leader of the
activity, you should watch for this and solicit addi-
tional positive cards during the brainstorming as a
way to move people into a more future-oriented
frame of mind.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 4: 10 min Ask the group, “Think of our history as a story.

Identifying If you were to divide it into chapters, where would
trends the turning points be?”
and
phases Mark the turning points on the timeline with a
colored arrow. Then draw arches between points.

Ask, “What would each chapter be called?”

Label those chapters or eras.

Ask, “If you were to describe the whole journey,

how would you fill in the blank: ‘The Great Journey
of __________’?”

Write the answers across the top of the butcher

paper.
See Figure C and Figure D to see what this will
look like.

Step 5: 10 min Ask a series of questions to prompt reflection: Flip chart paper
Reflecting ■ What are some of the key things that you heard
in the stories?
■ What are some of the feelings this activity raises
for you about your community?
■ What was it like to be one of the young people
(or adults) and tell your story?
■ What does this tell us about this community?
■ What have our challenges been over time?
(Note these on a flip chart.)
■ What gifts from the past might help us as we
move into the future? (Note these on a flip chart.
See Figure E for an example.)

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FIGURE A: SE T-UP FOR THE HISTORY WALL

2000
1990
1975
1950
1900

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY
IN YOUTH’S
IN SOCIETY

LIVES IN
EVENTS

IN

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EVENTS NAME OF
EVENT
NAME OF

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NAME OF NAME OF
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IN SOCIETY NAME OF NAME OF
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EVENT EVENT
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EVENT NAME OF
EVENT

NAME OF
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IN NAME OF NAME OF
COMMUNITY NAME OF NAME OF
EVENT EVENT EVENT EVENT
NAME OF
NAME OF EVENT
EVENT NAME OF
EVENT

NAME OF
IN YOUTH’S NAME OF EVENT
LIVES IN EVENT
K N OW I N G CO M M U N I T Y A N D P L AC E

FIGURE B: THE HISTORY WALL AF TER BRAINSTORMING

COMMUNITY NAME OF NAME OF

EVENTS EVENT
NAME OF
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Name of Phase I Name of Phase II Name of Phase III Name of Phase IV Name of Phase V

1900 1950 1975 1990 2000

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EVENT

NAME OF
EVENT
IN NAME OF NAME OF
COMMUNITY NAME OF NAME OF
EVENT EVENT EVENT EVENT
NAME OF
NAME OF EVENT
EVENT NAME OF
EVENT

NAME OF
IN YOUTH’S NAME OF EVENT
K N OW I N G CO M M U N I T Y A N D P L AC E

LIVES IN NAME OF EVENT

FIGURE C: THE HISTORY WALL WITH TRENDS AND PHA SE S

COMMUNITY EVENT NAME OF

EVENT
NAME OF NAME OF
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NAME OF NAME OF

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EVENT EVENT EVENT EVENT
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 The Beginning of a Modern History A New War Between Modern and Traditional Ways A Growing Interest in Tradition Accepting New Ways and Restoring Old Ways
1914 1930 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 1995 2000
Events in the Village General Store Roads were paved Drilled Water in Futures for Children Rebuilding of Kivas Port-a-Jon for
was built (1930) Villages (Mishongnovi started a program in Village (1992) the village (1999)
Electricity for homes and Shipaulovi) (1979) (1985)
Cars were first at the mid-level Electricity in the

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driven around (1962) Free Coal for Running water Upper Village (1992)
the village (1940) Village from Peabody (1989)
Community center (1976)—broader Kachina Resting
built (1962) New houses built area was fixed
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Wall was built for all with cinder blocks up (1998)

to enjoy (1978) (1988)
Renovation of
Hopi JR/SR High Kivas (1991-1992)
school (1987)
Formation of Hopi
Water for lower Pu’tavi Project
village (1989) (1997)

Restoration of
Kachina House
(Kachina Resting
area) (1996)

Electricity in
the homes (1992)
Events of the Tribe War with the Navajo started to Cut down grade Hopi Cultural Center Taos to Hopi Run Indian Day at school Gathering of Nations Clan Runs (1996) New Hospital
Apaches (1900?) encroach on Hopi level from 10th was built (1969) (1977) every year (Dancing ) (1991) being built
land (1930’s) to 7th at Navajo-Hopi Land (Feb. 2000)
Kykotsmovi school. Television brought to Tribe was allotted Second Mesa Day Treaty (1998)
In 1914, the Dawa Tribal Constitution village (1960) Village money— School was torn
put people into written and Students had to Village allocations down/the old Building Hopi Youth Council
groups adopted—Tribe leave the Men sent off to (1983) (1993) was established
Government reservation to finish war (1962) (1999)
formed (1936 school (1957) Civic/Veterans center
Children were Hospital opened in built (1985)
sent off to Turiva Clinic Keams Canyon Debra Baker
boarding schools (1935) (1962) crowned Miss
FIGURE D: DOCUMENTATION OF A HISTORY WALL

(1914) Indian America

Famous Runner in Highway 264 built Hopi people went (1989)
K N OW I N G CO M M U N I T Y A N D P L AC E

Olympics (Louis (1934-35) to war (1968)

Tewanima ) (1912)
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FIGURE E: DOCUMENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY’S A SSE TS

AND CHALLENGE S
These are challenges and gifts that a community group has identified during Step 5 of
the history wall activity. When you get to the planning stage, try to adjust these chal-
lenges and use these gifts in the actions you plan. Note that they do not correspond with
the history wall in Figure D.

Challenges Evident in Our History

■ Overcoming debilitating core beliefs and stereotypes;
■ Alcohol/substance abuse;
■ Greed, selfishness, self-esteem;
■ Cultural preservation, practices, identity;
■ Environmental protection, land preservation;
■ Resource management;
■ Racism; and
■ Highway 93.

Gifts in Our History

■ Land base;
■ Water, air;
■ Heart, will, resiliency, tenacity of our people;
■ Private-sector businesses;
■ Sense of belonging;
■ Leadership and vision for the future;
■ Education structures; and
■ Our children.

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ADAPTATIONS OF THE BA SIC HISTORY WALL EXERCISE

Like all activities in this tool kit, the history wall activity can be adapted in many ways.
Two examples follow.

Pictorial Histories
■ Research the history of your community at your public library or archives.
Make copies of historical pictures and arrange a pictorial history of your
community. Ask community members to contribute pictures to add to
your history wall. This approach is a great way for your community to
“see” history.
■ Ask community members to draw pictures of events that have happened
to them in the community and to be sure to label each picture. Your team
can use the pictures to create a wall collage in a community meeting place
for everyone to enjoy.

Oral Histories
■ Ask community members to share their most memorable stories about the
community. Record the stories on audiotape or videotape, then catalogue
the tapes and make them available for other community members.
■ Eliminate the part of Step 3 in which people do individual brainstorming.
Instead, move right into small-group brainstorming and storytelling.
This adaptation works well if your group thrives on an oral, group-minded
tradition.

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SAMPLE HISTORY WALLS FROM COMMUNITIE S

A written history

A history
in pictures

A history of
decades

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YOUR LOGISTICAL QUE STIONS ANSWERED

How far back should we go?
This decision will be unique to each community. Your community may have a past of
a century or of many centuries. The recent past may be more significant than the
not-so-recent past.

In a community that originated as a settlement of freed slaves at the end of the Civil
War, the history wall focused on the past back to the point of settlement. Community
members felt that remembering and talking about the origins of the community offered
a powerful story that would provide strength to their current community situation.

A Native American community with a past that could be traced for centuries decided to
focus on the past 50 years or so. This was a way of examining the events in the recent
past that were breaking down the community’s sense of togetherness, traditions, and
culture. Focusing on this history was most important to help the community think
about directions for future work and regain some of the spirit of the past.

When should we create a history wall?

Because history is about the past and vision is about the future, it flows nicely to
think about history first and vision second. When people reflect on the history of the
community, it often leads right into what they dream about for the future. In fact,
sometimes what people would like to see in the future is a return to some element of the
past. For example, during the history part, adults might reminisce about a café where
they all hung out on weekends when they were young. Since then, the café has closed.
During the visioning process, both youth and adults talk about how great it would be if
there were a place like a café where young people could hang out now.

The process of creating a history wall can help bring the entire community together.
The town of Tryon, Nebraska, created its history wall by placing newsprint in the local
café and asking patrons to add past community happenings to the wall. Because the
café was a meeting place for the entire community, nearly everyone had a chance to
add something to the wall. The Tryon community became aware of the efforts of
community groups through the history wall.

How can looking at gifts from the past help build youth-adult
partnerships?
Building a history wall is an excellent opportunity for the youth and adults of your
community to collaborate. Each group has specific gifts and memories to bring to the
table for the completion of the project. Adults are more familiar with the events that
happened in the community 30 or more years ago. Because many of the adults have
lived in the community longer than most youth, they can contribute to that part of the
history wall. Moreover, it is interesting for adults to see which key events young people
see as part of their history. Most important, thinking about history together allows
youth and adults to identify the strengths and challenges of the past that can be drawn
on to think about future directions.

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Here are some things to keep in mind:

■ Youth: Even though you have lived in the community for less than 20 years,
you still know about important community events. In fact, you probably have a
better memory of recent events than lots of adults. You are bringing a valuable
perspective on the events of your community. You also might know about
significant events that affected the lives of young people that adults don’t
know about.
■ Adults: Remember things that happened to you as a young person. Enjoy your
stroll down memory lane, but also look at the value of the perspective that young
people can add.

How can technology be used in creating a history wall?

Technology can save time and improve your final product. Think about ways you might
incorporate technology in your work, for example:
■ Create a computer presentation of the history to show to community members.
You might publish it on the web or use presentation software to show it at com-
munity gatherings.
■ Publicize your history-gathering project with flyers and brochures made with desk-
top publishing software.
■ Gather information from community members using email.
■ Use audio or video recorders to track your progress.
■ Compile your historical information in timeline software or a database.

How do you share the history wall?

Teams have found that one of the best methods of sharing their history wall is to put
the completed wall in a highly visible place and to involve community members in the
project. Because everyone in your community remembers special events, you will want
to involve as many people as possible in the creation process. They will have the chance
to share their experiences with the group, which will make them feel that the team values
their ideas; your team will gather more information for the history wall.

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ACTIVITY: BA SIC GRIDDING EXERCISE

Your community occupies a very special place – a place that must be incorporated in
your community-change efforts, or at least understood. Gridding is a process that com-
bines group members’ respective visions of the community and thereby enables your
group to visualize place with a fresh perspective and transform that view of place into a
view of change.

Ways in Which Communities Have Used Their Grids

■ To recognize and celebrate the natural resources that exist within the community.
During one gridding process, people had a special opportunity to talk about the
natural beauty of their community. Mountains, lakes, and other natural resources
were important parts of the grid.
■ To come to agreement on the space that the group will focus on in its community.
Before creating a grid, one community assumed that the physical space it would
focus on was just the central part of the community. However, after the group sat
down and created the grid, several people pointed out that they should be taking
into consideration some outlying areas. The group’s work from that point forward
included those other areas.
■ To make sure that no one and no area is “falling through the cracks.” A grid can
help you see where someone or something has been left out inadvertently.
■ To identify the places that people meet and communicate. Because the grid
includes gathering places, it can help you think about how to use those spots
strategically to get the word out about your community work. In one community,
the central gathering spot was a grocery store, so the group decided that putting
paper inserts into shoppers’ grocery bags was the best way to get the word out.
■ To create an image that everyone can remember and identify with. Whatever the
picture is, it should be something that’s simple enough to go on a T-shirt.
■ To organize a plan for conducting a survey or inviting people to an event. People
can be assigned to certain sections of the grid – to conduct surveys with the
people who live in each section, or to invite youth and adults from each section
to an event.
■ To learn how a particular issue plays out across different areas of a community.
A grid can reveal where, for example, different languages are spoken.

When should we do gridding?

Gridding is a process that can be incorporated at any stage in your work. Our experience
shows that gridding is most successful when the grid is being used for a specific purpose.
For example, if you’re about to conduct a community-wide event, that’s an ideal time to
create a grid and use it for recruiting. If the grid is done with no immediate purpose, it
will simply collect dust.

Things to Consider Before Doing the Exercise

■ The most important thing to have beforehand is a purpose for gridding.
■ In Step 2, the task is to define the physical boundaries of the community.
If you know that a major lack of consensus exists around this issue, do some
preparation beforehand to come to common ground that will allow you to get
through the activity.

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OVERVIEW
This activity is designed to generate a shared picture of a community’s space.

OBJECTIVES
■ To create a common operating vision of space
■ To create awareness and pride in the assets and gifts that are contained in a
community’s space

TIME REQUIRED
The time required to facilitate the basic gridding exercise using the guidelines below is
approximately 1.5 hours. Plan on at least that long, and add more time if you use any
of the Variations of the Basic Gridding Process described later.

SUPPLIES
The type of map you will need will depend on the type of gridding you choose to do with
your group. We recommend United States Geological Survey (USGS) maps, transporta-
tion maps, or Internet maps (we like Google maps or satellite images from Google Earth)
of your community. Demographic information on different areas of the community will
be helpful (try the United States Census Bureau or your local county government).
You’ll need a flip chart, markers, and both plain lead and colored pencils. You’ll also
need either a flip chart that explains key features of the grid or copies of Handout 3A.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 15 min Describe the function of gridding: Flip chart

Setting “We all see our communities somewhat differently.
the Gridding allows a group to form a common picture
context of this community. The grid can become a tool for
community organizing and a symbol for the
community that people take pride in.”

Talk about the focus of the work and record it on a

flip chart: “The purpose of the grid that we are going
to create today is ____________________” (e.g., to
help us recruit people for an event, to identify places
where young people can hang out).

“Remember, this is our community’s own operating

picture; it‘s not necessarily one presented to us by
the school, government, or other entities.”

Step 2: 15 min Look at an actual map of the community. Ask: USGS, transportation, or
Looking ■ What do you notice? Internet map
at your ■ What are the natural features?
community ■ What are the main lines? Demographic info on
■ What are the natural resources? different areas of the
■ What are the boundaries? community
■ What are the built-up areas and open spaces?

Form a consensus around the boundaries for the

grid that you’re creating. If that’s not possible,
decide what needs to be done for the group to
come to an agreement on this issue.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 2: 15 min NOTE: If you suspect this is a difficult issue, have

Looking preliminary conversations with group members
at your ahead of time to clarify this matter.
community
(cont.)

Step 3: 40 min Describe the key features of the grid: boundaries, Flip charts that explain
Drafting pathways, gathering places, sacred places, what each of these
grids landmarks, and subsections. things are or Handout 3A

Use either copies of Handout 3A or a flip chart that Flip chart with
describes what each feature is. instructions as
indicated at left
Divide the group into three or four teams, with youth
and adult representation on each team. A group size
of 3 to 5 people is ideal, if possible.

Use a flip chart with instructions to describe the task.

Each group should do the following:

1. Draw the edges of the community or area in pen-
cil.
2. Plot the key pathways, gathering places, sacred
places, and landmarks (you may want to color
code these by category).
3. Divide the whole area into 3 to 7 subsections that
show how people really think of the parts of the
community.
4. Give each subsection a name that people identify
with – it could what the area’s residents call it.
5. Draw the boundaries with a marker, trying to
make them as clear as possible.

Step 4: 30 min Ask each group to put its grid on the front wall and Flip chart
Sharing quickly (less than 2 minutes) walk through these
and grids with the rest of the group. Markers
reflecting
After all of the groups have reported, ask the
following questions:
■ What in the grids caught your attention?
■ Where do you see similarities across the grids?
■ Where do you see differences?
■ What did you learn about the community from
this exercise?
■ What are the gifts or assets of our space that we
might build on? [Facilitator should record these
on the flip chart so that, during the planning
process the group can ensure they are calling
upon all of their gifts and assets.]
■ As we move forward with our project, how will
we be able to use this information?
■ Are there any questions related specifically to the
task for which the grids were created?

Ask for one or two volunteers from each group who

could work together to combine the draft grids into a
single grid and report to the entire group at the next
gathering.

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HANDOUT 3A: ELEMENTS OF A GRID

BOUNDARIES:
A community’s edges or boundaries delineate it to the people who live there. These
boundaries can be natural limits, like rivers or mountains, or human-made limits, like
highways or railroad tracks.

DISTRICTS OR SECTIONS OF YOUR COMMUNITY:

Communities are made up of smaller areas inside their boundaries. They may be areas
that are defined, like neighborhoods, or they could be defined by roads, pathways, or
natural features.

PATHWAYS:
Streets, roads, paths, etc. that people use to get from place to place.

LANDMARKS:
A community has features that define it and make it unique. Landmarks also help out-
siders identify the community. Water towers, church towers, trees, ponds, hills, and old
buildings are all landmarks.

SACRED PLACES:
Places of worship and special landmarks, such as a commemorative marker or the site
of an especially memorable event.

GATHERING PLACES:
These are buildings, restaurants, parks, and other places where people congregate.
These gathering places provide residents with the opportunity to interact and feel that
they are part of the community.

Handout 3A

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VARIATIONS OF THE BA SIC GRIDDING PROCE SS

NAME USE THIS VARIATION IF YOU… POSSIBLE DRAWBACKS… NOTES FOR THE FACILITATOR

Mind Want to get people “warmed Not grounded in real space. Additional time required:
mapping up” for gridding. 30 min
Can be somewhat redundant
Want to bring out people’s with the gridding activity if Expand Step 1 to include
views and feelings about people’s mind maps are the steps included in the
community. focused on “real space.” Adaptation for Mind Mapping
section.
Want to engage people in an
activity that is more creative
and open than the basic
gridding activity.

The story Have more time. Takes more time. Additional time required:
grid several weeks to gather and
Really want to understand Need to provide training and document the stories.
the special meaning behind technical assistance on
community places. soliciting the stories from Once Step 4 is completed and
people. you have a single grid that
Want to use gridding as represents the space of the
part of a social studies or community, look at the grid
language arts class. to identify the landmarks, gath-
ering places, sacred spaces,
Want to involve more people and so forth that have stories
in the development of the behind them. Develop a list of
picture of the space of the how to get stories about each
community. space from community
archives, old newspapers, or
Want to gather more stories interviews.
and insights from events that
have been gridded. Have a short session to prac-
tice interviewing people and
documenting their stories.

The grid Really want the history wall Gathering historical data about Additional time required: sev-
through (past) and vision (future) to geography is complex and eral weeks to gather and docu-
time be connected to the grid. time consuming. ment data to show changes in
the community’s space.
Want to highlight changes in Need to have access to and
Once Step 4 is completed and
where people live, land use, assistance in interpreting old
you have a single grid that rep-
transportation, and so forth. maps and access to people resents the space of the com-
who are familiar with the munity, brainstorm a list of
Want to use gridding as part geography through time. resources for acquiring histori-
of a history or geography cal information.
class.
Finish the process by making a
list or report of the trends that
you have found (e.g., more
roads, loss of farm land, more
gathering places) so that you
can share your results. Think
about using this information to
set the context for the vision day
(For an activity to help you plan
for and lead a vision day, see
The Innovation Center’s Building
Community tool kit in the
“Activities, Tool Kits & Reports”
section of our website,
www.theinnovationcenter.org).
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NAME USE THIS VARIATION IF YOU… POSSIBLE DRAWBACKS… NOTES FOR THE FACILITATOR

Gridding Have access to geographic Need to have access to GIS Additional time required:
with information system (GIS) images of your area. several months to get the
technology technology. technology set up and teach
Can be hard for people who people how to use it.
Want a totally accurate can’t use the technology to
picture of the community. get involved.

Want to be able to correlate Likely requires the use of a

your grid with other demo- resource person and computer
graphic data. equipment.

“Layered” Want to highlight differences Need to get demographic data Additional time required: from
gridding in perspective (such as in and other information ahead 1 to several hours, depending
(manual youth-adult gridding. of time. on level of detail.
GIS)
Want to have varying levels of Can be difficult for people who In Step 3, give each group
data that you can combine or don’t feel comfortable with a transparency showing an
separate. reading maps. image of the community.
Ask that each group map the
Have access to an overhead boundaries, landmarks, and
projector. other elements on separate
overlaying transparencies,
using a different color of
marker for each element.

In Step 4, use an overhead

projector to the compare
groups’ work and ask
additional questions to
prompt reflections about
more detailed similarities
and differences.

Seasonal Want to explore how different Takes longer. Additional time required: from
gridding seasons affect people’s 1 to several hours, depending
relation to their space. on level of detail.

Are doing work in a commu- In Step 3, give each group

nity where there are major four transparency sheets (or
seasonal changes. a number appropriate to your
community’s seasons) with
an image of the community
on it. Ask that each group
map on each transparency
(1) the boundaries, land-
marks, and other elements
that don’t change, then
(2) the gathering places,
pathways, and other features
that change seasonally.

In Step 4, use an overhead

projector to compare the
groups’ work and ask
additional questions that
prompt reflection about more
detailed similarities and
differences and implications
for the work.
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NAME USE THIS VARIATION IF YOU… POSSIBLE DRAWBACKS… NOTES FOR THE FACILITATOR

Youth- Highlight the unique perspec- Takes more time. Additional time required:
adult tive that age brings to how we about 1 hour.
gridding view place.
In Step 3, instead of breaking
Have access to an overhead up into three or four teams,
projector. break up into two teams –
young people in one and
adults in the other.

In Step 4, ask questions that

prompt reflection on the
similarities and differences in
grids by young people and
adults.

Issue- Want to see how a certain Takes more time. First you need to get
specific issue plays out in space in the confirmation of the issue from
gridding community (e.g., child care or the group.
technology).
All the other steps would be
the same, but focused on one
issue only.

Gridding Want to create a product that Takes more time and Additional time required:
with can be displayed. resources for equipment and several weeks to shoot
photos film development. photos and create the final
Want to incorporate the grid- project.
ding activity with an art or
photography class or project. Once Step 4 is completed and
you have a single grid that
represents the space of the
community, make assignments
for photographing key
elements of the community’s
space (e.g., you might assign
a team of photographers to
each subsection).

Once the final product is

created, have a celebration
to share it (maybe in conjunc-
tion with a vision day).
Use the celebration to ask
some additional questions
that prompt reflection. For an
activity to help you plan for
and lead a vision day, see the
Innovation Center’s Building
Community tool kit in the
“Activities, Tool Kits & Reports”
section of our website,
www.theinnovationcenter.org).

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ADAPTATION FOR MIND MAPPING

OVERVIEW
This experiential activity is designed to give participants an understanding of the percep-
tions of their personal community and the importance and roles of different elements of
community in their work.

OBJECTIVES
■ To share participants’ personal pictures of the community
■ To identify common elements and roles of community in participants’ pictures
■ To identify ways in which connections between youth and adults can have a positive
impact on the community
■ To target specific sectors of the community for the work

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 1.5 hours

SUPPLIES
You will need a flip chart and enough legal-size paper and markers for every participant.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min Welcome, session overview, and objectives Flip chart with session
Introducing overview
the activity

Step 2: 10 min Set the stage by asking for examples of communities; Legal-size paper and
Mind explain that a mind map is a visual way to identify markers for each
mapping thoughts, feelings, concepts, and “other” things participant
related to community.
Flip chart
Say to the group, “When you think of your community,
what’s the first word that comes to mind? When
you think of the community, you might think of
things like your family, places you go, and things
that are special to you. Draw a picture that captures
all of these things in your mind. You’ll have about
10 minutes to draw, and we’ll be sharing our maps.”

Participants then draw a mind map representing the

“close-in” or personal communities to which they
belong. See our Sample Mind Map.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 3: 10 min Process the experience. Ask the following questions: Flip chart
Sharing ■ What pictures jump out?
■ What words do you remember? Markers
■ What feelings did you see expressed in the
maps?
■ What did it feel like for you when you made your
map?
■ Where there any surprises?
■ What common themes were expressed among
the maps?
■ What differences emerged?
■ What was left out of our collective maps, if any-
thing?
■ Based on our discussion, what insights do we
have as a group about the community?
■ Reflect on the maps and our commitment to
strengthening the community. What are some
things we should keep in mind as we move for-
ward?
■ What is the importance of understanding the
community of our young people?
■ How can we value the community of our young
people in our work?
■ What parts of the community must we be sure to
work into our plans as we move forward?

Use a flip chart to record answers for the final four

questions to use in the next stages of your planning
process.
Step 4: 5 min Ask how participants can apply what they learned in
Reflecting this exercise to their own work. Have them write a
at a “note to themselves” – one thing they would like to
personal remember from the exercise and one thing they
level would like to do because of the exercise.

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SAMPLE MIND MAP

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TIPS: GRIDDING YOUTH-ADULT PARTNERSHIPS

The gridding process presents special opportunities for young people and adults to work
together to create a complete picture of their community. Because youth and adults see
their community in different ways, both have different ideas to add to the grid. For
example, many adults use the government center in a community and would probably
include it on their grid. Youth are more likely to place items like a local teen hangout on
their grid. To get the best picture possible, it’s important to include both. What are
some other reasons we should involve youth and adults in this process?

GENERAL TIPS
■ Make it public – quickly! Get that grid or the information you discovered out there as
soon as it’s done.
■ Grid for a purpose. Have the grid be a team-building activity or part of a strategy for
recruiting people to a meeting.
■ Think about the different models you might use before you start (see Variations on
the Basic Gridding Process).
■ Involve as many community members as possible.

NOTES FROM THE FIELD

Grids from Washtucna, Washington

Washtucna, a small town in eastern Washington, created a grid for the community.
Below, you can see the process this town used. Since creating the grid, Washtucna has
used it to ensure that community work includes residents from all sections of the grid.

First, the grid’s creators got hold of a blank town map from the local department of
transportation (not pictured). They decided to grid the central area of their community.

Then the group took the image

it had created on top of the
map and simplified it, remov-
ing lines, markings, etc., and
highlighted just the pattern
and colors of the sections. The
group now has an image that’s
clean and neat and can be
shared. Group members can
look at the different sections as
a way to organize their work.

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Part 2: Sharing Your

Community’s Story
We’re willing to bet that you find the processes of creating a history wall and gridding to
be powerful ones. We’re also willing to bet that the stories of your community that you
discover through these processes are powerful – so powerful that you’ll want to share
them with the rest of the community and give others the opportunity to connect with the
power of their place. Digital storytelling is a great way to do that while engaging with
modern technology. At all stages of the production process, youth and adults can con-
tribute their gifts to the project of transforming their community’s story into an engag-
ing video. For example, group members may script, act, interview, design sets or cos-
tumes, film, or work in the production room as editors or producers. And the stories told
in video format need not be limited to histories. You can create a video to document an
event, raise awareness about an issue, or inform the community about your group’s
work; the possibilities are limitless.

KLCC II SITE S AND DIGITAL STORYTELLING

All KLCC sites were trained in the art of digital storytelling. While creating their videos,
the youth fellows and adult volunteers discovered not just the voice and potential of their
community but their personal voice and potential as well. Each video tells a unique story
– a combination of community and individual, of present and past. Use these videos as
models and inspiration for your own digital storytelling efforts.

To access the videos, click on the links below or visit www.theinnovationcenter.org

and browse by resoource in our “Activities, Tool Kits and Reports” section. The videos
are grouped under “Tool Kits and Resources.”

DIGITAL STORYTELLING RE SOURCE S: LL ANO GRANDE CENTER

FOR RE SEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
In the early 1990s in southern Texas, the Llano Grande Center for Research and
Development began its work by helping local area high school students realize their
dreams of attending college. Today, the program has grown to include classroom and
community-based projects to transform students into community-minded leaders.
Although there’s much to be learned from the work at Llano Grande, this section of the
tool kit draws attention to this group’s impressive video storytelling efforts. If digital
storytelling seems interesting and you want to learn more about it, check out Llano
Grande’s work and its detailed tutorial on how to begin a digital storytelling project.

http://captura.llanogrande.org/introduction.html

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Creative Ways to
Come Together
Groups come together in many different ways and on many different
levels. The most effective means of coming together occurs in and creates
a space that fosters honesty and learning.

The Lummi Cedar Project is working to come together in this kind of

space by incorporating peace-making circles into their group’s regular
practice. Talking circles originated in the Native American tradition, but
the Lummi Cedar Project did not use this method of coming together to
address specific issues until group members attended a 3-day Peacemaking
Circles Workshop, conducted by a member of the KLCC II Roca family.
At the workshop, members of the Lummi Cedar Project were trained as
circle keepers and discussed ways of revamping the
traditional view of circles to apply them to specific issues confronting the
modern-day Lummi Nation community. Incorporating peacemaking
circles into work on social justice emerged as a consistent theme of
discussion, and the Cedar Project and others have since made a
commitment to use peacemaking circles as a way to deal with conflicts
and criminal situations within their community’s justice system.

Perhaps your group, like the Lummi Cedar Project, will find the circles
process productive for coming together as a community, but circles are
just one of many ways of gathering. The tools in this section all speak to
different ways to come together in a safe space. You may choose to use
only one, all, or any combination of resources – whatever best fits your
group’s needs.

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Part 1: The Gift of Gracious Space

When your group meets, you will come together in a physical space, be it a meeting hall,
classroom, or even your own living room. In that physical space, your group will create a
figurative space – the atmosphere and environment that pervade your meetings. The
creation of this figurative space is inevitable; it arises as a byproduct of the ways in
which your group members interact. For your group to achieve effective community
change, the space you create – both literal and figurative – must foster healthy, strong
relationships. We’ve found that establishing Gracious Space is one of the best ways to
do this.

The Center for Ethical Leadership (www.ethicalleadership.org) developed the notion of

Gracious Space. Gracious Space is safe and comfortable for your members; it promotes
healthy discussion, debate, and friendships. Most important, Gracious Space invites all
members to share freely and work together, despite differences in age, class, gender,
race, or ethnicity. What you need to remember in establishing Gracious Space is that no
one can impose any single definition of Gracious Space on your group; it should arise
organically out of the needs and understandings of your members and their community.
The next two activities will help you talk about Gracious Space with your group, then
make Gracious Space a reality.

ACTIVITY: DEFINING GRACIOUS SPACE

A safe space is a crucial aspect of creating an atmosphere that fosters relationship build-
ing. Working to define Gracious Space with group members is a great way to involve
them in that process while creating a shared vision for your group.

OVERVIEW
This exercise opens up space, literally and figuratively, in a group and creates a shared
definition of Gracious Space as well as a safe place for group members. This activity
invites group members to engage in a discussion about the definition of Gracious Space.
It is helpful at the beginning of an extended training or community-building project.

OBJECTIVES
■ To build a safe, supportive space within your group
■ To create a group definition of Gracious Space
■ To help group members understand how to intentionally address each element of the
definition of Gracious Space

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 25 minutes

SUPPLIES
You will need a flip chart and markers for this activity.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min Tell the group, “Our task today is to create the cul-
Setting the ture that will support our gathering.”
context
“Right now, on your own, think of a time when
you’ve experienced Gracious Space, whatever this
means to you. What was the setting? What did you
experience?”

Step 2: 5–10 min Ask that group members pair up with someone they Flip chart
Pairing up don’t yet know well. Instruct the pairs to share their
stories of Gracious Space with each other for the Markers
next 5 minutes.

While the pairs are talking, write the definition of

Gracious Space on the flip chart: Gracious Space is
a spirit and setting where we invite the stranger and
learn in public.

Step 3: 10 min Ask the pairs to come together again as a large Flip chart
Discussing group. Ask the group, “Without retelling your
as a group stories, who would like to share some of the Markers
characteristics of the Gracious Space you and your
partner talked about?”

As participants share their characteristics, record

them on the flip chart. Then, share the definition of
Gracious Space that you wrote on the flip chart while
the group was paired off.

Read the definition aloud and emphasize each ele-

ment. (More detailed descriptions of the four ele-
ments appear after this activity). If you have time,
discuss some of the questions with your group.

Step 4: 5 min Ask the group, “Can we create this Gracious Space Flip chart
Reflecting we defined here and now for our gathering? How?”
Make notes of their suggestions on the flip chart. Markers

Then, share the poem “Oh the Joy”:

Oh the joy-
the inexpressible comfort
of feeling safe with a person
having neither to measure words
nor weigh thoughts
Pouring them all out just as they are,
chaff and grain together
Certain that a loving hand will sift through,
keep what is worth keeping,
and with a breath of kindness –
blow the rest away.
–Dinah Craik, adapted from an Arabian proverb

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ELEMENTS OF GRACIOUS SPACE

Spirit
What do you do to prepare for a difficult conversation or an uncomfortable new situation?
(Share an example.) For example, when I know I’ll be entering a discussion with a difficult
person, a conversation starts in my head. Why do I have to keep dealing with this
person? Why does he make things so hard? An alternative way of preparing for this
meeting is to bring a positive intention into the conversation. In my head I tell myself,
the other person means well. I tell myself, look for his gifts that might help the situation.
The spirit you bring into any situation can have a big impact.

Spirit is also about the energy we create together as a group. Do we want our solution to
be adopted or do we want to understand one another? Gracious Space seeks to create a
spirit where people develop their ideas together.

Setting
The external setting matters. Look around the room we are gathered in. What about this
setting supports the kind of interaction we want? (Listen to four or five examples.) When
working on the setting, it’s important to ask this question: How can the setting support
the type of interaction we want? This requires us to look at three elements:
■ Physical space – Do we want to be in a retreat setting away from distractions?
How important is natural lighting and air?
■ Time – How much time will we allocate? Is the time sufficient to have the depth of
conversation we intend?
■ Format – Do we want to sit in a large circle to be able to face one another and share
stories? Do we want to be at round tables to support small-group discussion?

Welcome the Stranger

We want to welcome difference in background, experience, perspective, etc. We need to
ask ourselves, who else in our community needs to be included in this work?

Learn in Public
How will you open up to learning? What do you need to let go of – for example, certainty,
expertise, solutions – to open up? How will you create space for the ideas, wisdom, and
expertise of others to show up?

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ACTIVITY: REALIZING GRACIOUS SPACE

Defining Gracious Space and exploring its different elements is crucial to incorporating
Gracious Space into your group’s interactions. However, to be able to create true
Gracious Space within your group, members must evaluate the ways in which gifts of
Gracious Space are already in play within the group’s dynamics.

OVERVIEW
This activity is designed to be used in tandem with the previous activity, Defining
Gracious Space. It identifies the gifts of Gracious Space that already exist within your
group.

OBJECTIVES
■ To help participants identify the aspects of Gracious Space they already do well, and
those they would like to work on
■ To make participants accountable for bringing their gifts of Gracious Space to the
group
■ To identify aspects of Gracious Space on which your group can improve

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 30 minutes

SUPPLIES
For this activity, you’ll need copies of Handout 4A for all participants.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 3 min Say to the group, “We just defined the four elements Handout 4A
Setting the of Gracious Space and what we mean by Gracious
context Space for our gathering. Now we want to identify
some of the gifts we bring to this gathering.”

Pass out Handout 4A. Tell the group, “This list of

characteristics was generated from the responses of
those who participated in past Gracious Space semi-
nars. It contains words used by different people to
describe what helps them create Gracious Space.”

Step 2: 10 min When everyone has a copy of the handout, ask Flip chart
Identifying group members to look over the list on their own.
individual Markers
strengths Then ask them to “circle all those items you feel
comfortable and competent with. How do you
already bring Gracious Space to your leadership and
interactions with others and yourself? Put a star
next to the items that are difficult for you. These are
the areas you may want to work on to bring
Gracious Space more fully into your life.”

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 2: 3 min Next say, “Now underline a few of the characteristics

Identifying that you believe you need to receive from others in
individual order to be your best.” Give a personal example,
strengths such as: “For example, I need to talk with others to
(cont.) think through some of my ideas. When I first have a
thought, it’s often half-baked; I may not even be sure
if I believe it yet myself. What I need from others is
for them to be patient and listen to my idea without
being judgmental or defensive. I need them to ask
questions to help me finish ‘baking’ my thought.”

Step 3: 10 min Ask that group members find a partner and share a
Pairing up few highlights from their assessments. Tell them to
“identify one or two items from the list of things you
do well and make a commitment to bring those into
the room today. Identify one that you want to work
on and share that with your partner.”

Step 4: 5 min Tell the group, “Let’s bring back your insights to the
Bringing it full group. I want to invite you to be accountable to
back to the yourself for bringing one or two of the aspects of
whole Gracious Space you’re good at into work or family –
wherever Gracious Space is needed. This is an
opportunity for you to name one aspect you promise
to bring into the room today to help build Gracious
Space for this group.”

Step 5: 5 min Close with a few comments about the activity: “We
Reflecting have many strengths and gifts in this group. Thank
you for sharing them. As we experience the rest of
our time together, I also want to invite you to work
on the items you identified as difficult. Focus on
those, and seek opportunities to experiment with
them. This will enable you to expand your Gracious
Space repertoire. You might want to commit to
work on one of these for a month and see what
happens. Thank you for your time. Are there any
final questions?”

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HANDOUT 4A: GRACIOUS SPACE SELF-A SSE SSMENT

Gracious Space is a spirit and setting where we invite the stranger and learn in public.

Below is a list of values and behaviors that are helpful when creating Gracious Space.
Circle those you feel competent with. Star those that represent a development opportu-
nity. Discuss with others your strengths and development opportunities with respect to
creating Gracious Space.

■ Establishing norms ■ Listening deeply

■ Interjecting humor or fun ■ Being willing to be influenced
■ Affirming others ■ Being comfortable receiving lots of ques-
■ Being open to feedback tions
■ Accepting of different perspectives and ■ Being comfortable not knowing
ideas ■ Being able to detach from outcomes
■ Innovating approaches ■ Being collaborative
■ Being present ■ Being able to stop, reassess, and redirect
■ Being aware of my impact on others ■ Being curious about differences
■ Assuming others’ best intentions ■ Being open to different and conflicting views
■ Being intentional ■ Welcoming others not in my comfort zone
■ Being reliable ■ Being compassionate
■ Trusting others ■ Empowering others
■ Being trustworthy ■ Being authentic
■ Willing to change my mind ■ Feeling comfortable with community
■ Willing to slow down wisdom
■ Reflecting on assumptions ■ Building community
■ Actively seeking others’ opinions ■ Bridging boundaries
■ Being curious ■ Extending respect to everyone
■ Asking open-ended questions ■ Sharing power

■ Discerning patterns emerging from a ■ Seeing everyone as gifted and capable
group discussion ■ Holding off on judgment
■ Learning and sharing rather than just ■ Steering conflict toward positive, creative
advocating results

Handout 4A

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TIP: HOW TO CREATE GRACIOUS SPACE IN WHICH

YOUTH AND ADULTS ARE VALUED
If the majority of the people on your organizing team are adults, it’s important that you
work with them first to create a safe space in which to invite young people. It can be
difficult for anyone to enter an unknown space, but it can be even harder for a young
person. The activity What were You Like at 15 Years Old? from Section 2 can be
helpful here. The reference to an activity that’s useful in several situations is a reminder
that the components of this tool kit are not intended to be a rigid curriculum – they’re
tools you can use however you see fit.

Have participants think about what they wore, who their friends were, what they liked to
do for fun, how they were involved in their schools and communities, and their experiences
with partnerships with adults when they were 15. These questions can begin the
discussion (either as a large group or in pairs) about what it means to be a young person
and how to best create partnerships based on equal voice. If you have young people
participating in this conversation, all the better. It will help them to understand that
adults were also young once and that the adults are excited to be working with youth.
This exercise can greatly enhance Gracious Space within your group. Try out the other
activities to continue to develop relationships with youth and adults and to understand
the challenges and opportunities of sharing together.

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ACTIVITY: CIRCLE S A S A WAY TO CREATE GRACIOUS SPACE

Circles are an alternative process of communication, a way of being and a form of
gathering that creates individual and collective empowerment through trust, good
will, generosity, and reciprocity. In short, circles create and function in the context
of Gracious Space. Circles derive from traditional discussion and healing practices of
the first nations in Canada and the southwestern United States. They achieve their
effectiveness through a gentle invitation to participants to change their relationship with
themselves, their community, and the wider universe. Roca, in Chelsea, Massachusetts,
brought circles to the KLCC II community. Since then, all of the other sites have widely
used and appreciated the process.

The space circles create is sacred. It is a space in which participants intentionally

lift barriers between themselves and thus open fresh possibilities for connection,
collaboration, and mutual understanding. Circles create this sacred space via a process
that includes introductions, building trust, discussing issues, and determining solutions.

This process brings people together in ways that allow them to see one another as
human beings and to talk about what matters; healing, relationship building, and
community building are inevitable outcomes. Roca had a lot of success using circles
as a mediation tool, but you can adapt the circles process to serve your community’s
unique needs; one of the beauties of circles is that they can serve so many purposes.

Although it is common for communities to tailor circles to their own needs, all circles
share essential features that ground their theory of communication:
■ Everyone in the circle is equal and has equal opportunity to speak.
■ Decisions are made by consensus.
■ Everyone agrees to abide by the guidelines established by the group and based on
shared values.

UNDERSTANDING CIRCLE S
Circles can be an abstract and difficult concept if you’ve never worked with them before.
Here’s some information we hope will give you a better understanding of circles – their
values and principles, structures, and types.

Values and Principles

Although each circle develops its own values and principles, all circles generally…
■ Are designed by those who use them;
■ Are guided by a shared vision;
■ Call participants to act on their personal values;
■ Include all interests and are accessible to all;
■ Offer everyone an equal and voluntary opportunity to participate;
■ Take a holistic approach to wellbeing that accounts for the emotional, mental,
physical, and spiritual;

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■ Maintain respect for all;

■ Encourage exploring instead of conquering differences; and
■ Invite accountability to others and to the process.

Structures
The structure of circles provides gentle, highly effective support to groups that seek to
stay on course with the values and principles they have established for their circle. Key
structures that define circles are…
■ The meeting space. This is a circle’s most visible structure. Participants sit in
a circle, the center of which may contain symbolic objects that help remind
participants of shared values or may relate to the purpose of that particular circle.
It is sometimes helpful to include such objects as a focal point; however, it’s not
necessary. You may choose to keep the center empty.
■ A talking piece, used as a way to ensure respect between speakers and listeners.
Participants pass the talking piece from person to person within the circle; only
the person holding the piece may speak.
■ A “keeper” of the circle who guides the participants and creates and holds the
circle as a unique and safe space. Keepers are qualified to lead a circle if they
have experienced circles themselves or they have undergone training in the
process. Keepers will often self-identify; they also may be recruited by those
who will be involved in the circle.
■ Ceremony and ritual to create safety and form.
■ Consensus decision-making. This style of decision-making honors the values and
principles of circles and helps participants to stay grounded in these principles. All
needs are heard, and the group commits to addressing these needs in some man-
ner.

Types of Circles
There are many different types of circles. Each type of circle serves a different purpose.
■ Support circles provide emotional or spiritual support to individuals.
■ Talking circles create an open dialogue about specific topics.
■ Criminal justice circles work in partnership with the criminal justice system and
the community to address the harms caused by offenders and determine
reparations to victims or communities.
■ Sentencing circles may be in partnership with the criminal justice system and
the community to determine individuals’ punishments for wrongdoing.
■ Reentry circles work in partnership with the criminal justice system and the
community to support the reentry of an offender into the community.
■ School-based circles may be used by teachers as a specific teaching style, or to
address the climate in the classroom.
■ Domestic violence circles address harm caused in the home.
■ Peacemaking circles build relationships and promote peace within a community.
■ Healing circles heal bonds that have been broken or create new bonds between
individuals.

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OVERVIEW
This activity guides you through the five phases of circles: grounding, deepening, exploring
options, building consensus or a sense of unity, and closing. The circle process can serve
as a way to overcome issues or disagreements, or it can serve simply to bring group
members together in a safe space. We’ve left the directions fairly vague so that you can
adapt them to fit the purpose of your circle.

OBJECTIVES
■ To build trust among your group members
■ To come to collective understandings on pressing issues
■ If you’ve chosen to facilitate a specific type of circle (e.g., peacemaking), your group
will have identified another, more particular objective

TIME REQUIRED
Circles can take as much time as you need or have to offer. Depending on the size of
your group and the issue your circle addresses, count on at least 45 minutes. We
recommend that you plan for extra time, because the discussion, depending on its
complexity and depth, may very well continue far past your allotted time.

Circles also require a fair amount of preparation time. Before the circle, you need to
determine its goal. Talk with group members about their issues, concerns, and needs.
You then need to identify who specifically (if not your entire group) needs to be present
to discuss the identified issue. Another aspect of preparation is logistical coordination;
you need to gather the materials, organize a time and place, and arrange for refreshments.

SUPPLIES
Circles require few props (a “talking piece,” a center piece – one or more objects placed in
the center to symbolically hold present your group’s shared values and purpose, and pos-
sibly a flip chart and markers to record your guidelines). You’ll also need a flip chart,
markers, and materials for the opening and closing ceremonies. .

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 3 min Welcome your group to the circle. Begin the circle Flip chart
Setting the by sharing some general information about circles.
context Say, “Circles are an alternative form of communica- Markers
tion that derive from traditional Native American
healing practices. Circles create a sacred space;
you should feel comfortable to share your thoughts
and opinions freely. There are very few real rules for
circles – only those we create ourselves. There are,
however, a couple of things that are very important
to remember. Only one person may speak at a time,
and that person is the person holding the talking
piece. The other thing to remember is that we all
listen to and respect whoever is talking.”

In explaining circles to your group, feel free to

include any information from the Understanding
Circles guide that you feel is helpful.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: Clearly state for your group the goal of your circle.
Setting the Write it for all to see on a flip chart. You may want
context to ask participants if they have any other goals for
(cont.) the circle, but this step isn’t always necessary
because identifying a goal is part of preparation for
circle.

Before you begin the next step, be sure to acknowl-

edge the volunteers who have helped make the circle
happen.

Step 2: 5 min. Formally begin your circle with an opening ceremo-

Grounding ny. The specifics of the opening ceremony will
– opening differ for each group, but many opening ceremonies
ceremony include meditative music, the reading of a poem, or
the singing of a song. Burning sage or incense is
another common feature of opening ceremonies.
(Usually, groups put the sage or incense in the
center of the circle or pass it from participant to
participant, using a feather to swirl the smoke
and allowing participants to symbolically cleanse
themselves of negative energies and prepare for
sharing deeper emotions.)

Whatever you choose, keep in mind that the goal of

the opening ceremony is to ease the transition from
the outer world into the reflective circle space.

Step 3: 10 min Give the taking piece to a participant to begin the Flip chart
Grounding – first round of sharing. Pass the talking piece around
introduc- the circle. When it is their turn to share, have Markers
tions and participants introduce themselves by name and
guidelines explain how they feel, why they came to circle,
and what they hope to achieve in circle.

If this is a new group, have participants develop

guidelines for how they want to be while in circle
(e.g., respect all opinions, confidentiality, etc.).
Using the taking piece, ask for suggestions from the
group. Record the suggestions on flip chart paper
for all to read. If the circle is ongoing, review the
guidelines you’ve already established and invite the
group to add any additional guidelines if necessary.

Take a complete round of the circle to indicate that

each person supports the guidelines.

Remember, the guidelines are a “living document”

and can be revised at any time.

Step 4: Will vary Storytelling is a powerful way to move beyond

Grounding for each masks and appearances and to develop a better
– story- group understanding of one another. If the purpose of the
telling circle involves a difficult issue, it may be useful to
round have a storytelling round. Invite participants to
share a personal experience related to the issue
(perhaps in an indirect way).

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 4: Be sure to acknowledge everyone present in the cir-

Grounding cle. It takes courage and commitment to participate
– story- in a circle, and especially to share personal stories.
telling
round After everyone has shared a story, summarize what
(cont.) you’ve all just experienced in phase one and restate
the purpose of your circle. Use this time to further
set the tone of the circle and to refine its purpose.

Step 5: Will vary Next, you may move the circle into a deepening
Deepening for each round of dialogue. This round gets to the heart of
group why you called the circle. You can do this by asking
participants for an expression of needs and interests
(in the case of a conflict circle) or to share memo-
ries and grief (in the case of a healing circle).
If small-group activities or paired sharing feels
appropriate for your circle, it can be used here,
but always come back to sharing in the full circle.

Step 6: Will vary This next round of the circle expands its focus from
Promoting for each what’s gone wrong or what’s hurting to what can be
healing group done to make things right and promote positive
and change. You can do this in different ways, depend-
exploring ing on the tone your circle has taken. In many
options circles, especially those focused on healing, listening
may be what’s most needed. Passing the talking
piece from person to person gives participants a
chance to tell their story and have it received
deeply. In other circles, you may want to focus on
discussions that explore options, to break through
the sensation that participants are stuck in a painful
experience or self-destructive way of life.

Step 7: Will vary Some circles, such as those involved in healing or

Building for each understanding, don’t require decision-making, but
consensus group many circles do require decision-making and conflict
or a sense resolution. If your circle requires decision-making,
of unity you’ll need to build consensus by building on each
circle participant’s input. The challenge is to weave
the contributions of each participant together into a
decision or solution all can agree upon.

If your group needs to reach a consensus, tell them,

“Consensus is an agreement among all of us that
we’re all going to ‘live with the outcome’ – we’re
going to accept a decision or course of action
because it promises the best for everyone given the
circumstances. To do this, we’re all going to need to
be patient, creative, candid about our interests and
concerns, and willing to think outside the box.
We’re going to have to set aside our personal agen-
das and fixed notions about outcomes so that some-
thing larger than any one person’s preconceived
ideas can emerge. We’re going to need dialogue,
listening, and honesty.”

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 7: Through dialogue, help participants identify areas of

Building disagreement and give them serious consideration.
consensus Use this fuller awareness of differences to work
or a sense toward final decisions that are inclusive, and thus
of unity stronger.
(cont.)
Don’t be alarmed if reaching a decision by consen-
sus takes a long time. In fact, decision-making by
consensus often takes much longer than other deci-
sion-making methods, such as voting. You can test
whether you’ve achieved consensus by using the
Consensus Level System. Go around the circle and
ask each participant to state his or her level of con-
sensus. Do this until your group reaches a full con-
sensus.

Step 8: 10 min All circles end with a closing ceremony. Much like Closing ceremony
Closing the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony facili- materials
tates transition. This time, however, the transition
is from the reflective circle back to the outer world.
Design your closing ceremony to help participants
feel centered and a sense of closure. Many closing
ceremonies include a poem, song, or meditative
music. Consider asking one of the participants
(in advance) to offer the closing.

Step 9: Will vary Even though this step technically takes place well
Follow-up for each after the circle has dispersed, follow-up is one of the
group most important stages in the circle process. If you
reached an agreement in your circle, make sure
people are held accountable to the agreement. If
you shared emotions, follow up with individuals to
see how they’re doing and make sure they’re getting
the support they need.

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CONSENSUS LEVEL SYSTEM

The consensus level system involves six levels of consensus, with 1 being the strongest
level of agreement and 6 being an absence of any sense of unity. Consensus is achieved
when each participant chooses a consensus level of 4 or lower. If any member chooses a
level 5 or 6, you have not achieved consensus. Be sure to address issues that are raised
by participants who are at levels 4 and higher. If you cannot address these concerns
immediately, create a process for addressing these concerns – perhaps a future circle.

Consensus Levels
1. I can say an unqualified “yes” to the proposed decision. I am satisfied that the
decision is an expression of the wisdom of the group.
2. I find the proposed decision perfectly acceptable.
3. I can live with the proposed decision; I’m not especially enthusiastic about it.
4. I do not fully agree with the decision and need to register my view about why.
However, I do not choose to block the decision. I am willing to support the decision
because I trust the wisdom of the group. (Group finds a way to address remaining
issues.)
5. I do not agree with the proposed decision and feel the need to stand in the way of this
decision being accepted. (Group finds a way to address remaining issues.)
6. I feel that we have no clear sense of unity in the group. We need to do more work
before consensus can be reached. (Group finds a way to address remaining issues.)

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TIPS ON KEEPING CIRCLE

Setting the Tone
You’ll want to create a safe and welcoming atmosphere for those who participate in a circle.
■ Greet everyone warmly.
■ In rounds that involve expressing deeper feelings, you may want to go first to
show that it’s safe to be vulnerable. In rounds that involve expressing views or
opinions, you may want to speak last to lend balance at the end by expressing
respect for all sides.
■ Strive to convey an atmosphere that’s open, calm, unhurried, reflective, respectful
of differing views, and appreciative of each person’s efforts.

Building Trust, Creating a Safe Place

■ Create strong openings and closings;
■ Use the talking piece;
■ Speak from the heart;
■ Speak with respect;
■ Listen with respect;
■ Remain in the circle;
■ Emphasize that all participants are equal;
■ Emphasize confidentiality;
■ Establish guidelines;
■ Create a shared set of core values for guiding the community’s circle work;
■ Practice acceptance;
■ Use a consensus approach;
■ Use ceremony and ritual;
■ Practice honesty; and
■ Practice humility.

Balancing Interests and Perspectives

■ During circle preparation, try to ensure that all interests will be represented.
■ During the circle gathering itself, make sure the dialogue is balanced.

Protecting the Integrity of the Process

At times, circles will have explosive or emotionally draining conversations. Before,
during, and after these intense moments, you can take various measures to maintain
the circle’s integrity.
■ Be clear about the circle’s values and guidelines;
■ Model appropriate conduct;
■ When needed, offer gentle reminders of values and guidelines;
■ When appropriate, use humor;
■ Speak privately with individuals during breaks, as appropriate; and
■ Trust the circle to work through difficult situations.

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Regulating the Pace of the Circle

■ If the participant holding the talking piece speaks at length and it appears that
others are growing uneasy, you can intervene gently and ask that the piece be
passed.
■ Use breaks to help regulate the pace and to manage someone who is speaking
at length.

Maintaining Focus
■ For the circle rounds, create questions that will help keep the focus;
■ Take a holistic approach to the questions; and
■ Be flexible – let the circle move where it needs to go.

Participating as Yourself
■ Although you are heading the circle, you are also a member of the group.
Use your position with great respect and care.
■ Do not try to maintain a detached, observer role;
■ Engage in the circle process just like everyone else, stating your perceptions,
expressing emotions, and sharing personal stories; and
■ Speak from your own voice.

Attending to Culture and Ethnic Concerns

The circle should reflect the community that it’s in. Language should be geared toward
the community. Know the culture(s) of your participants so that whatever you say or do
will be viewed as respectful. If you don’t know or aren’t sure, ask.

Using Ceremonies
Circle ceremonies move us to ways of being together that are different from what we
are doing or feeling before. The ceremonies use inclusive, non-denominational,
non-threatening rituals to help move people into the circle space and then out of it.
Ceremonies promote a sense of community, of pulling together around shared visions,
aims, and endeavors within the circle. Rituals need to be voluntary, and participants
need to understand how they relate to shared principles and values. Rituals may be
fun and relaxing, deeply moving, or used to help lighten things up.

Using a Talking Piece

The talking piece helps create a respectful dialogue; participants speak only when they’re
holding it. The talking piece will be passed around the circle. When it reaches a partici-
pant, that person has an opportunity to speak, hold the talking piece in silence, or pass it
on without comment. The talking piece creates the space for each person to contribute,
and silence can be as powerful as words.

The talking piece carries with it a responsibility to honor the shared values of the circle
and should be used in a respectful way. During a session, the talking piece always moves
in the same direction around the circle. In the circle, the talking piece helps to engage
everyone in taking responsibility for the success of the process. It removes dependence
on key people and spreads leadership among all participants in the circle.

Examples of talking pieces can be feathers, rocks or stones, or anything that has a
specific meaning for the community.

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ACTIVITY: WORLD CAFÉ

The World Café is a conversational process that brings participants together to discuss
the issues that really matter. Through casual yet meaningful conversations, participants
build relationships with one another and come to realize their collective interests and
futures. Organizing your own World Café is a creative way to get group members
together to discuss issues and share knowledge. Use tables and seating to create a
relaxing, café-style atmosphere in your meeting space. In lieu of tablecloths, use butcher
paper, and on each paper “tablecloth,” write a different question that you’re interested in
having your group explore.

Sit four or five people at each table and appoint one of them as the table’s host.
Allow 5 to 10 minutes for the participants at each table to discuss the question on their
tablecloth (and draw their responses and reflections on the tablecloth). At the end of
the allotted time, participants circulate to other tables while each table host remains
behind to greet the next group and facilitate its discussion. Repeat this process until all
participants have had a chance to visit four or five tables, thus answering and discussing
four or five different questions.

Reconvene the participants as a whole group and ask the table hosts to report some of
the responses they heard. This is the time for all the group members to reflect on what
they learned during the discussions.

For more information about planning your own World Café exercise, check out this
website: www.theworldcafe.com.

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Part 2: Coming Together to

Overcome Differences
Bridging differences is the essence of a youth-adult partnership. By definition, youth-
adult partnerships overcome a difference in age and perspective. However, you’ll
inevitably encounter more differences than just age within your group, and working to
surmount these issues can be a real challenge.

In our work with KLCC II, we discovered that many of the issues group members encoun-
tered at the different sites were ultimately rooted in problems or misunderstandings with
decision-making processes and power-sharing structures. Most of us can all recall a time
in which we were upset by the fact that a friend or colleague didn’t include others in a
decision-making process. To help youth-adult partnerships avoid such feelings of exclu-
sion, it’s useful to talk about decision-making and power-sharing processes with your
group. If your group is still developing, use these activities to set a solid foundation and
expectations for how you will make decisions and share power. If your group is already
established, use these activities to work past any disagreements you may encounter.

ACTIVITY: CHARTING DECISION-MAKING AND POWER SHARING

(Adapted from the Points of Light Foundation’s Young People as Decision Makers Youth
Outreach handout: “Mapping Youth for Youth Involvement”)

The decision-making process can be a means of exclusion or inclusion, yet it often goes
unexamined. Mapping the process not only prompts discussion about decision-making
but also leaves participants with a tangible product for their thoughts. You can map
decision-making for any organization in any of the sectors of community – your greater
community, a business, a non-profit, or even your own group.

OVERVIEW
This activity “maps” where people in the community participate in making decisions.

OBJECTIVES
■ To identify strengths in the community’s current system of engaging people in the
decision-making process
■ To identify opportunities for increased sharing of power

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 1 hour

SUPPLIES
You’ll need flip chart paper, markers, pens with three different colors of ink for each
participant, and copies of Handout 4B.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min Begin the activity with a short discussion about

Setting the decision-making. Say to the group, “Think about
context the process of making decisions. Is it easy or hard?
Why? Are there decisions about what goes on in this
community that you’re a part of? Are there decisions
that you are glad are made for you? Are there
decisions that others make that you think you or
others should be able to participate in making? Why?
What does decision-making have to do with power?”

“For the next 50 minutes, we’re going to explore

some of these ideas in greater depth, creating maps
of where decisions are made in this community, who
is making them, and what that means for our work
and the community as a whole.”

Step 2: 20 min Review the directions written on Handout 4B, asking Copies of Handout 4B
Mapping for examples as you go, and creating the beginning
of a sample map on a piece of flip chart paper that Flip chart paper
the whole group can see.
Markers
1. Think about the organizations and groups in the
community that make decisions that affect the Pens (three different
community. Include the organizations and ink colors for each
groups that you’re a part of and those that you’re participant)
not part of.
In the square below, draw a representation of
these groups and organizations. You can draw
them geographically, as they exist on a map, or
you can do a drawing that is a symbol for what
they represent to you.
2. Using a different ink color, list the groups of peo-
ple in each of those organizations who are
involved in making decisions.
3. With another ink color, make a star to indicate the
areas where opportunities exist to increase partici-
pating in decision making and sharing of power.

Step 3: 20 min If the group is small, offer each person a chance to

Sharing share his or her map with the group. If it’s large, split
into smaller groups with a facilitator in each group.

Step 4: 10 min Ask the following reflection questions: Flip chart

Reflecting ■ What images from the maps stand out to you?
■ Were there any surprises for you as people Markers
shared?
■ What similarities did you see in people’s maps?
■ What differences?
■ In general, who is making decisions that affect
the community?
■ Why is that the case?
■ Who is being left out of the decision-making
process? Why?
■ In what areas should more people be involved in
decision-making?
■ What are some strategies that we can use to
increase shared decision-making in the commu-
nity?
Appoint a volunteer to record the answers to the
final two questions on the flip chart. Use these
notes in your follow up discussions.

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Possible Adaptation of This Activity

■ Use it specifically to look at how young people, women, people of color, or any other
group is involved in decision-making and power sharing.
■ Use it in combination with resource mapping to examine how people who represent
different sectors of the community are involved in decision-making and power sharing
(see Mapping the Sectors of Involvement in Section 1).
■ Use it in combination with a strategic planning activity to identify the root causes of
some of the barriers that the community faces (try the Fishbone activity in Section 6).

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HANDOUT 4B: CHARTING DECISION-MAKING AND POWER SHARING

1. Think about the organizations and groups in the community that make decisions that
affect the community. Include the organizations and groups that you are a part of as
well as those that you are not part of. In the sphere below, draw a representation of
those groups and organizations.
2. With a different ink color, list the group of people in each of those organizations who
are involved in decision-making.
3. With another ink color, make a star to indicate the areas where opportunities exist to
increase participation in decision-making and sharing of power.

Handout 4B

(Adapted from the Points of Light Foundation’s Young People as Decision Makers Youth
Outreach handout: “Mapping Your Program for Youth Involvement”)

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ACTIVITY: E STABLISHING A DECISION-MAKING PROTOCOL

After you’ve discussed who makes decisions in your groups and how and why they make
them, it’s important to establish a decision-making protocol. If you discovered that your
group’s decision-making process was more exclusive than inclusive, this is one of many
ways to engage more members in the process. If your process was already fairly inclu-
sive, establishing group consensus on a decision-making protocol may streamline the
process for the future.

OVERVIEW
This activity is participatory and designed to develop recommendations for how a group
makes decisions.

OBJECTIVES
■ To become familiar with the types and nature of various decision-making methods
■ To make recommendations for the type of decision-making to be used by the group

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 1 hour

SUPPLIES
You’ll need copies of Handout 4C, a flip chart, and markers for this activity.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 10 min Say, “One of the most crucial tasks for a group is to Handout 4C
Setting the establish a decision-making protocol. Groups feel
context empowered when members understand how to
make decisions. Let’s look at some of the styles of
decision-making.”

Refer to Handout 4C. Tell the group that the style

and structures are not mutually exclusive; group
members can use elements of more than one. Have
the group quickly think of some of the advantages
and disadvantages of each.

Step 2: 30 min Say to the group, “For the next 30 minutes, you’re Flip chart paper
Being not going to be members of this group. Instead,
consultants you’re going to be consultants, applying what you Markers
for your know and feel about your group. The purpose of
group this step is to come up with a set of clear recom-
mendations for a decision-making protocol. Make
sure that you carefully weigh pros and cons.”

Tell the groups, “Refer to the handout. Record your

recommendations on flip chart paper. Select one
member of your team to report to the full group
about your recommendations.”

Split the group into two or three teams, ensuring

diverse representation in each team.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 3: 15 min Give each team 5 minutes to share its recommenda-

Reporting tions and answer questions.

Step 4: 15 min Ask the group the following questions:

Discussing ■ What stands out for you about the presentations?
and ■ What ideas are you excited about?
deciding ■ What ideas give you a little concern?
■ On which things do we seem to agree or disagree?
■ Based on what you heard, what recommenda-
tions would you make for our group?
■ What are the next steps that we need to take?

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HANDOUT 4C: STYLE S AND STRUCTURE S FOR MAKING DECISIONS

Consensus:
We probe issues until everyone’s opinions are understood, especially opposing opinions.
The decision is made only when all members of the group say that they can live with that
decision.

Working consensus:
We probe issues until everyone’s opinions are understood, especially opposing opinions.
The decision is made when two-thirds of the group members say they can live with that
decision.

Democratic:
We discuss the options enough so that people understand the consequences of the
majority vote. We establish the ground rule that the opponents support the decision,
even though it was not their choice. Then we vote and count.

Advisory group:
We appoint a group of experts to make decisions for the group or to recommend deci-
sions.

Leadership team:
We form a subgroup that represents the whole group. This group makes decisions.

Weighted:
When we make a decision, some group members’ voices and opinions are given more
weight than other members’ voices.

Organizational veto:

If one group disagrees with a decision, it can pull out of that activity. The next time we
make a decision, they are part of it.

(Segments adapted from The Collaboration Handbook, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, 1997.)
Handout 4C

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Individual Leadership
and Relationship
Development
Collective leadership arises when individual leaders come together around
a shared goal; developing leaders who are ready to move toward collective
leadership is an integral part of this work. Strong individual leadership
and strong collective leadership arise, in part, from strong relationships.

The members of the Mi Casa Resource Center in Denver saw this connec-
tion between relationship building, individual leadership, and collective
leadership in the development of one of the young people involved with the
program. This young man did not initially attend Mi Casa’s meetings as
a group member but sat on the sidelines as his older siblings participated
in the group’s activities. As time passed, he began to feel more comfort-
able with the Mi Casa family and to develop relationships with other
members, and in short time, he discovered his own leadership potential.

One day this shy young man, so accustomed to merely observing the
group’s activities, asked to become a formal member of Mi Casa.
Recently, he participated in a collective with Denver youth and adults,
sharing his newfound leadership skills with a new community and
engaging in true collective leadership.

Your group can achieve strong leadership development in its members by

focusing on relationship – building. This section is filled with activities
to help you do just that. Some activities provide meaningful ways for
members to get to know one another; others foster thoughtful discussions
that enable members to bond more deeply. All activities have the same
goal: building relationships and individual leadership to achieve collective
leadership.

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Part 1: Simple “Getting to Know

One Another” Activities
All strong relationships have to start somewhere: a simple smile, a shared laugh, a
common interest. These small connections are part of a foundation that is essential to
building stronger, deeper relationships. The activities in this section are some fun and
effective ways for your team members to get to know one another.

TIPS: HOW TO HOST SUCCE SSFUL COMMUNITY DINNERS

One KLCC II site used a community dinner to launch its new program for collective leader-
ship and a just community. Because the group was so large, everyone wore a nametag.
The organizers lined the walls of the gathering space with butcher paper and encouraged
guests to write their own definition of “just community” on the paper. The event grew
from a simple, commonsense idea, but the dinner was a huge success: The food was
local and delicious, the organizers created a true sense of space for the newcomers, and
everyone who attended received sufficient information about the program.

Community dinners can serve many functions. You can use dinners as a recruitment
tool or to create ownership in an established group. These events are about building
relationships, creating awareness of your group’s work in the community, and learning
about one another in an informal setting.

Tips for hosting a successful – and fun – community dinner:

■ Goals. Identify your goals for the dinner, for example, to create better relation-
ships, to sell your program, to bring more people to the table (literally).
■ Agendas. Create an agenda for your time together, even a simple one. Agendas
help you clarify what’s most important, keep everyone on track, and ensure that
everything you want to happen during the dinner gets done. Agendas also help
those with a visual learning style. Your agenda might include an icebreaker or
time to work in small groups.
■ Food. If you’re preparing food, ask community members what they would most
like to eat. If you’re ordering food, try a local restaurant or caterer. If you know
ahead of time who’ll be attending, potlucks can be a lot of fun and help create a
sense of community. Make sure everyone has something to eat (and enough of it)
– that there’s food for members who are vegetarians, vegans, or have special
dietary restrictions. But remember: Simplicity is great – never rule out pizza!
■ Comfortable atmosphere. Although food is clearly a crucial part of a meal-
centered event, your gathering is really about making people feel welcome so that
they can begin conversations about ways to create change. Make sure you have
someone at the front door to greet people as they arrive. If this is a new group,
use nametags. Scatter organizers throughout the group to circulate and make
sure that no one is left out of the conversations. Mingling before everyone sits
down to eat gives you a chance to collect contact information on a sign-in sheet
so that you have it for future functions.

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■ Welcome and introductions. Make sure to welcome members and state the
purpose of the community dinner (usually before guests eat or after they have
their food). Introduce people the community needs to know. If there’s an agenda,
point it out for those people who like to follow along. Icebreaker activities are best
done before guests start eating – no one likes to talk with a mouth full of food.
(For icebreakers, we liked One-on-One Interviews on page 96.)
■ Collective ownership. Mix up the facilitation among several people to create
a sense of collective ownership. Use young people as much as possible in the
facilitation. Be sure to have a back-up plan for facilitation, and pay attention to
the cues your group gives so that you can meet its needs.
■ Wrap-up. Conclude your dinner with “next steps” that you want to take as a
group and a discussion of how to use the skills of those present. In a smaller
group, a reflection exercise may be appropriate. Explain that this opportunity for
youth and adults to come together, learn, and share with one another deserves a
chance for reflection and celebration. (Head, Heart, and Feet on page 97 is one
of our favorite reflection exercises.) When you thank dinner attendees for joining
you, be sure to ask for comments or questions they may want to share.
■ Follow-up. If possible, find a way to bring everyone back within 2 weeks to keep
momentum going and to create a cohesive group. After recruitment, your group
truly has a world of opportunities, but this can be overwhelming for both members
and organizers. To help people feel that they’re making a difference, some groups
followed their community dinner with an action-oriented activity such as cleaning up
a park or painting parts of the neighborhood. After activities like these, groups are
able to think about the broader issues in the community that they hope to change.

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ACTIVITY: ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS

OVERVIEW
This activity helps the members of your group discover what they have in common.
It works best at the beginning of a meeting.

OBJECTIVES
■ To break the ice among group members at the beginning of a meeting
■ To help group members discover what they have in common
■ To help group members get to know one another and have fun

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 20 minutes

SUPPLIES
You’ll need a flip chart and markers to record group members’ responses.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 2–4 min Ask your group to split up into pairs and find three
Introducing things they have in common with their partner.
the group These commonalities should not be physical but
things that pertain to work, school, family, favorite
foods, etc.

Step 2: 3–-5 min Have each pair join with another pair to create small
Doubling groups of four people and again find commonalities.
partners Remind people to be creative in their ideas.

Step 3: 10–15 min Bring the whole group back together and have each Flip chart
Creating four-person cohort share its three common charac-
common- teristics. You’ll usually find that it’s difficult at first Markers
ality for for the small groups to think of common traits, but
the entire many people in the larger group will easily find
group things in common.

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ACTIVITY: HEAD, HEART, AND FEE T

OVERVIEW
Intended as a meeting’s closing activity, this exercise helps group members reflect on
what they gained at the meeting and learn from other members’ responses.

OBJECTIVES
■ To reflect on the events of the meeting
■ To articulate what members learned and felt during the group meeting
■ To identify what your group’s next steps will be

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 40 minutes, depending on the size of your group

SUPPLIES
You’ll need a flip chart and markers in three colors (one each for head, heart, and feet)
for this activity.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 1 min On a flip chart, draw a picture of a person. Be sure Flip chart
Creating to exaggerate the head, chest, and feet. Draw a heart
the chart on the chest. Markers

Step 2: 2 min Explain to the group, “To close this meeting, we’re
Setting the going to reflect honestly on what we learned, what
context we felt, and what we will do when we leave this
meeting. That’s the head, heart, and feet you see on
this drawing.”

*If time is limited or the group is large, instruct

participants to select only one reflection – head,
heart, or feet.

Step 3: 20–30 min Provide an example for your group, for example:
Sharing
and Head: “I learned about the different experiences that
learning we all bring to the table and how we can begin to
from one work together.”
another
Heart: “I felt really proud to be a part of this group,
and I can’t wait to get started on the work.”

Feet: “I’m going to act on this by talking with some

of the other community members and telling them
about our next gathering.”

Have group members share their responses and,

using markers in three different colors, write their
comments next to the corresponding area on the flip
chart paper: heart, heart, or feet. Use more paper as
needed.

Step 4: 5 min Process the activity using the following questions:

Reflecting ■ What themes did you hear?
■ What insights do you need to remember?
■ In what future situations can you use these insights?
■ How can you apply them?

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ENERGIZERS
Energizers are a great way for people to have fun. They’re like icebreakers in that they’re
short activities that introduce group members, but energizers also ensure that group
members remain excited about more intense work and don’t become bored with the
group dynamics. This section describes two energizers that KLCC II especially liked.
You can find many more with a simple online search.

Handshake Activity
Have participants pair up with someone they haven’t yet met or don’t know well. Ask
each pair to come up with and perform a “unique handshake.” Then have participants
pair up with a different person and again create and perform a new “unique handshake.”
Repeat this for as many rounds as you’d like (or have time for). At the end of the
activity, ask participants whether they remember each handshake partner. This tests
how well the paired partners got to know each other during the game.

Pass the Move

Have participants stand in a circle. Choose one person to begin the activity. This person
will “bust a move” – a dance move, a stretch, a random motion, anything. The rest of
the circle copies the move, beginning with the person directly to the right and moving
counter-clockwise around the circle. When the initial move has made it approximately
halfway around the circle, have the next person bust a move for every person to imitate.
Keep “passing the moves” around the circle until all participants have introduced a move
to the group.

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ACTIVITY: SURVEYING WITH MARBLE S

Asking questions of participants in a safe and fun environment is a great way to begin to
build relationships among group members. But with large groups, or even with small
vocal groups, it’s difficult to remember everyone’s responses. This exercise helps group
members visualize their peers’ responses in a concrete way and keep the considerations
and needs of others present throughout the community-change effort.

OVERVIEW
This activity gleans evaluation and survey information from participants and strengthens
relationships among members. The instructions that follow assume that you are
surveying based on age groups (ages 13–14, 15-24, 25–55, and 56–100); however, you
can survey according to any grouping you like, (e.g., gender, type of community you
live in).

OBJECTIVES
■ To create a fun environment
■ To gather information about participants

TIME REQUIRED
30 minutes (15 minutes of preparation and set-up time)

SUPPLIES
You’ll need marbles of different colors (a separate color for each group – e.g., age or
gender – and enough of each color for everyone in that group to use for each statement),
glass or clear plastic containers – vases or jars work well – (one for each statement), and
“statement cards” See Sample Statements for “Surveying with Marbles”.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 15 min Set out glass vases with statement cards underneath Glass or clear plastic
Setting it – one container for each card. Be sure the container containers
up is wide enough at the top for marble to fit in and
large enough to hold a lot of marbles. Also be sure Marbles
that participants can read the questions easily.
Cards with statements

Step 2: 10 min Bring participants together and tell them, “We all
Explaining have different-colored marbles according to our ages
the activity (or whatever groupings you’re using). I’m going to
read a series of statements aloud – these are the
same statements that are next to each container.
If the statement is true for you, put a marble into the
corresponding container.”

Read the first set of statements: “You are a youth

(under the age of 25).” “You are an adult (ages
25–55).” “You are an elder (ages 56 and older).”
For each statement, give the participants time to put
their marbles in the appropriate container. Then
read the remaining statements. Allow members to
mingle.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 3: 5 min After everyone has finished, gather the containers

Reviewing and share the results with the participants. You can
the results do this by actually counting the marbles or simply
displaying the containers with the results. You may
want to record the information gathered for later
use.

SAMPLE STATEMENTS FOR “SURVEYING WITH MARBLE S”

You are a youth (under the age of 25). You are an adult (ages 25–55). You are an elder
(ages 56 and older).

You feel like a youth. You feel like an adult. You feel like an elder.

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 the collective 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.

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ACTIVITY: SIX DEGREE S OF SEPARATION

Sometimes, especially with large groups, it’s easy for people to feel that they are close to
only a handful of other group members. Reminding group members that they’re closely
connected to everyone in the group – if only by the common commitment to community
change – is a healthy way to strengthen relationships within your group.

OVERVIEW
This activity brings people together in a creative, fun way and helps group members get
to know one another. You can use it as an icebreaker or with a large group to go a bit
deeper in relationship building.

OBJECTIVES
■ To promote youth-adult partnership
■ To deepen relationships
■ To have fun

TIME REQUIRED
25 minutes

SUPPLIES
No supplies are needed for this activity.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 3 min Tell the group, “We’re going to discover how many
Setting the degrees of separation there are among members of
context this group. Everyone, please think of one question
that would help you learn about someone else’s core
– who they really are.”

Give participants a few minutes to think of a good

question.

Step 2: 10 min Have participants ask their question to a few differ-

Asking ent people (probably about two or three – possibly
questions only one person if the group is very small).

Step 3: 5 min Select a few people to stand up (e.g., people who

Showing have a July birthday). Then ask the rest of the
the group, “Did you ask your question to one of these
connections people? If so, please stand up.”

Ask this same question (“Did you ask your question

to one of these people? If so, please stand up.”) five
times in a row. By the fifth time you ask, everyone
in the room who participated should be standing –
thus, the six degrees of separation.

Step 4: 5 min Ask participants to share the questions they were

Speaking asked and the answers they gave, or the questions
out they asked and why they thought this was connected
to a person’s core. Allow time for sharing.

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ACTIVITY: APPRECIATION WALL

During the beginning phases of relationship building, it’s important that group members
articulate what it is exactly that they appreciate about each other. Of course, learning
names, faces and personal stories is important too. When group members feel they’ve
bonded with their peers, relationships within the group grow; when group members
become aware of the personal gifts and qualities that their peers appreciate, members
more freely contribute these gifts to the group’s work – your group will see even more
pronounced success in their work (not to mention a self esteem boost!)

OVERVIEW
This exercise offers participants an opportunity to learn each other’s names and faces,
share stories about their life, and tell one another what they appreciate about each other
– in short, participants get to know each other in a meaningful way.

OBJECTIVES
■ To share participants’ experiences
■ To identify commonalities between youth and adults

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 30 minutes

SUPPLIES
You’ll need a Polaroid or digital camera, a printer (if you’re using a digital camera), sta-
pler, copies of Handout 5A for all participants, and writing implements (pens or pencils).

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min As group members arrive at the meeting, take a Polaroid camera or
Welcoming Polaroid or digital picture of each person. If you digital camera and
participants take digital pictures, print them. Staple each printer
participant’s photo to a copy of Handout 5A, and
give participants the handout that has their picture. Stapler
Welcome participants to the activity and ask that
everyone take a seat in the circle. Copies of Handout 5A

Step 2: 5 min When everyone is seated, have participants look

Pairing up across the circle until they make eye contact with
someone. This person will be their partner for the
exercise. Have each pair find a spot in the room
where they can sit facing each other. Then have the
pairs greet and exchange pictures.

Step 3: 20 min Invite the pairs to take turns interviewing each other, Pens or pencils
Listening using the questions on Handout 5A, and write their
and sharing partner’s responses on the handout.

Step 4: 10 min Come back together as a full group and ask partici-
Discussing pants to share one thing they learned about their
and partner.
reflecting

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 5: 3 min Ask participants to write down something they

Appreciating appreciate about their partner in the space on the
paper below their partner’s picture.

Step 6: Ongoing Hang the handouts with pictures up in your meeting

Deepening space so that participants can learn names and
faces. Encourage participants to continue writing
appreciations as they get to know one another
throughout the project.

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HANDOUT 5A: GE T TING TO KNOW YOU…

Name

1. What motivates you?

Inspires you? Drives you
to excel?

2. What is something most

Place photo here people don’t know about
you?

3. What is the best vacation

you’ve ever been on, and
why?

Appreciations:

Handout 5A

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ACTIVITY: COMPARISONS
Creating a safe space where group members can develop their likes and dislikes is an
important piece of the foundation for strong relationships. Even when the space you
create is a safe one, group members may be timid about speaking their preferences,
ideas, and opinions. One way to overcome this shyness is by inviting group members to
share their thoughts on a wide array of choices. When participants feel comfortable
defending their preference of chocolate or vanilla ice cream, they’re more liable to feel
comfortable discussing their opinions on the heavy topics associated with community
change and youth-adult partnerships.

OVERVIEW
This icebreaker will help people better understand one another while establishing a
safe, fun environment. The comparisons can be as simple or as deep as you like. The
questions you choose will depend on the comfort level of your group.

OBJECTIVES
■ To facilitate different types of people getting to know one another
■ To help young people better understand adults and vice versa
■ To help people of different backgrounds better understand one another
■ To create a safe environment for learning and playing

TIME REQUIRED
20–30 minutes

ADVANCE PREPARATION
You’ll need to come up with a list of comparison questions (e.g., car or truck; visionary or
legacy; ice cream or popsicle; MySpace or Facebook).

SUPPLIES
The only material you need for this activity is the list of questions you put together –
paired choices to ask the group.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min Tell the group, “We’re going to do an activity that List of comparison
Setting the gets us talking about our preferences. I’m going to questions
context give you two options, and you’re going to pick the
one that best describes you and explain your choice.
For example, if I say ‘Extrovert or introvert?’ think
about which word describes you best and why.
People who chose ‘extrovert’ will go to one side of
the room; people who chose ‘introvert’ will go to the
other. If you can’t decide between the two choices,
there’s a middle place to stand.”

Step 2: 10 min Begin with a few easy comparisons like “Car or

Making it truck?” and “Ice cream or popsicle?”
easy
Each time you give choices, point to the side of the
room participants should go to for each option (e.g.,
point to the left side of the room while saying “car”
and the right side of the room while saying “truck.”)

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 3: 10 min Continue with the easy questions until you feel it’s
Upping the time to move on to more thoughtful comparisons,
ante such as “Thinker or doer?”; “Planned or sponta-
neous?”; “Behind the scenes or in front?”

Step 4: 5 min After each choice, ask a few people on each side
Sharing (and in the middle if there are any) to volunteer to
with the explain their choice. If nobody volunteers, call on a
group few people at random.

Step 5: 5 min Ask a series of discussion questions:

Reflecting ■ What did you notice?
on the ■ How did it feel to be part of the group?
experience ■ How did it feel to be alone with your choice
(if that happened)?
■ Were you surprised by anything you saw?
■ Were you surprised by anything you chose?
■ What did you learn?

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ACTIVITY: COLOR OUR WORLD WITH INSPIRATIONS

Even though the idea of youth-adult partnerships is a relatively new one, the notions of
community change and relationship building are not. Throughout history, leaders have
commented on what it means to care and what it means to support and believe in
yourself and others, and their words are inspirational.

Capitalize on these great words by providing your group members with a list of inspira-
tional quotations. Have participants pick their favorite quotation (or create their own),
write it on a piece of paper, and then unleash their creativity by personalizing the
quotation with their own decorations. Use the decorated phrases to decorate your space
and “color your world with inspirations.”

For this activity, you need paper, art supplies, and a list of inspirational quotations –
that’s it. We’ve included a list of quotations to get you started, but feel free to add more.
Meaningful quotations can come from anywhere – Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, your
favorite books or songs, family or cultural sayings, bumper stickers, and even community
bulletin boards.

QUOTABLE QUOTE S
On believing…
■ We must find time to stop and thank the people who made a difference in our lives.
–Dan Zadra
■ Surround yourself with people who believe you can. –Dan Zadra
■ There are people who take the heart out of you, and there are people who put it back.
–Elizabeth David
■ Be grateful, truly grateful, for those good friends or thoughtful people.
–Shawna Corley
■ There are low spots in our lives, but there are also high spots and most of them have
come through encouragement from someone else. –George Adams
■ If the people around you don’t believe in you, if they don’t encourage you, then you
need to find some people who do. –John Maxwell
■ Somebody saw something in you once – and that is why you’re where you are today.
Thanks to them! –Don Ward
■ Long before I was a success, my parents made me feel like I could be one.
–Toni Morrison
■ I made you a kite so you would have to look up. –Uncle Pete
■ I think my parents recognized something in me that they encouraged instead of
deflated, and I’ll always be grateful to them for that. –Graham Nash
■ I was lucky to be brought up loved. Not that everything I did was liked, but I knew that
I was loved – and knowing this gave me the ability and freedom to be who I wanted to
be. –Bernie Siegel, M.D.
■ We all have the extraordinary coded within us, waiting to be released. –Jean Houston
■ Most people see what is and never see what can be. –Albert Einstein
■ It requires the eyes of faith to see the undeveloped butterfly in the caterpillar.
–Margaret Larson
■ Faith helps you succeed when everything else fails. –Dawn Ewing

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■ My mother taught me very early on to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I

wanted to. The first was to walk without braces. –Wilma Rudolph
■ Thank you for believing in me before I believed in myself. –Kobi Yamada
■ Believe that there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Believe that you might be that light
for someone else. –Kobi Yamada
■ A good teacher is one who helps you become who you feel yourself to be.
–Julius Lester
■ You must believe in yourself, my child, or no one else will believe in you. Be self-
confident, self-reliant, and even if you don’t make it, you will know you have done
your best. Now go to it. –Mary Hardy MacArthur
■ If I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it.
–Mahatma Gandhi
■ Virtually every great accomplishment or movement was started by someone who
believed passionately in something – and someone who believed passionately in that
person. –Margaret Warren
■ Those who believe in our ability do more than simulate us. They create for us an
atmosphere in which it becomes easier to succeed. –John H. Spalding
■ By choosing to believe and expect the best about people, you are able to bring out the
best in them. –Bob Moawad
■ The greatest good we can do for others is not to share our riches but to reveal theirs.
–B.J. Marshall
■ Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but
I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.
–Louisa May Alcott
■ Somewhere someone is looking for exactly what you have to offer. –Louise L. Hay
■ Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each
of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light. –Albert Schweitzer
■ Thanks for showing me that even on the darkest, rainiest days the sun is still there
just behind the clouds, waiting to shine again. –Albert Schweitzer
■ I’d like to brush the gray from out of your skies and leave them only blue.
–Edgar Guest
■ People must believe in each other, and feel that it can be done and must be done; in
that way they are enormously strong. –Vincent van Gogh

On caring…
■ Caring is everything. –Baron Friedrich Von Hugel
■ What matters in today’s world is not the difference between those who believe and
those who do not believe, but the difference between those who care and those who
don’t. –Abbé Pierre
■ I will act as if I do make a difference. –William James
■ When you care, people notice. –Susane Berger
■ Do the things that come from the heart. When you do, you won’t be dissatisfied, you
won’t be envious, you won’t be longing for somebody else’s things. On the contrary,
you’ll be overwhelmed with what comes back. –Morrie Schwartz
■ Small tokens of sincere consideration or love carry messages far beyond their size.
–Karl-Hans van Fremde
■ The manner of giving is worth more than the gift. –Pierre Corneille
■ Too often, we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind work, or the small-
est act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. –Leo Buscaglia
■ When we recall the past we usually find that it is the simplest things – not the great
occasions – that in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness. –Bob Hope

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■ We cannot explain why these little signs mean so much to us. But the fact is that a
word of thanks for some small thing can transform our day. –Jeanne Reidy
■ Caring is a powerful business advantage. –Scott Johnson
■ Take pride in what you do. The kind of pride I’m talking about is not the arrogant
puffed-up kind; it’s just the whole idea of caring – fiercely caring. –Red Auerbach
■ Care more than others think wise. Risk more than others think practical. Expect more
than others think possible. –Unknown
■ Love people. Use things. Not vice-versa. –Kelly Ann Rothaus
■ It’s human nature to think about ourselves. It’s human relations to think about
others. –Bob Moawad
■ I use the business to make great people. I don’t use people to make a great business.
–Ralph Stayer
■ We are only as good as what we love. –Sam Bellow
■ When you love your work, it shows. –Audrey Woodhall
■ Know what you are doing. Love what you are doing. Believe in what you are doing.
–Steve Musseau
■ When I give, I give myself. –Walt Whitman
■ People want to make a difference and be respected. Is that a surprise? –Paul Ames
■ If people believe in the company they work for, they pour their heart into making it
better. –Howard Schultz
■ The greatest tragedy is indifference. –The Red Cross
■ Seven national crimes: I don’t think. I don’t know. I don’t care. I am too busy.
I leave well enough along. I have no time to read and find out. I am not interested.
–William Boetcker
■ If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.
–Mother Teresa
■ You can really change the world if you care enough. –M.W. Edelman
■ I believe that one of the most important things to learn in life is that you can make a
difference in your community no matter who you are or where you live. I have seen
so many good deeds – people helped, lives improved – because someone cared.
–Rosalyn Carter
■ Some people make the world more special just by being in it. –Kelly Ann Rothaus
■ Children will not remember you for the material things you provided but for the feeling
that you cherished them. –Gail Grenier Sweet
■ It is lovely when I forget all birthdays, including my own, to find that somebody
remembers me. –Ellen Glasglow
■ I am so glad you are here. It helps me to realize how beautiful my world is.
–Rainer Maria Rilke
■ The human heart, at whatever age, opens to the heart that opens in return.
–Maria Edgeworth
■ The thoughtful little things you do each day have an accumulated effect on all our
tomorrows. –Alexandra Stoddard
■ Caring means you simply give to others a bit of yourself – a thoughtful act, a helpful
idea, a word of appreciation, a lift over a rough spot, a sense of understanding, a time-
ly suggestion. –Charles H. Burr
■ When I count my blessings, I count you twice. –Irish proverb
■ Take good care of yourself, just as you have taken such good care of others.
–Dan Zadra
■ Treasure this day, and treasure yourself. Truly, neither will ever happen again.
–Ray Bradbury

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On supporting…
■ You can’t be human alone. –Unknown
■ No one can go it alone. Somewhere along the line is the person who gives you faith
that you can make it. –Grace Gill Olivarez
■ My heart gives thanks for empty moments given to dreams, and for thoughtful people
who help those dreams come true. –William Braithwaite
■ Surround yourself with people who respect you and treat you well. –Claudia Black
■ Those whom we support hold us up in life. –Maria von Ebner-Eschenbach
■ I get by with a little help from my friends. –John Lennon
■ Cherish your human connections – your relationships with friends and family.
–Barbara Bush
■ Mentor each other unselfishly. –Heroic Environments
■ Friends are kind to each other’s hopes. They cherish each other’s dreams.
–Henry David Thoreau
■ If someone listens, or stretches out a hand, whispers a kind word of encouragement, or
attempts to understand, extraordinary things begin to happen. –Loretta Girzartis
■ Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much. –Helen Keller
■ The nice thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side.
–Margaret Carty
■ Draw strength from each other. –James A. Renier
■ The idea is not to see through one another, but to see one another through.
–C.D. Jackson
■ Loyalty means not that I agree with everything you say, or that I believe you are
always right. Loyalty means that I share a common ideal with you and that,
regardless of minor differences, we strive for it, shoulder to shoulder, confident in
one another’s good faith, trust, constancy and affection. –Dr. Karl Menninger
■ Friends are those rare people who ask how we are, and then wait to hear the answer.
–Ed Cunningham
■ My friend picked me up when I was down, made me laugh though my eyes were full of
tears, held me close when there was nothing else to do. –Lisa Willow
■ It takes each of us to make a difference for all of us. –Jackie Mutcheson

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Part 2: Deeper Activities

When your team members are familiar with one another and have laid the foundations of
genuine relationships, you can work with them to strengthen these relationships. The
activities in this section work to that end – building strong, sustainable relationships
among your group members, despite differences of age, backgrounds, and experiences.
You can use these activities to grow fledgling relationships or to deepen existing one.

ACTIVITY: RIVER OF LIFE

Every person has a rich life story that reflects both hard places and great celebrations.
Taking the time to hear those stories increases appreciation for different experiences and
the perspectives that arise from these experiences. This activity, introduced to KLCC II by
Public Policy and Education Fund of New York, a KLCC I organization, works best when
group members are comfortable with one another but still forming connections, for
example, during the second day of a weekend retreat.

OVERVIEW
This activity allows each person to be seen and heard, thus strengthening the group’s
trust, understanding, and appreciation for the gifts and talents of each group member.

OBJECTIVES
■ To build trust within the group
■ To increase the knowledge of experiences that inform different perspectives

TIME REQUIRED
Anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours

SUPPLIES
You’ll need paper (at least 11 X 14 inches) for each participant, art supplies (markers,
glitter, stickers, construction paper, glue, popsicle sticks, etc.).

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 15 min Tell the group, “We’re going to create a picture that Paper
Setting the reflects the river of your life. Like a river, your life
context has a certain flow. There are times when a river is Art supplies
rushing and flowing over the banks. At other times,
the river goes over rapids and rocks or moves slowly
and peacefully. Take a few minutes to consider
where you have been and what has been significant
in shaping the direction of your life.”

Ask participants to use the art supplies to create a

picture that describes their life journey. Allow
approximately 15 minutes for participants to create
their pictures.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 2: At least Ask for volunteers to share their pictures. Have Paper
Sharing the 10 min them tell the group about their journey and what the
journeys images they drew represent in their life. Ask that Art supplies
the rest of the group give their full attention to the
person who’s sharing, and that all questions and
comments wait until the end. Allot 5–7 minutes for
each participant.

If you group is too large for it to be feasible that

everyone hears all of the stories, you can divide into
smaller groups of 5 or 6 people.

Step 3: 10 min. When everyone has finished sharing, ask a series of

Reflecting questions to prompt group discussion:
and dis- ■ What was it like for you to tell your story to this
cussing group?
■ What was it like for you to hear all of these
stories?
■ What surprised you?
■ What insights have you gained about our group?

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ACTIVITY: WHAT ARE YOUR CORE VALUE S?

An ethical leader is a person who acts with integrity. Thus, ethical leadership entails
knowing your core values and having the courage to act on them on behalf of the com-
mon good. Of course, “core values” are a deeply personal concept that requires a lot of
reflection. The Center for Ethical Leardership created and introduced this activity to KLCC
II to facilitate this reflection.

OVERVIEW
This activity guides participants through the self-reflection process to help them identify
their core values – those that will always be important to them. You can adapt the
activity to examine group values as well (see Roca’s example of this in Identifying Your
Group’s Core Values).

OBJECTIVES
■ To engage your group in a reflection about what is most important to them
■ To help group members identify their core values
■ To increase group members’ self-confidence

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 40 minutes

SUPPLIES
You’ll need copies of Handout 5B (“Core Values Assessment”) and a pen or pencil for
each participant.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min Pass out Handout 5B to the group members. Tell Handout 5B
Setting the them, “Identifying your core values is an integral
context part of being an ethical leader. You may need to do Pens or pencils
some serious reflection before you know for sure
what your core values are.”

Have participants review the list of values on the

handout. Note the blank lines at the bottom, which
participants can use to add any values that are
important to them that aren’t on the list.

Remind the group members, “Be sure to pay close

attention to your inner dialogue as you review this
sheet. How you reflect on these values will reveal
interesting truths about yourself; you just have to
listen.”

Step 2: 5 min Tell the group, “Put a star next to all the values that
Starring are important to you, including any you added.
important These are your personal set of values.”
values
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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 3: 5 min Tell participants, “Narrow your personal set of values

Narrowing to eight. Cross off the less important values and
it down circle the more important values. Remember, you’re
not throwing away the values you cross off; you’re
simply narrowing down the list to determine your
core values.”

Step 4: 5 min Ask participants to narrow their list to five values,

Narrowing using the same process.
it even
more

Step 5: 5 min Have participants narrow their list of values to three.

Keep
narrowing…

Step 6: 3 min Finally, have participants choose their top two core
Final values.
narrowing

Step 7: 15–20 min Ask that all group members stand and share their
Sharing, core values. Ask the group a series of discussion
discussing, questions:
and ■ How did you choose your core values?
reflecting ■ What do your core values mean to you?
■ How do you express your core values?
■ How can you make your core values a more
present part of your daily life? (Suggestions
might include posting the values on your dash-
board, mirror, computer, or refrigerator.)

You can also use some of the Values Self-

Reflection Questions (Found at the bottom of
Handout 5B) to prompt individual or group reflection
and discussion.

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HANDOUT 5B: CORE VALUE S A SSE SSMENT

Peace Integrity
Wealth Joy
Happiness Love
Success Recognition
Friendship Family
Fame Truth
Authenticity Wisdom
Power Status
Influence

Justice

VALUE S SELF-REFLECTION QUE STIONS

How am I practicing, promoting, and living these values?

What is challenging about practicing, promoting, and living these values?

What can I do to really practice and live these values when it’s hard?

What individual agreements am I making to bring my core values to my team? What

individual agreements am I making to practice these values so that I create a safe space

for our young people?

What support would be helpful to me in practicing these values, and whom do I need to
talk to?

Handout 5B

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IDENTIF YING YOUR GROUP ’S CORE VALUE S

Reflecting on and identifying core values can be a valuable exercise for your group and
organization as a whole, as well as for individual members. Roca members reflected on
their group’s core values and articulated them in writing. We’ve included their reflections
on core values to serve as an inspiration for your group’s reflection.

Roca’s Core Values

Belonging is grounded in the belief that all young people need to understand that they
matter and have a place in the world. It refers to the experience of meaningful connec-
tion(s) among individuals, families, and communities. It encompasses the understanding
that all people have value, are important, and are worthy of love.

What we believe: Every young person counts.

What we think: Every young person needs to understand that they have a place
in the world and that they matter.
What we do: We welcome people, and we bring people together.
What is the evidence: Young people show up.

Generosity is grounded in the belief that every young person has a purpose and needs
to understand that she or he has something to give. Said somewhat differently, it refers
to the development of a sense of purpose and value through giving and receiving, of
contributing and experiencing that one’s contribution is meaningful.

What we believe: Every young person has a purpose.

What we think: Every young person needs to understand that they have
something to give.
What we do: We teach and encourage young people to share and give.
What is the evidence: Young people help each other and their communities.

Competence is grounded in the belief that physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual
development is important for all people. Acquiring competence means being able to
make positive choices, learn skills, share them and teach them, and meet and overcome
challenges (and, in the spirit of generosity, help others to do so).

What we believe: Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual development is

important for all people.
What we think: Every young person has the capacity to learn and to make
positive choices.
What we do: “Each one teach one.” – Young people learn skills, share them,
and teach them.
What is the evidence: Young people move from point A to point B in their lives – young
people participate in and improve their lives in the areas of
education, employment, and life skills.

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Independence refers to the ability to articulate a vision of one’s life and have the
competence to undertake what is necessary to achieve it. It involves the qualities of
commitment, responsibility, determination, leadership, and accountability – and requires
emotional strength to face obstacles, collaborate with others, create realistic plans, and
take concrete actions toward achieving one’s vision. Fundamentally, it means having
the capacity to become self-sufficient and live out of harm’s way.

What we believe: Every young person has the capacity to live out of harm’s way
and become self-sufficient.
What we think: Changing and growing up are part of a life-long process.
What we do: We help people develop and act on growth plans, have visions for
their lives, and be hopeful for their futures.
What is the evidence: Young people graduate from Roca programs, youth can
demonstrate a commitment to their own growth, and young
adults are on the path to employment.

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ACTIVITY: DEFINING RE SPECT

Identifying personal or group core values should not be the end of the discussion of these
values. Because people may define the same value differently, it’s helpful on many levels
to talk in some depth about core values.

OVERVIEW
This activity helps participants create a shared meaning of the word “respect” and to
internalize that meaning through discussion. The activity here pertains to the value of
respect, but you can adapt it to apply to any of other values.

OBJECTIVES
■ To create shared meaning
■ To provide a forum for self-reflection and group reflection

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 1.5 hours

SUPPLIES
You’ll need a flip chart and markers, as well as paper, pens, pencils, and markers for
participants.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min Arrange chairs in a circle, preferably without bound- Flip chart
Setting the aries (e.g., without a table). Welcome participants
context into the circle and ask them for guidelines for the Markers
discussion e.g., “Allow people to tlk without inter-
ruptions.”) Write the guidelines on the flip chart for
all to read.

Step 2: 10 min Say to the group, “Think of a time when you felt
Listening respected. How did it make you feel?”
and sharing
circle Allow all participants to share their story with the
group.

Step 3: 20 min Thank each participant for sharing. Then, ask each Paper
Drawing person to draw an image of respect.
and sharing Pens, pencils, markers
Divide participants into groups of four. Ask them to
explain their drawing to their group.

Step 4: 20 min Ask participants to discuss the following questions

Sharing in in their small group:
small ■ When have you given respect?
groups ■ Can you think of a time when someone felt disre-
spected by you and you didn’t mean it? Talk
about that.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 5: 20 min Bring all the participants back together in the circle.
Listening Ask them:
and sharing ■ Do you feel comfortable expressing when you
circle feel disrespected?
■ Do you expect others to know when you feel
disrespected?

Step 6: 15 min Ask the group members to think about all they’ve Flip chart
Reflecting learned from this discussion. Then ask, “How will
this group express respect in the future?” Markers
Document their ideas on flip chart paper and use
these notes in future discussions on respect.

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ACTIVITY: BUILDING DEEPER REL ATIONSHIPS WITH

THE JOHARI WINDOW
As people join to build collective leadership for community change, they need to develop
deeper relationships to support working together in new ways. It’s easy to get to a polite
level and stay at that level without having the more challenging conversations that need
to take place to build stronger relationships. The Center for Ethical Leadership introduced
the Johari Window to KLCC II as a tool to foster these conversastions and ultimatelly
create stronger relationships.

OVERVIEW
This activity is a tool to help group members better understand and trust one another.
It’s grounded in the notion that learning how people with different world views can work
together requires sharing the ways of interacting that are most effective for each person.

OBJECTIVES
■ To understand the role of sharing information and receiving feedback in building deep-
er relationships
■ To learn how to build trust intentionally into relationships and the work environment

TIME REQUIRED
25–30 minutes

SUPPLIES
You’ll need one copy of Handout 5C for every participant.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min Tell the group, “As we come together to build collec-
Setting the tive leadership and effect community change, we
context need to continue to deepen our relationships with
one another and discover new ways to work togeth-
er. It’s easy to get to a comfortable point in a rela-
tionship with someone and stay there. Today, we’re
going to go deeper.”

Step 2: 10 min Pass out Handout 5C to your group. Use the notes Handout 5C
Understand- from the Johari Window Overview to give partici-
ing the pants a general understanding of the window and
Johari how you will use it to deepen trust. Ask participants
Window to list characteristics about themselves that fall in
each of the window’s four panes. Ask volunteers to
share some of the personal characteristics they listed.

Step 3: 10 min Begin this deeper reflection with a personal experi-

Sharing ence. Share with your group a story of a time you
personal disclosed something about yourself and how that
reflections made you feel. Then share a story about a time you
gave feedback to someone else who had just dis-
closed something hidden. Use the second set of
questions on the Johari Window Overview handout
to guide your group through the deeper reflection.

Step 4: 5 min Ask for any final questions. Then ask participants to
Wrapping it share ways they might use what they learned from
up this exercise (or the Johari Window itself) in their
lives.

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JOHARI WINDOW OVERVIEW

The Johari Window, named for its inventors, Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham, is one of the
most useful models for describing the creation of trust in human interaction.

A four-paned “window” divides personal awareness into four types: open, hidden, blind
and unknown. The lines dividing these four panes are like window shades – they can
move as an interaction progresses. We build trust by opening our personal shades to
others so that we become an open window.
(Adapted from Of Human Interaction, by Joseph Luft. Mayfield Publishing Company, 1969.)

First Set of Questions

1. Open. Things we know about ourselves and others know about us. What are some
things that would be in this window (e.g., how tall we are, hairstyle, whether or not
we wear glasses)?

2. Hidden. Things we know about ourselves and others don’t know. What are some
examples here (e.g., belief in religion, political leanings, fears, dreams)? When we
open this window to share something about ourselves, we invite others in. Disclosure
builds trust.

3. Blind. Things we don’t know about ourselves but others do. What are some exam-
ples (e.g., at a light level, you have spinach in your teeth; at a deeper level, you talk
too much at meetings, or you have a real gift for making people feel comfortable)?

When you LET someone open this window on you, you will create trust between
yourself and that person. You decide when, where, how, and how often you want to
receive this FEEDBACK.When you want to open this window on someone else and give
Feedback, ask permission first – don’t just pounce; that destroys trust. Opening this
window requires compassion and kindness.

4. Unknown. Things we don’t know and you don’t know either. This is the area of
mutual discovery, collaboration, and surprise – “fortuitous collisions.” The future is
in this window. This is what we will discover in one another and ourselves by inter-
acting and building relationships.

Second Set of Questions

1. Think of someone in our group that you don’t know well or with whom you’d like to
build a deeper and stronger relationship. What is something in your “hidden” window
that you’re willing to share to build trust with that person? Or to help members of
your group work better together, what are some things you might disclose to them?
Make a commitment to yourself to have this meeting in the next week.

2. What feedback would you like to give, if this person were open to it? How will you
phrase your request to give feedback? How will you have the person’s best self in
mind so that you don’t damage your relationship? Examples of how to open the
conversation are: “I notice in meetings that you… I approach discussions in a
different way… I wonder how we can find a way to be on the same page.” Make a
commitment to invite this person to meet with you in the next week.

3. What is some feedback about yourself that you’d like to have? From whom do you
want it? Make a commitment to have this conversation.

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HANDOUT 5C: THE JOHARI WINDOW

KNOWN TO SELF NOT KNOWN TO SELF

KNOWN TO OTHERS

OPEN BLIND
NOT KNOWN TO OTHERS

HIDDEN UNKNOWN

Handout 5C

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ACTIVITY: POSTER EXERCISE FOR INDIVIDUAL GOAL SE T TING

Identifying and articulating personal goals are important aspects of leadership develop-
ment. Because such goals are truly personal, each of us will have our own ways of
expressing and attaining these goals. This exercise takes advantage of the relationship
between personal goals and expression to develop them both concurrently.

OVERVIEW
This exercise helps youth and adults identify and share their leadership goals in a
creative and artistic fashion.

OBJECTIVES
■ To help participants identify their leadership goals
■ To provide a creative outlet for leadership development

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 30 minutes

SUPPLIES
You’ll need paper, art supplies; stapler, tape, or glue stick to attach photos to artwork;
and a Polaroid camera or digital camera and printer.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min Tell the group members, “Think about what makes a
Setting the good leader. What qualities come to mind? Think
context about those qualities and about what you’re good at,
what you want to learn, and in what areas you want
to grow as a leader. Now, choose three of those
qualities as your own leadership goals.”

Step 2: 20 min Pass out paper and art supplies. Give participants Paper and art supplies
Creating time to decorate their paper with their name and any
an artistic words, drawings, or images that show their three
goal plan personal leadership goals.

Step 3: 5 min. Ask a participant to photograph each member of the Polaroid camera, or
Taking group. If you use a digital camera, print the photos. digital camera and printer
photos of Have the participants attach their photo to their
participants poster. Use the posters to decorate your meeting Stapler, tape, or glue stick
space and to serve as a reminder of each partici-
pant’s goals.

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ACTIVITY: CHARTING INDIVIDUAL CONNECTIONS

Everyone has strengths to contribute to youth-adult partnerships and community-
change efforts, but realizing these strengths can be the most difficult part of the work.
Partnerships are a great way to discover your own gifts and talents and to help others
discover theirs.

OVERVIEW
This is a participatory activity for young people and adults to explore their gifts and
strengths.

OBJECTIVES
■ To identify participants’ strengths
■ To connect the strengths of others to team needs

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 45 minutes

SUPPLIES
You’ll need a flip chart, markers, half-sheets of paper, and a sticky wall. See Mapping
the Sectors of Involvement activity on page 5 for instructions on how to obtain or
create a sticky wall.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 10 min Describe the purpose of the session: Flip chart with the
Setting the “We are all leaders in this project. A key aspect of following written on it:
context leadership is the ability to identify your own
strengths (i.e., what you’re good at and what you Effective
can offer the team). Sometimes it’s hard for us Leaders…
as individuals to name our skills and potential 1. Know their skills and
connections to the team. Others can help us do gifts
that. This exercise will help us practice those skills.” 2. Can connect their skills
to team needs
Refer to flip charts. 3. Can help others connect
their skills to team needs
Give an example:
“For example, if someone’s a skilled artist, how Markers
could that skill be used in our team?” Push the
group to elicit at least five examples (e.g., make Tape
publicity posters, draw invitations to a vision meet-
ing, decorate trash cans for a service project, help
design a team T-shirt). Then say, “How about some-
one who has great skills in basketball – how could
those skills be helpful to our team?” Some answers
might be: Because he’s a good team player, he could
help us understand how teams work effectively and
help us work together; he could recruit teammates
to help us out on service projects; he could ask the
coach to let us use the facilities for meetings.”

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 2: 10 min Say to the group, “Now we’re going to identify our Half-sheets of paper
Brain- individual gifts and think of ways these can be con-
storming nected to our team needs and opportunities.” Markers

“Let’s take a moment to close our eyes. Think about

something you’re really good at. You might want to
think about when you’re happy or feeling good. Can
someone give me an example?”

Solicit a couple of examples. Then say, “Does

everyone get it? Now write your gift on a half-sheet.”

Step 3: 15 min Say, “Now we’re going to practice making the con- Tape or sticky wall
Sharing nections and speaking in front of a group. I’m going
Allow to ask each of you to come to the front of the room
about 1 and tell us what your gift or skill is. Then we’ll give
min per you some ideas of how those skills can be useful to
person our team and work. Who’d like to go first?”

The first person walks to the front of the room and

states his or her name and gifts. Ask the group,
“How could __________’s skills be useful?” Ask for
a couple of different examples to help people realize
that the same skills can be useful in a variety of
ways. Do this for each participant. Attach every
participant’s half-sheet to the sticky wall.

Step 3 If participants are shy or inexperienced with speaking

Adaptation in front of a group, encourage them and coach them
to speak loudly, look at the group, smile, and so
forth. You might also try asking speakers to say,
“Hello, my name is __________,” and ask the group
to respond, “Hi, __________, we’re glad you’re a
part of our team.”

Step 4: 10 min. Ask the group the following questions:

Reflecting ■ Was it easy or difficult to figure out what your
skills are?
■ How did you feel when I asked you to visualize
your skills?
■ How did you feel when you walked in front of the
room and shared your skill?
■ How many of you were scared about having to
stand in front of the group? (Ask for a show of
hands)
■ How did you feel after you spoke in front of the
group? Were you still scared? What helped you
become less scared?
■ How did it feel to give feedback and connect
skills to needs? How is this helpful? Why is it
an important leadership skill?
■ What did you learn?
■ Think about the gifts and connections we’ve
made in this group. What skills do we have a lot
of? What others might be useful?

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EXAMPLE FROM THE CHARTING INDIVIDUAL

CONNECTIONS ACTIVITY
Team Gifts

■ Shooting 3-pointers in basketball

■ Setting examples to provide a positive influence – have family to think of and want
to prevent use of drugs and alcohol
■ Painting or offering assistance
■ Improvisational acting
■ Dribbling and shooting
■ Being a team player
■ My contributions to Improv: projecting my acting skills, making people think
positively, making people laugh, changing my voice, changing our community
■ Football: providing competition and improving skills of self and team
■ Weight lifting
■ Football: carrying out the plays and protecting the quarterback
■ Leadership
■ Basketball shooting skills
■ Being a volunteer
■ Being helpful
■ Basketball: Giving 110% – it improves team and self and results in winning games
■ Being a good writer
■ Liking to work with others
■ Having worked with youth groups for a long time

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ACTIVITIE S: APPRECIATING AND RECOGNIZING INDIVIDUALS

One way to build your team is by appreciating one another. Here are some short activi-
ties that you can use at any time during the development process to shift focus to indi-
viduals and the gifts that they bring.

ACTIVITY 1: THE PARTY

Go outdoors or to a room with a large amount of open space. Envision that you are at a
party (you can decide what kind of party) and that you’re all “mingling” – having short
conversations with one another. In this activity, what you talk about is what you
appreciate about the other person. For example, “I appreciate your sense of humor; it
really lightens things up” or “I appreciate how logical you are; I think it will help keep
us focused.”

There are only two rules:

1. Talk to as many people as possible. When you finish talking, move on.
2. When someone is talking to you, you may not say anything to that person.
You just listen.

Take a few minutes for all participants to mingle and say their “appreciation” to people.
After everyone has finished, sit down as a group to talk. Think about how you felt during
the activity. Was it easy or difficult? Why? What was surprising about what people told
you? How can all of you, as a team, continue to appreciate one another after this activity?

ACTIVITY 2: GUESSING GAME

Prepare small, folded pieces of paper with the names of the members of the group (or the
people who are participating in this activity). Pass around a hat with the names of
everyone present, and have each person pick one, ensuring that no one picks his or her
own name and that no one tells whose name was picked. Give the following instructions:
“Look at the name on your paper and think of one thing you appreciate about that per-
son.” Have everyone sit in a circle. Choose one person to start. Go around the circle one
by one and ask the participants to share the thing they appreciate about the person
whose name they drew. Ask the other members of the group to guess who is being
appreciated.

ACTIVITY 3: 101 WAYS TO GIVE RECOGNITION

Divide the group into teams of three to five people. Ask each team to take 3 minutes to
write all the ways they can think of to give people recognition. When the time is up, find
the team that has the longest list and ask one member to read the list out loud. Ask the
other teams to check off any duplicates. After the list has been read, ask the other
teams to read any ways of recognition from their lists that weren’t mentioned.

Ask the group: “What new ideas did you get? What things might we do in our group to
recognize people?

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ACTIVITY 4: CREATE A WALL OF APPRECIATION

When you’re holding a large meeting or event, take pictures of people when they walk in,
as part of the registration process. Either take instant photos or make arrangements for
1-hour developing. When the pictures are developed, put each on a sheet of colored
paper and put all the papers on a wall. During lunch or a break, invite people to write
things that they appreciate about everyone on their sheet of paper. Have someone
monitor the process by ensuring that people are writing appreciations and by adding
things to the cards that don’t have much written on them. At the end of the event or
day, invite people to take their cards home.

ACTIVITY 5: CREATE CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION OR RECOGNITION

The easiest way to create personalized certificates is to use a desktop publishing
program or special certificate paper, available at large office supply stores. If you like,
you can put them in simple ready-made frames and wrap them attractively.

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ACTIVITY: THE BLOCK GAME

Understanding group members’ different approaches to collective work will help you work
more effectively together. Roca introduced this activity to the KLCC II family as a great
way for participants to engage in a different type of learning about themselves and one
another. We’ve found that this activity works best when group members have developed
initial rapport.

OVERVIEW
This activity increases the ability of group members to deepen their relationships and
understand how different perspectives add to the wholeness of the group – even if these
differences are sometimes frustrating. It also provides an opportunity for individuals to
get feedback about how their actions affect others.

OBJECTIVES
■ To build trust among your group’s members
■ To explore how people in your group work together and how each member contributes
a different style to collective work

TIME REQUIRED
About 2 hours, depending on the size of your group. The opportunity to add context to
the experience and bring out insights happens during the game’s debriefing. Allow at
least 45–60 minutes after the game for participants to think about and discuss what
they’ve learned.

SUPPLIES
You’ll need a box of blocks – about 100 pieces in different colors, shapes, and sizes (we
like wooden building blocks).

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min This activity requires very little context. In fact, the Blocks
Setting the minimal directions and explanation are essential to
contex the process. Have participants sit in a circle. Dump
the blocks in a pile on the floor, leaving the container
somewhere in the circle. Tell your group, “This is a
game that will help us think about how our group
works collectively. We’ll go around the circle and
take turns moving the blocks. There are two rules:
move only one block at a time, and no one talks.”

Step 2: At least 30 As the facilitator, begin the game by going to the

Moving min center of the circle and moving a single block – then
blocks sit down in silence. Model being present with the
game and keeping silent. Play continues around the
circle, allowing each participant a turn to move a
single block.

There is no end in itself to moving the blocks. The

group isn’t necessarily aiming to build a tower or
any sort of structure, and you’re not working to clear
all the blocks from the center. The action of moving
the blocks according to so few directions is a means
to examine how your group works together.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 3: 5–10 min Eventually, someone in the group will want to make
Breaking the game more interesting; moving a single block
the rules can get boring pretty quickly. This person will do
any number of things to break or bend the rules –
moving multiple blocks, going out of turn, knocking
over a block someone else has moved, etc.

Having someone break the rules is essential to your

end reflection. If, after four or five rounds, all partic-
ipants are still abiding by the rules, you should intro-
duce rule breaking yourself.

Step 4: Will vary Play continues until someone finds a way to create
Ending the for each an ending or you end the game yourself because of
game group time constraints.

Step 5: At least After the game has ended, continue in the pattern of
Debriefing 45 min the circle for the debriefing. Tell your group, “That
game may have seemed simple, but I’ll bet you have
some feelings about it that you’d like to share. We’ll
have three rounds of questions, and everyone will
have a chance to speak during each round. Please
listen deeply to everyone’s reflection and hold your
comments until it’s your turn to speak. If you don’t
want to speak when it’s your turn, you can pass. At
the end of each round of sharing, I’ll ask those who
passed if they’ve changed their mind about speak-
ing, but it’s okay to pass then, too.”

You may choose to use a talking piece to reinforce

that this debriefing is a time for every person to be
heard rather than a free-for-all dialogue.

Step 6: Tell your group, “Whenever a group works together,

Debriefing it’s looking for the wholeness of the group – what
– Round 1 will make the overall work come together. The root
of ‘justice’ is two words: one means ‘sacred formu-
la,’ and the other means ‘rightness.’ ‘Sacred’ is also
related to sacrifice, so one definition of justice is
letting go of something to make things right.
Sometimes, a person needs to let go of something
for the group to be able to do its work – to be
whole. When you reflect on this experience, what
did you learn that you needed to let go of or give up
to support the wholeness of the group?”

Start the discussion with a personal example, such

as: “I had to give up my judgment of others” or “I
had to give up my certainty about how the structure
was supposed to look” or “I had to give up my
perception about how this game was supposed to
be played.” The most powerful example is one that
has genuinely come up from your experience of the
game.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 7: Say to the group, “This game reflects a lot of

Debriefing what it’s like to work in community. People work
– Round 2 together, but they all have a different idea about
what they’re building and how to value previous
contributions. Someone with a different idea comes
along and tears down what’s been built together.
Then you start again, without a clear sense of when
you’re finished or when the game will be done. So,
consider this question: What does your experience
of this game tell you about what you need to do to
stay in the game of working in your community?
What helps you stay connected to and caring about
the work?”

Again, begin the discussion with a personal example,

such as: “I love seeing the creativity of how people
respond to change” or “I was curious to see what
would happen next” or “I was totally frustrated but
I stayed because I wanted to be part of this group.”

Step 8: Say to the group, “Remember that this game is a

Debriefing reflection of working together in community, and
– Round 3 there were many different energy flows – people
coming together, competing visions, destructive
forces, adaptation. So, think about what happened
throughout the flow of the game and your relation-
ship to all of those forces and to the other players.
Now, what did you learn about how you play off
others and how you see and respond to what others
need? What did you see about how others helped
the group move toward wholeness? What is your
contribution to wholeness?”

Begin the round with your own example, such as: “I

found that I was very patient with what others need-
ed and could easily wait my turn” or “I found myself
getting anxious about how others would feel when-
ever someone knocked over a structure” or “I tried
to make a connection with the person knocking
blocks over so he would stop.”

Step 9: 10 min After you’ve completed these three rounds, you may
Dialogue open up the conversation for a general reflection
about the participants’ experiences – what they
learned about themselves and about the group.

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MORE SHORT ACTIVITIE S TO EXPLORE EACH PERSON’S GIF TS

These quick exercises help participants discover and appreciate the gifts each person
brings to your group.

Activity 1: My Partner’s Gifts

This is a “getting to know you” introduction activity. Participants are paired with a
partner they don’t know and are asked to interview each other.
Ask:
1. What are your skills?
2. What would you like to learn?
3. What do you offer to the team?

Give partners feedback about how these skills might be useful to the team.

Activity 2: Gifts BINGO

As you know, BINGO is usually played with cards that have numbers on each of
25 squares; the winner often gets money. In this version of BINGO, the rules are slightly
different. First, the squares on the cards are filled with the task “Find someone who…
(E.g., “Find someone who was born in the 1980s” or “Find someone who has more than
three pets”). Players find a person who fits the description in the square and have that
person sign the square. The objective is to get ALL of the squares signed, not just five in
a row. A person cannot sign one card more than once; players must move on to a new
person after someone signs their card. You can stop the game even if no one has all the
squares: Have people raise their hands if they have at least 10, at least 15, etc. until you
find a winner. The prize can be something small, like candy.

Have two or three designated greeters hand out BINGO cards and explain the rules as
people walk through the door. You can also write the main rules on a flip chart, as
shown below:

Once you find someone, have that person sign that square.
After that person signs the square, move on to someone new.
Try to get as many squares signed as possible.
Yell BINGO if you fill in your whole card.

At the end of the game, make sure the group has a short time to process the experience.
Below are some ways to do that. The questions correlate to the different BINGO cards –
each with a special focus and thus demanding different considerations – which you can
find on pages 131-133 of this section.

YOUTH-ADULT PARTNERSHIPS (see BINGO Card A)

Include these questions in your reflection:
■ Which squares were easy to get and which were difficult?
■ What does that say about partnerships?
■ Does this give you any new insights about partnerships?

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COMMUNITY GIFTS AND INDIVIDUAL GIFTS (see BINGO Card B)

Notice that each square has to do with skills, interests, and gifts that each of us brings to
community work. Include these questions in your reflection:
■ Which squares were easy to get and which were difficult?
■ Did anything surprise you?
■ What new assets did you discover among our group?
■ How can the group build on the many strengths of its individual members?

LEARNING STYLES (see BINGO Card C)

Notice that each square has to do with preferences for learning. Use this as an activity
for looking at styles and skills in your team. Include these questions in your reflection:
■ Which squares were easy to get and which were difficult?
■ Did anything surprise you?
■ What does this say about our group?
■ How can we make our different learning styles work to our advantage?

Activity 3: Making Stone Soup

Tell the stone soup story:
Once upon a time there was a village in a land of drought. People were running
out of food. The head of the village told the people, “Well, if we don’t have any-
thing to eat, we will have to make stone soup.” She asked the people to come to
the town square the next day with stones to make stone soup. One family set off
to find a stone to add to the soup, and as they put it in a basket to carry, noticed
some potatoes in the kitchen. They brought the stone and the potatoes. As they
walked to the town square, another family saw them and, when they saw the
potatoes, they remembered that there were a few carrots in the garden that had
not been pulled. So they brought the carrots. Another family saw the carrots and
brought some beans, and so on. The stone soup ended up being chock full of
things to eat, and the whole town had a feast.

Ask people to add their “stone” to the soup, writing one of their personal gifts on a sheet
of paper and putting it in the pot. Read all of the papers back to the group and ask a few
questions for reflection:
■ What did you notice about our team’s gifts?
■ What was exciting about hearing about our gifts?
■ Based on this, what would you say our strengths are?
■ What would you say our challenges are?
■ How can we use this information?

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BINGO CARD A: YOUTH-ADULT PARTNERSHIPS

FIND SOMEONE WHO. . . .

Is a member of Thinks the Has been a
a successful voting age member of a
youth–adult should be successful
partnership lowered team

Has been Can say what Knows of an

surprised by “adultism” organization
the wisdom of means to with a young
someone not in them person on its
their generation. board

Expects youth to Thinks that Supports the

make their own youth–adult power of youth!
decisions partnerships
take practice

Can name one Has met an Thinks that he

of the potential adult who takes or she is a
barriers to young people good listener
youth–adult seriously.
partnership

Disagrees with Has been Wants to learn

the way youth trained in about the experiences
are portrayed youth–adult of people of
in the media partnership different ages.

NOTE: Fill in the blank squares with your own ideas.

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BINGO CARD B: COMMUNITY GIF TS AND INDIVIDUAL GIF TS

FIND SOMEONE WHO. . . .

Knows how to Can speak a Can sing a Who has bowled Is a member
use “Powerpoint” foreign language Brittney Spears more than 175 of a successful
song youth–adult
partnership

Plays basketball Recruited Thinks this Has volunteered Has facilitated

someone to community is a with people of a meeting
come to this great place to other ages
meeting live

Can draw a Has conducted Has a friendly Likes to cook Has been a
map of this a survey smile member of a
community successful team

Has lived in this Has lived in this Has had his or Knows where Has written
community for community for her own youth in this a book
more than 30 less than a year business community like
years to go on
weekends

NOTE: Fill in the blank squares with your own ideas.

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BINGO CARD C: LEARNING STYLE S

FIND SOMEONE WHO. . . .

Likes to know Doesn’t like to Likes helping
why things set schedules other people
happen to be creative

Would rather Prefers to start Has a good

come up with an a task by imagination
idea/ hypothesis working alone
than the solution

Likes to think Relies more on Usually enjoys

about concepts gut feelings than listening to lectures
on logic and guest speakers

Likes to talk Prefers solving a Likes studying the

about “what if” problem in a details
situations group

Likes taking risks Likes schedules Likes to know

how things work

NOTE: Fill in the blank squares with your own ideas.

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Planning for Action

If you’ve followed this tool kit sequentially, by now you’ve done a ton of great
work on team and relationship building. You and your team members have
gotten to know one another and your community well. You’re probably
eager to get started and do something, but certain challenges accompany
that forward motion. Perhaps team members are apprehensive about
translating their ideas into a plan of action; maybe your team is unsure
where to begin. This section provides you with resources to ease the
transition from readiness to action.

You’ve probably noticed that each section of this tool kit opens with a story
and case study from one of the KLCC II sites. This time, the story is a little
bit different. At first reading, it’s cute and light – group members of all ages
will enjoy it – but when you reflect on how this tale relates to moving to
action, we think you’ll draw some valuable lessons.

ONCE UPON A PUDDLE

(“Once Upon a Puddle” courtesy of Jan Barnett, fall 1992.)
Once upon a time there were some fish that lived in a very small puddle of water. Every day,
the little fishes would swim in circles and hunt for waterbugs.
Their stagnant puddle was cradled between the roots of an ancient oak, just beside a swiftly
flowing river. Life never seemed to change for the puddle fish.
But one morning as the fish swam in circles and hunted for waterbugs, there was a sudden
noise: SPLASH!
An amazing, brightly colored fish had jumped into the riverside puddle. This large fish had
blue and red and golden scales. And what was most unusual for this particular puddle of
water – he was smiling!
At first, the frightened puddle fish huddled together at the edge of the puddle. Finally, one of
them asked, “Where do you come from?”
The Sparkling Fish smiled brightly. “I come from the sea.”

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“The sea? What is the sea?” asked one of the braver puddle fish.
The Sparkling Fish shook his head in surprise. “No one has ever told you about the sea?
Why, the sea… the sea is what fish are made for!” He rubbed a golden fin against his nose,
puzzled. “How can I explain the sea to you? Well… it isn’t like this little puddle; it’s endless.
A fish needn’t swim in circles all day, for one can dance with the tides. Life isn’t lived in the
shade – the sun arches over the waves in silver and crimson! And there are many splendid
sea-creatures, such as you can hardly imagine. It’s endless and sparkling and clear. The sea
is what fish are made for!”
A pale, grey puddle fish spoke up. “How do we get to the sea?”
The Sparkling Fish pointed towards the large black root that lay close to the river’s edge.
“It’s a simple matter. You jump from this little puddle into that river and trust that the current
will take you to the sea.”
The fish in the puddle of water were astonished. At long last, a fish swam forward with a
hard experienced look in his eye. He was a REALIST fish.
The Realist Fish looked down at the muddy puddle bottom and frowned. “It’s pleasant to talk
about all this sea business, but if you ask me, we have to facereality. And what is reality?
Obviously, swimming in circles and hunting for waterbugs.”
A look of distance mingled with pity crossed the face of the Realist Fish. “It’s all pie-in-the-sky
nonsense. Of course, I sympathize with you. You undoubtedly dreamed this up because of
some trauma you suffered as a little guppy. But life is hard. It takes a REAL fish to face facts.”
The Sparkling Fish smiled. “But you don’t understand. I’ve been there. I’ve seen the sea.
It’s far more wonderful…” But before he could finish speaking, the Realist Fish swam away.
Next, there neared a fish with a nervous twitch in his tail. He was a SCARED FISH. He began
to stutter. “If I understand y-y-you, we’re supposed to j-j-jump into that river over there?”
“Yes, for if a fish wants to go to the sea, the way lies through the river.”
“B-b-but… have you looked at THAT RIVER OVER THERE? I’m just a small fish! That river is
deep and strong and wide! Why, a small fish would be swept away by the current! If I jumped
out of this puddle, I wouldn’t have any control! No! I just can’t….”
Finally, there swam out a figure who seemed very solemn and learned. He had been in this
particular school of fish longer than anyone else. He was a POLITICAL FISH.
Calmly, he swam to the middle of the puddle and adjusted his spectacles. Setting down a
small shellfish podium, the Political Fish pulled out a sheaf of notes from his vest pocket. Then
he smiled at the puddle fish. “My dear students, our distinguished visitor has expressed many
views which certainly merit consideration.”
Then, he bowed respectfully to the Sparkling Fish. “But, my dear colorful friend, let us be
reasonable…” He glanced down at his notes and then his smile brightened. “We can work
this out. Why not form a discussion group? We could meet every Tuesday evening at seven
o’clock and I’m certain that some of the puddle fish would be happy to get the hall ready for us.”
The eyes of the Sparkling Fish were sad. “No, this will never do. Talking is important, but in
the end it is a simple matter: you jump. You jump out of this puddle and trust that the river will
take you to the sea.”
From somewhere above the muddied waters, a sparrow was singing. The light in the eyes of
the Sparkling Fish shone with a bright urgency. “Besides, don’t you know summer is coming?”

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The puddle fish murmured. “Summer is coming? What difference does that make?”
The Sparkling Fish pointed towards the sun. “Summer is coming. The spring rains filled up
this little puddle to overflowing. But, this little puddle is going to dry up some day. No puddle
lasts forever.”
The puddle fish were stunned but the Realist Fish swam out. There was dark
contempt in his face as he spat out his words. “You’re just trying to scare us! You’re one of
those end-of-the-puddle fanatics!” He swam away in disgust.
But then all of the colors of the Sparkling Fish – blue, red, and gold – brightened into a warm
glow. He whispered, “It’s a simple matter. You jump from this little puddle and trust that the
river will take you to the sea. Who will come and follow me?”
At first, no one moved, but then a few puddle fish swam to his side. Together they jumped
into the river and the current swept them away.
The remaining puddle fish were quiet for a long time.
Then, once again, they began to swim in circles and hunt for waterbugs.

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Part 1: Determining
the Group’s Focus
Deciding what issues to focus on can be a challenge – especially with so much exciting
work on the table and so many diverse voices. (The activities in this section and the
Checklist for Choosing an Issue can help.) Working through the decision-making
process to determine your group’s issues and actions can be a great way to create a
more cohesive group and innovative program. There are two basic methods for choosing
topics: consensus and voting.

Consensus is a process of group decision-making. This method requires that everyone

come to an agreement. With consensus, people can and should work through differences
and reach a position that’s satisfactory to everyone. No ideas are lost; each member’s
input is valued as part of the solution. Just be aware that in consensus situations, as in
any group discussion, one person’s strongly held beliefs can sway the whole group. The
Consensus Level System on page 81 of this tool kit is a helpful tool to guide your group
through this process of decision-making.

Voting is another option for decision-making. A simple version is a poll of everyone’s

opinion after a discussion. Voting assumes that the majority’s position is the best deci-
sion for the group. It’s a win-or-lose model. In our experience, voters are more often con-
cerned with the numbers it takes to “win” than with the issue itself. Voting does not take
into account the feelings or needs of individuals.

It’s possible to use both methods of decision-making to develop a framework for deter-
mining the focus of your group’s activities. The tips below will help you craft a decision-
making model that works for your community.
■ Begin with conversations about what the group is interested in tackling. Make
sure that everyone is heard and helpful; use a circle format.
■ Schedule one-on-one interviews with all members of the group and use those
interviews to determine your group’s top five topics. This approach worked for
some KLCC II organizers.
■ After you’ve had enough conversations (this will vary by community), list the pos-
sible topics on a flip chart for your entire group to read. Have all group members
indicate their top three choices by starring them on the flip chart.
■ Continue having conversations that allow all group members to explain why
they’re interested in a particular issue. Again, a circle format may be helpful.
These discussions should help you narrow your choices to a manageable number.
■ Try to involve everyone in the decision-making process. Make sure that everyone
is heard and feels listened to.
■ Present your own position clearly but avoid arguing for it. Listen to other group
members to assess their understanding of your position. Consider their com-
ments carefully before you press your point of view further.
■ When a discussion reaches a stalemate, don’t assume that someone must win and
someone must lose. Instead, look for the next most acceptable alternatives for all
parties. Think creatively. Explore what possibilities exist if certain constraints are
removed.

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■ Don’t change your mind simply to avoid conflict or reach agreement. When agree-
ment seems to come too quickly, be alert: Explore the reasons and be sure that
everyone truly accepts the solution. Yield only to positions that have objectively
or logically sound merits.
■ Avoid conflict-reducing techniques such as majority voting, averaging, coin
tossing, and bargaining. When dissenting members finally agree, don’t feel that
they have to be rewarded or accommodated by having their own way on some
later point.
■ Seek out and value differences of opinion; they’re natural and expected.
Disagreements can improve the group’s decision. With a wider range of informa-
tion and opinions, there’s a greater chance that the group will come up with a
more satisfactory solution.

For more information on building consensus in a group, check out this link from ACT UP,
a New York-based AIDS coalition:
http://www.actupny.org/documents/CDdocuments/Consensus.html.

ACTIVITY: ROCK ACTIVITY FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE

Whatever issues the group chooses, we’ve found it helpful for the group to create a col-
laborative definition of that issue. Big Creek People in Action sites used this “rock activi-
ty” to define, in a written and visual manner, the community issues on which they chose
to focus.

The activity itself is simple: Place a large rock in the center of your workspace – a table,
a circle, etc. On that rock, write the words your group is going to define (e.g., community
change). Give smaller rocks to all the participants as tablets on which they’ll write a
word that describes community change (or whatever you’ve chosen to define). Give all
participants time to read their word aloud and explain why it relates to community
change. You should reevaluate the definition at different stages of your group’s efforts.
Bring out the rocks and discuss whether the words written to describe community
change still hold true, or whether group members would choose to change their
definition in any way.

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CHECKLIST FOR CHOOSING AN ISSUE

A good issue is one that matches most of these criteria. Use this checklist to compare issues,
or develop your own criteria and chart for choosing an issue.

Issue 1 Issue 2 Issue 3 Will the Issue…

1. Result in a real improvement in people’s lives?
2. Give people a sense of their own power?
3. Alter the relationships of power?
4. Be worthwhile?
5. Be feasible?
6. Have a wide impact?
7. Respond to deeply felt needs?
8. Be easy to understand?
9. Have a clear target?
10. Have a clear timeframe that works for your group?
11. Be non-divisive?
12. Build leadership?
13. Set your organization up for the next campaign?
14. Address financial realities?
15. Raise money?
16. Be consistent with your group’s values and vision?
(The Public Policy and Education Fund of New York, a KLCC I Organization, adapted this checklist from a
Midwest Academy, www.midwestacademy.com, resource and introduced it to the KLCC II sites. The
Innovation Center adapted it for use in this tool kit.)

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ACTIVITY: USING THE FISHBONE DIAGRAM TO

GENERATE ACTION PL ANS
Moving from identifying key objectives to achieving those objectives requires a well-
thought-out action plan. Roca used the fishbone process with great success to help the
group formulate thorough plans of action and then introduced the process to the other
KLCC II sites. The following version of the process for developing a fishbone diagram –
which takes its name from the diagram’s shape – was adapted from a tool designed by a
Japanesebusiness management scholar, Kaoru Ishikawa (Adapted from Guide to Quality
Control. Asian Productivity Organization, 1986), and first used in the 1960s. It is also
called the “Ishikawa diagram” or “cause-and-effect diagram.”

OVERVIEW
The Fishbone diagram can help your group collectively generate objectives for its work
and then develop an action plan for achieving these objectives.

OBJECTIVES
■ To set achievable goals
■ To rank ideas that are most important for the group to pursue to advance its goals
■ To identify key tasks and who will do them
■ To move from ideas to action

TIME REQUIRED
The process of completing the entire Fishbone diagram will likely require more than one
meeting. We’ve included time allotments with each phase; however, these are only
estimates. The time required to complete each step will vary by group and issue.

SUPPLIES
You’ll need a flip chart, markers, and sticker dots (three for every participant) for this
activity.

PHASE I: SETTING GOALS

This initial step is especially useful if your group is large and has been working together
for a while. Your group may have a number of ideas but struggle to select a focus and
advance to action.

From your entire group, ask for a few volunteers who are ready to move to action to
form a committee. This committee will frame the goals that the group has expressed
excitement about. The job of this committee is to develop goal statements that prepare
for a meaningful discussion by the whole group, not to make decisions for the group.

Potential goal statements should describe clearly what the large group is trying to
achieve, for example:
■ Reduce the dropout rate at the high school
■ Improve access to services for immigrants new to the country
■ Reduce acts of violence among teens

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When the committe has prepared goal statements, its members will present these
options to the full group. Ask the committee to lead the group through a process to
select one or more goals for action. This typically takes 30–60 minutes. In this process,
the committee asks the full group to consider these questions:
■ What is doable in the time frame we have and with the number of people we have?
■ What is feasible?
■ What do you have passion to work on?
■ Who is ready to work with us to make something happen?

See the Checklist for Choosing an Issue on page 142 for a more detailed set of
guidelines to help you compare and evaluate issues.

Try to have the entire group discuss these questions, to see whether they help identify
the goal that has the most energy and the most people committed to it. If there is
passion for more than one goal, make sure there’s also sufficient commitment to work
on more than one goal.

If your group is too large for everyone to engage in this discussion, you can split into
smaller groups of four to six to discuss the questions. When you reconvene, ask each
smaller group to report on the top goal(s) it selected. This approach gives all group
members an opportunity to engage in this important discussion.

Roca, for example, set a goal to reduce the dropout rate at the local high school. This
goal is drawn as the head of the fish.

Fishbone Figure 1

Reduce
Dropout
Rates

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PHASE II: IDENTIFYING AND RANKING INFLUENCING FACTORS

Present the goal statement to your group and invite members to describe what the state-
ment means to them: What would success look like? What would change? Ask members
to divide into pairs and share their answers to these questions with each other.

Then reconvene as a full group and ask members to brainstorm all of the “influencing
factors” that might make a difference in achieving the goal, for example:
■ Policies
■ Practices
■ Attitudes
■ Access to services
■ Opportunities

The objective is to list as many ideas as possible without evaluating each idea as it’s
offered. Ask the group members to hold comments until you’ve listed their ideas of
influencing factors on a flip chart.

When the list is complete, ask the group’s members to consider which influencing
factors they think they can affect most positively, using the same questions from the
goal-setting phase:
■ What is doable in the time frame we have, and with the number of people we have?
■ What is feasible?
■ What do you have passion to work on?
■ Who is ready to work with us to make something happen?

Give each person three sticker dots and have them put their dots on the flip chart next
to the top three influencing factors they believe the group should take on. Participants
should place only one dot per factor and need not use all three of their dots. When
they’re done, note the influencing factors that emerge as your group’s top three priorities.

Draw these influencing factors as the first layer of the fishbone diagram.

Before adding the influencing factors to their fishbone diagram, Roca members asked
themselves these questions:
■ What activities need to happen for each of these influencing factors to be
addressed?
■ How will we measure the changes in these influencing factors and the process used
to achieve changes?
■ How will we communicate the work that’s being done to address these influencing
factors?

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Fishbone Figure 2

Implement Alt. School policy Gain permission

Suspension review by diverse for student
in CHS group support center

Reduce
Dropout
Rates

Present to school
Teacher
committee on
workshops on
Day Care experimental
how to keep kids
education
in school
programs

PHASE III: MAKING AN ACTION PLAN AND RECRUITING VOLUNTEERS

When your group has selected the influencing factors, ask people to separate into smaller
groups based on which issue they really want to work on. If there’s an influencing factor
that no one wants to take on, reconsider whether you want to continue pursuing it.

Using the Roca goal as an example, let’s say that lack of student support services is a
factor that influences the high school dropout rate. In this scenario, a group might seek
permission to create a student support services center on campus, but to do that, its
members must first perform other essential tasks. Such tasks include:
■ Describing what will happen in the student support center, for example, tutoring
and connecting students to other resources;
■ Identifying people who can provide those services and spaces where the services
could be provided;
■ Preparing a presentation that explains clearly what you’re asking and why you
believe it will make a difference in achieving your goal and why the goal is worth
achieving; and
■ Arranging a meeting with members of the school’s administration.

When the small groups have agreed on the tasks, ask for volunteers to perform each
task. Ask volunteers to think about what they’ll do to complete the task and come up
with a timeline by which they’ll do it. Give people a few minutes to consider these
requests, then ask for their answers. Set aside a time for people to check in with one
another and collaborate.

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Ask the small groups to share their plans with the full group to get feedback, brainstorm
new ideas, and see if others can help. This process can bring out new ideas, volunteers,
and connections. As the small groups present their plans to the full group, draw the
tasks and the names of volunteers as the next layer of the fishbone diagram.

Fishbone Figure 3
Gain permission
for student
support center

Describe student center activities.

Identify student service providers and locations.

Define what is needed to meet the goal.

Schedule meeting with key decision makers.

Reduce
Dropout
Rates

PHASE IV: BUILDING IN EVALUATION

When the action plans are in place, remind group members of the earlier discussion they
had about what success looks like. Ask how they will measure the changes to see
whether the influencing factors are addressing the issue.

Continuing with Roca’s example: If the desire is to reduce the dropout rate, what data will
we collect to find out whether the tutoring program in the support center is working? Is
the program helping students stay in school? Is it helping to improve students’ grades?
Is it helping to improve students’ feelings about school? Who will collect these data and
report to the group?

Evaluation is important at every step of the fishbone process. Remember to build evalu-
ation into your work from the beginning. Decide how you’ll evaluate your efforts: what
information you’ll need, how and when you’ll gather it, how it will be analyzed, and who’ll
be involved in those activities.

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PHASE V: DEVELOPING A COMMUNICATION PLAN

Throughout the process of developing a fishbone diagram, it’s essential to think about
how you’ll communicate the work you do to address influencing factors. There are many
tools for developing communication plans. To start, consider:
■ Who needs to know about what you’re doing to make your efforts work?
■ What are the key messages that you want those people to understand?
■ How can you best reach them – meetings, posters, text messaging, parties, etc.?

As you start seeing success in your work, consider:

■ Who needs to know about your successes so that they can join and support you?
■ What are the key messages you want them to understand about what they can do?
■ How can you best reach those people?

PHASE VI: CONCLUSION

Drawing the fishbone is a simple, visual way of organizing what’s important and who is
doing it. The fishbone approach requires that the group follow up with on what its
members have agreed on and modify the fishbone diagram as the work advances.

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Part 2: Staying Connected

Now that you’ve created a group with goals, objectives, and a plan of action, it’s impor-
tant to keep everyone in contact. The Internet is one way to do this.

There are many online resources that allow you to do so much more than just email: You
can create a forum to share ideas and photos and spread the word about your group and
its work. Don’t assume that everyone has access to the Internet, and be sure to ask
group members what method of communication works best for them. If you do opt to
add an online component to your group’s communications, you’ll have a virtual world of
options available to you. Technology is changing constantly, but when this tool kit was
written, online groups and social networking sites were two of the more popular and
easy-to-use options.

Online Groups
You can set up an online group through many of the popular search engines, such as
Google and Yahoo!:
■ http://groups.google.com
■ http://groups.yahoo.com

Online groups let you to email all members easily and engage in discussion “threads”
right on your group’s personal page. The group’s webpage is not only a forum for
discussion but also a place for members to gather in cyberspace and share documents,
music, and photos.

Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites, such as Facebook or MySpace, continue to grow in popularity not
only among young people but among adults as well:
■ www.facebook.com
■ www.myspace.com

Joining a social networking site can be a marketing tool in itself. All users of these sites
create a profile page, and your group's profile will expose you to an entire network of
online users. Other users can, in turn, show their support of and recruit users to your
mission by linking to your group's profile within their individual profiles. Furthermore,
these sites offer a "groups" function that allows interested users to connect with one
another around a shared interest, cause, or organization. As a member of one of these
sites, you can create your own group within Facebook or MySpace that other users can
access and join. Much like an online group through one of the popular search engines,
Facebook and MySpace groups make it easy for group members to engage in discussion
threads on the group's page, send messages through the host site, and share pictures,
music, and documents.

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Twitter
Twitter (www.twitter.com) is part of the latest wave of Web 2.0 tools. It keeps member
connected by having users answer the simple question, “What are you doing?” Via text
messaging or Internet, Twitter users post short (no more than 140 characters) updates
on what they’re up to; other Twitter members can follow their friends’ updates and, that
way, stay in touch with their friends’ daily lives. Using Twitter with your group may be
a fun way for members to stay connected between meetings.

TIPS: USING ONLINE FORUMS

In our experience with KLCC II and online communication, we’ve learned a few things
along the way. Here are some tips to help your group’s foray into online forums go
smoothly:
■ If your organization has the capacity, create a group that’s separate from but
linked to your website. Talk to your IT person for more information.
■ For online forums, make sure to designatesomeone to serve as the administrator
of the site or online group, so that new members are invited to join as soon as
possible.
■ Encourage members to post community events.
■ Use the group as a way to continue discussions carried over from your meetings.
You can create discussion threads or just post different topics.
■ When you have social events, use the online site to post pictures.
■ Most of all, create a forum that represents your group and can be useful in achiev-
ing your goals.
Online forums can be tools to build relationships within the group. As people share
information about themselves and their interests, you’re likely to see more people
attending community events together and spending time together outside the project.
In this way, online forums strengthen trust – and your community-change efforts will
reap the benefits.

Here at the Innovation Center, we’re experimenting with online forums. Check out the
Online Communities section of our website for ideas for your online forum and for
connections to others invested in positive community change:

www.theinnovationcenter.org/onlinecommunities

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Keeping Healthy:
Strategies for
Reflection and
Learning
For any group to be successful, the connections that hold its members
together must remain strong. Learning – about the community and
about one another – is an ongoing part of that process. It’s easy for any
group to focus attention on its actions and neglect itself – the group as a
living, changing entity. You can help ensure your group’s sustained
learning, connections, and success by making time to evaluate its progress
and its members’ involvement and satisfaction with the group. And while
you’re at it, remember that people tend to keep doing what they enjoy.
Fun is terrific “glue” for binding people together and to a community-
change cause.

The KLCC II sites and the Kellogg Foundation made conscious efforts
to sustain their groups and the program through reflection, discussion,
and an evaluation led by a team from Michigan State University’s
Department of Educational Administration. The Kellogg Foundation
sponsored a national assessment of all five sites in four areas:
■ Building trust;
■ Co-constructing purpose and strategic plan;
■ Acting together; and
■ Deepening, sustaining and making the work a way of life.

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The insights from the evaluation about relationships and community were
indispensable to the sites’ planning, learning, and courses of action:
■ The Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor learned how its work to
decrease the local high school’s dropout rate motivated people to invest
time and energy in their community.
■ The Mi Casa group came to a deeper understanding of the profound
impact of its youth-adult partnerships.
■ Big Creek gained empowerment from reflections on its lobbying of the
local school board.
■ Roca identified core beliefs to guide the group in the next stage of its
community-change efforts.
■ Lummi Cedar Project discovered valuable insights into the role its
Native American culture plays in shaping its community.

Most groups will not be able to afford an assessment on the scale of KLCC
II’s national evaluation. However, any group, regardless of financial
resources, can attend to the thoughts, feelings, and needs of its individual
members. This act, by itself, will help sustain your group.

Some of the tips and activities in this section are short and simple; others
are more detailed and time-consuming processes. But all of the ideas in
this section work toward one goal: helping you keep your group healthy,
happy, and a center of learning and change.

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Part 1: Simple Strategies to

Stay Healthy
Sometimes, staying healthy can be as simple as taking time to listen or have fun.
Your group members undoubtedly have a lot to say about how things are going, and
it’s crucial that you take into account what they have to say and how they feel. The
activities and tips in Part 1 of this section can help you get your group’s members
talking in ways that will sustain your organization for the long run.

ACTIVITY: WHAT ’S UP?

Evaluation and reflection are essential components of sustainable success in your group’s
community work or in the group’s development. Some group members may be hesitant
to exercise their voice in group matters. Anonymity can be a helpful tool in assessing how
your group is meeting members’ needs. Mi Casa Resource Center used the shield of
anonymity as a tool to help keep its group strong and its members connected.

OVERVIEW
This activity offers participants a safe and anonymous way to provide feedback to the
group. It can be used as a sort of extended reflection at the end of a meeting or activity.

OBJECTIVES
■ To elicit participants’ thoughts for sharing with the group
■ To ensure that issues are addressed

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 30 minutes

SUPPLIES
You’ll need a flip chart and makers for this activity, plus copies of Handout 7A and pens
or pencils for each participant.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 10 min Tell the group, “We spend a lot of time talking about Copies of Handout 7A
Setting the how our group is serving the community, and that’s
context wonderful work. But it’s also important that we take Pens or pencils
time to evaluate how our group is doing for us –
how it is or is not meeting your needs and the needs
of others, and how we can improve in these areas.”

Pass out a pens or pencils and Handout 7A. Invite

those present to take a few moments to write their
thoughts about the meeting or activity they just par-
ticipated in on the handout.

Step 2: 10 min Ask a participant to collect the handouts, shuffle Flip chart
Listening them, and then redistribute them – one to each
and sharing participant. Have another participant take notes on Markers
the flip chart for the group. Invite participants to
take turns reading the handout they have aloud.

continued next page

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 3: 10 min Use this reflection time to address issues as they

Reflecting come up. Issues could arise from comments on the
and dis- handouts or through discussion. Be sure to ask the
cussing participants for input on these issues (don’t try to
tackle them by yourself).

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HANDOUT 7A: THE “WHAT ’S UP? ” FORM

(Aka the “Anonymous Brilliance” Form)

Date:

Did you find yourself frustrated at any time? Why?

What was enjoyable or fun?

What did you learn about the topic or about yourself?

What would you like to see happen differently next time?

Handout 7A

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ACTIVITY: TEACHING AND LEARNING

It’s easy to forget that you and your group members are simultaneously teachers and
learners. A gentle reminder of that fact can be useful for work on leadership development
with youth and adults. The Boys and Girls Club of Benton Harbor, Michigan, used this
activity in its community and shared it with the larger KLCC II group.

OVERVIEW
This activity allows group members to share the many moments during which they both
teach and learn from one another.

OBJECTIVES
■ To encourage a space for both teaching and learning
■ To facilitate reflection
■ To share talents and gifts

TIME REQUIRED
Approximately 25 minutes

SUPPLIES
You don’t need materials for this activity, just enough space for your group members to
sit in a circle.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 3 min Have group members sit in a circle. Tell them,

Setting the “We’ve been working as youth and adult partners for
context a while now, and we’ve been doing a great job. I’d
like to take a little time to think and talk about how
we’ve learned from and taught others.”

“I’d like you to think about these two questions:

During our time together, what have you learned?
What have you taught?”

Give participants a few minutes to think about their

answers.

Step 2: 15–20 min Go around the circle (you may choose to use a talk-
Sharing ing piece) and have participants share their answers.
with others Give them enough time to fully express themselves.
Model engagement in the activity by listening deeply.

Step 3: 5 min When everyone has shared, thank group members

Wrapping it for their reflections. Ask whether anyone has some-
up thing to comment about or thoughts sparked by
what others have said. Allow time for these discus-
sions. Ask a few final questions:
■ Were you surprised by what you heard?
■ Did several people learn or teach similar things?
■ How can this discussion help us as we move
forward?

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GROWTH PL ANNING
For your team’s continued success, it’s essential that all members take time to evaluate
their personal development and the development of group dynamics. From this evalua-
tion, you’ll gain insights that help you plan for future growth. The following questions
will help guide you in this process. You can read them aloud to your group or use them
as a handout.

Personal Growth Planning

■ What do you feel comfortable with in the work you’re doing?
■ On a scale of 1 to –10 with 10 being the highest level, how confident are you in
voicing your opinion? Speaking in public? (Add other questions as appropriate.)
■ What don’t you feel comfortable with? Why?
■ What are your strengths?
■ What are your areas for improvement?
■ What do you want to get out of your experience with this group?
■ Six months from now, what would you be doing differently to make you feel
successful?

Group Growth Planning

■ What do you think are the top three issues in the community?
■ Why are they important to you?
■ What can you and this group do about them?

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THE ROCA MEDICINE WHEEL

Roca has found much success using circles as a method of coming together in Gracious
Space (see the Gift of Gracious Space in Section 4). Roca’s circle process is grounded in
the traditional medicine wheel, a framework the organization has used for personal and
group self-reflection. The medicine wheel divides the self into four parts: physical, men-
tal, emotional, and spiritual. According to traditional Native American belief, individual
and community health is possible only when these four parts of the self are nurtured and
balanced. Use the medicine wheel to guide the reflections of your group’s members on
their personal development and the development of the group as a whole.

MEDICINE WHEEL REFLECTION TOOL

■ How am I doing physically? Mentally? Emotionally? Spiritually?
■ How is the group doing in these four areas? In each of these areas, how am I
serving the group? How is the group serving me?
■ What do I need to work on physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to be
more balanced in my life? What does the group need to work on to achieve more
balance?

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ACTIVITY: MAKING FACE S

Sometimes, group members may want to make their feelings known without delving into
too much explanation. Paper faces, each with a different expression (e.g., happy, excited,
frustrated, scared, confused, angry, contented) are a great way to allow this. Have your
group use paper plates to create faces that express different emotions. After an event or
meeting, bring out the faces and let group members choose the face that best describes
their feelings at the time. This way, participants can feel that they have a voice, even if
talking in front of a group isn’t a good fit for them. You can gently probe people for
explanations of their choice or talk to individuals at other times to try and find out more.

REMINDER: MAKE TIME FOR FUN!

The activities that build and strengthen relationships can take place outside the context
of community-change work. Pick a time every so often (perhaps once a month) to do
something with your group that’s completely unrelated to its work and wholly related to
fun: go bowling, see a movie, take a hike. Ask group members for suggestions (their
answers may surprise you, point out shared interests, or spur discussion.) It’s not what
you do that’s important; it’s just doing it together – whatever non-work activity you
choose. Laughter is a great aid in putting people at ease and uniting them in common
purpose.

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Part 2: Deeper Evaluative

Strategies for Staying Healthy
To keep your group healthy, it’s important to reflect on your work and how it is or isn’t
meeting your goals – at the individual and group levels. The KLCC II sites and the nation-
al evaluation team from Michigan State University used these activities and tips in their
national evaluation process. They can help you and your group members use everyone’s
reflections to best effect and enhance the dynamics and work of the group.

ACTIVITY: MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE

Over time, your group – its members, dynamics, goals, strategies, and mission –
inevitably changes. Examining specific moments of change is a helpful way to take
advantage of lessons from the past in planning for the group’s future.

OVERVIEW
This activity will help your group identify its core beliefs and the stories that best repre-
sent these beliefs. It is presented here in relation to organizational change, but you can
adapt this activity to trace individual development.

OBJECTIVES
■ To identify key instances of organizational change
■ To record these moments, thus helping the group to understand what led to change at
a specific moment
■ To identify your group’s core beliefs
■ To link actions to your group’s goals

TIME REQUIRED
Two sessions: Session 1, 90 minutes; Session 2, 60 minutes

SUPPLIES
You’ll need a flip chart with your organization’s goals (domains) as headers, tape to post
story drafts to the flip chart, and copies of Handout 7B and pens or pencils for participants.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 5 min Tell your group, “We’ve been working together for Flip chart with your
Setting the some time now, and during that time we’ve seen a lot organization’s goals
context of changes. Change can be a great thing. Change (domains) as headers
often signifies progress. To learn from change, we
need to evaluate it in terms of our core beliefs.”

Point to the flip chart. Explain, “I’ve divided this

chart according to our organization’s goals. We’re
going to think about and change in each of these
categories.”

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: The KLCC II National Evaluation Team referred to

Setting the broad organizational goals as “domains.” The four
context domains it identified were (1) building trust, (2) co-
(cont.) constructing purpose and strategic plan, (3) acting
together, and (4) deepening, sustaining, and making
the work a way of life. In discussing how you’ll
evaluate change with your group, feel free to use
KLCC II terminology or more general terms.
For more information about KLCC II’s domains,
check out The Collective Leadership Framework:
A Workbook for Cultivating and Sustaining
Community Change on the KLCC website at:
www.klccleadership.org.

Step 2: 15 min Give each participant one copy of Handout 7B per Handout 7B
Drafting goal or domain. Tell participants, “I want you to
stories* think of stories – stories of events or changes that Pens or pencils
have occurred with this group – that best represent
each of our group’s goals. While you think of stories, Flip chart
keep in mind the characteristics of a good story.
Good stories engage the heart and head, focus on a Markers
single theme of change, succinctly document the
change or changes taking place, and include the
story’s context and details from the speaker’s
perspective.” With your group, brainstorm other
characteristics of good stories. Invite a volunteer
to take notes on a flip chart for all to reference.

Have all participants outline a story (from your work

together) that they feel captures the essence of each
goal or domain.

Step 3: 60 min Divide the full group into smaller groups of 3 to 5

Sharing participants. In the small groups, have participants
stories* share the stories they drafted. Use these questions
to prompt discussion in the small groups:
How did you (the storyteller) first become involved
with this organization, and what is your current
involvement?
■ Why was this story significant for you? For the
organization? For the community?
■ What other stories do you think demonstrated
the most significant change that took place inside
this organization? What other stories do you
think demonstrated the most significant change
that took place outside the organization?

Ask each small group to select one story it

collectively thinks best represents each domain.

Return to the full group. Allow all the small groups

time to share the stories they selected for each
domain and to discuss how and why their story is
representative of that group’s experience.

From these stories, select, as a full group, one story

that best represents each domain. Stories may
be expanded or combined. Use the small-group
discussion questions to prompt discussion.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 4: 10 min For each goal or domain, ask a volunteer to commit Flip chart with domain
Posting to developing the draft of the selected story into a headers
stories and more detailed narrative, with the relationship
determining between the story and the domain clearly explicated. Tape
next steps* Make copies of all drafts and distribute them to
those who volunteered to develop the story in full;
keep a copy of the story for group records and post
another copy of the drafts on your flip chart under
the proper domain.

Session 2 – at least 1 full week after Session 1

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 5: 60 min Gather again with your entire group. Have the Flip chart with domain
Sharing authors of each domain’s story share their drafts headers
final drafts* with the group. They may share their story verbally
or pass out printed copies of the story; you may also Tape
decide to post copies of the story on the wall and
have group members circulate to read them. Now is
the time for other group members to help revise the
story. When the stories are final, post them on the
flip chart. Lead the group in a reflection on the
stories:
■ As you look at or hear all our stories, what
stands out to you?
■ How do the stories make you feel?
■ What do the stories tell us about our progress as
a group?
■ How can we use these lessons as we move
forward?
■ What other people should we share these stories
with?

*Throughout this process, be sure to collect all the stories – even the ones your group
does not select as most significant. The stories can serve as an archive of actions taken
by your group and evidence of progress toward your desired goals (domains).

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HANDOUT 7B: MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE STORY FORM

Name:

When did this story happen?

Title:

Domain/Goal:

A brief outline of the story:

Handout 7B

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ACTIVITY: PHOTOVOICE S
Photovoice methodology was developed in 1995 by Caroline C. Wang and her colleagues
as a means for women living in rural villages in China to communicate important health
messages to policy-makers. It’s founded in a history of photographic approaches
to auto-ethnography and activism. The KLCC II National Evaluation Team used the
photovoice methodology as a process for participants to better understand how they
came to define the overall concept of their initiatives and the promise and potential of
their strategic designs. Even if your evaluation work is nowhere near the national scale,
you can use the photovoice methodology to help your group members better understand
collective leadership and how it affects their communities and to identify future strategies
for community change.

OVERVIEW
This activity demonstrates a grassroots participatory methodology that puts cameras in
the hands of community members. It charges these community members with the task
of recording and reflecting on their community’s strengths and concerns.

OBJECTIVES
■ To recognize and honor the value of participants’ subjective experience
■ To “reflect the community back upon itself” and reveal social and political realities
■ To facilitate critical and analytical discussion of social conditions and their root cause
issues

TIME REQUIRED
Allow a minimum of 4 weeks to disseminate cameras and information, take and develop
photos, write narrative descriptions, and reflect on the experience. The process culminates
with a full-day (8-hour) group workshop.

ADVANCE PREPARATION
All participants will need to sign a consent form (Handout 7D). For the orientation and
photo-taking stages, you’ll need to determine three framing questions (see Pre-Process:
Deveoping Framing Questions on the following page).

SUPPLIES
You'll need disposable cameras, self-addressed postage-paid express envelopes, and
copies of the invitation, consent form, photo release form, Photovoice Ethics and
photo reflection sheet (Handout 7C, Handout 7D, Handout 7E, Handout 7F and
Handout 7G, respectively) for each participant. Poster board and full-sheet labels
(Avery 5165) are optional supplies, but we think they’re the best materials for mounting
and displaying participants’ photos.

For the full-day workshop, you’ll need materials to mount the photos: poster board,
double-sided tape, etc. You’ll also need pens, paper, and colored sticky dots (8–10 per
participant) for participants. You might want to consider arranging video and audio
recorders to document the workshop.

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Orientation and Photo-Taking

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Pre- 30 min Framing questions serve as guidelines for partici-

Process: pants in identifying photo subjects that are meaning-
Developing ful for them and address the goals of the project.
framing Provide three concise questions that are targeted to
questions the goals of your organization yet broad enough to
allow room for participants to explore, share their
unique voice, and tell what they think needs to be
known.

Here are the framing questions KLCC II used in its

photovoice process:
1. What activities best show collective leadership in
action to improve teaching and learning in your
community?
2. In what ways did KLCC help your community
cross boundaries (of race, class, ethnicity, age,
gender, etc.)?
3. What changes (such as new partnerships, path-
ways, policies, practices, etc.) brought about
through KLCC do you think may endure?

Step 1: 1–2 hours Host an orientation meeting with the participants. Handouts with framing
Orientation At this meeting, review the purpose of the photovoice questions and deadline
meeting process and orient them to the framing questions calendar
and the calendar of deadlines. Give each participant
the following materials: Disposable cameras labeled
■ A disposable camera labeled with his or her with participants’ names
name;
■ A hard copy of the framing questions; Copies of Handout 7E
■ Photo release forms and Handout 7E and
Handout 7F (“Photo Release Form and Copies of Handout 7F
Photovoice Ethics); and
■ Return postage-paid envelopes (express/FedEx Self-addressed, postage-
return envelopes). paid envelopes

Step 2: About 2 Allow participants a 2-week timeline to take their Handout with directions
Photo- weeks pictures and return their cameras and the subject for next steps
taking, release forms (in the self-addressed, postage-paid
collection, envelopes you provided). About midway through Copies of Handout 7G
develop- that time period, remind them of their deadline by (Photo Reflection Sheet)
ment, and phone or email.
reflection Self-addressed, postage-
When you’ve received the cameras, develop the film. paid express envelopes
Process one digital/CD copy and two standard-sized
prints of each photo. Label both sets of photos on Full-sheet labels
the back (e.g., #1–#XX). Keep the CD and one set of
photos; mail the second set of photos back to the Poster board
participants. Include photo reflection sheets
(Handout 7G), directions for the next steps in the
process, and another self-addressed, postage-paid
envelope.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 2: In the directions, instruct participants to select six

Photo- photos that best respond to the initial framing ques-
taking, tions and that they’re willing to share. Participants
collection, should select photos they find most significant and
develop- meaningful – those photos they’d want to share with
ment, and a broader audience because of the story the photo
reflection tells or the way it reflects the framing questions. For
(cont.) each photo selected, the participant will complete a
reflection sheet describing and providing a rationale
for the selection (Handout 7G). Participants return
ALL their photos and the reflection sheets in the
self-addressed, postage-paid envelope.

After you receive these photos and reflection sheets,

process one set of the six photos in a 5”x7” size and
two sets in an 8”x10” size. Type up the descriptions
from the reflection sheets and print them onto white,
full-sheet labels (we like Avery 5165).

Mount the prints and reflections onto poster board

in a uniform manner that doesn’t distract from the
photos and the accompanying descriptions.

Photovoice Workshop
Organize a full-day workshop for participants to come together and learn collectively
from the photovoice experience. There are five parts to this portion of the process:
■ Pure appreciation of one another’s’ photos;
■ Small-group work to tell a collective story;
■ Sharing of story and photo montage;
■ Sticky dot process; and
■ Full-group discussion to develop a collective story.

Remember to provide lunch and refreshments, as well as free time for participants to
interact.

WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 1: 30 min As participants arrive at the workshop, encourage Poster board with photos
Pure them to circulate through the room to view and and descriptions, mounted
appreciation appreciate the photos and reflections and to talk with on the wall
other participants about the experience of taking
and selecting photos. During this time, evaluators Video and audio recorders,
circulate through the room. Evaluators ask partici- if desired
pants clarifying and probing questions and take
notes, and possibly audio and video recordings of
the responses (see Potential Probes for Individual
Photo Montages).

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 2: 1 hour Divide the full group into smaller groups that have Poster board
Small- 15 min some commonalities – the location of the community
group work they come from, themes of the photos, or some Double-sided tape
other thread that could link the group. (The size of
your small groups will vary according to the total
number of participants; we like five to six people
per group.)

Small-group members work together to select six

photos from their individual photo boards that best
respond to the framing questions. Each group then
uses those six photos to create a team photo board
with a title and a 15-minute oral presentation of its
photo board.

Step 3: 15 min for Give each small group 15 minutes to present to the Pens or pencils
Small- each small full group the theme of and the photos on its photo
group group board. Use the “Clarifying Questions” and “Probing Paper
stories Questions” from Potential Probes for Small-Group
Teamwork Montages to engage the group in a
discussion of its selections. Ask that the audience
not engage in Q&A during this process but jot
down their clarifying questions, their “ah-ha!”
moments, and their own stories to share later in
the day.

Step 4: 30 min Give each participant a certain number of different Colored sticky dots
Sticky dot colored sticky dots (8–10). Each color should
process correspond to a specific theme or category Poster board for display of
(i.e., a framing question). Give the participants selected photos
time to place the dots next to the pictures they feel
speak best to the overall theme and purpose of the
group’s work.

During a break, count the dots and group the most

popular photos in each category into a first-round
gallery layout. Depending on your goal for the pho-
tovoice process, you may select the most popular
photos in each theme area or select the 8–10 photos
that received the most dots. Once you’ve counted
the dots and selected the photos, display the
duplicates of those photos to begin the first round
of the gallery layout.

Step 5: 2 hours Present the results – the first-round gallery layout –

Group of the sticky-dot process to the group. Ask for any
discussion thoughts, reactions, or questions (use the questions
and gallery from Potential Probes for Full-Group Discussion
design and Montage). This is the time for participants to
share their individual and collective experiences as
they relate to specific photos, name the underlying
issues and themes, and revise and reinvent the
groupings.

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WHAT TIME HOW MATERIALS

Step 5: Ideally, through the course of the discussion, the

Group thematic grouping will take on more community
discussion relevance and your role as a facilitator will become
and gallery less and less important; participants will themselves
design own the discussion and the thematic analysis. By
(cont.) the end of the discussion, guide your group to
design its photo gallery that will be shared with the
larger community.

Close the discussion and the workshop with some

brief discussion questions:
■ What did you learn about yourself, this group
(organization), and the community?
■ What are our next steps?

Make sure your participants’ great work has a chance to be appreciated by the community
at large. Follow through on your group’s plans for a gallery and make the necessary
arrangements (time, space, food, parking, childcare, etc.) for the community to gather
and view the gallery. This is the participants’ time to share the work of the group with
their community and identified policy-makers and to engage these people in conversation
about the identified themes.

For more information about photovoice, check out the photovoice website:
http://www.photovoice.com/index.html.

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POTENTIAL PROBE S FOR INDIVIDUAL PHOTO MONTAGE S

Clarifying Questions
1. Please tell me more about what’s going on in this picture [may want to point out a
particular activity or relationship in the photo].
2. Please tell me more about the people in this picture. Why did you want to focus on
them?
3. Tell me more about why you took this picture.

Probing Questions
1. How does this picture (or photo montage) reveal collective leadership? What other
leadership activities were you engaged in that you did not present in a photo?
2. I see that this picture highlights a group meeting. How, in light of the photo and your
experiences working with this group, do you believe both individual and collective lead-
ership was learned in your group?
3. I see that in this photo, you highlight [insert activity]. Tell me more about this activity
and how it [insert: created individual leadership skills, collective leadership capacity;
bridged differences; created new pathways for community participation, community
change, new policies and practices, etc.].
4. What particular partnerships were forged here? Can you explain what’s new about this
partnership?
5. If you had taken a similar picture of these people/this activity, say, 5 years before,
would the picture show something different?
6. I see that this picture shows [insert place]. Please tell me more about this place and
why it’s important to your group’s work (probe for economic, political, cultural context,
tensions and concrete group activities that addressed these).
7. What does this photo not show? In light of your photo composition, what impact do
you believe that you, as a member of this group, have made on your community?
What impact has the collective group made? (Encourage the participants to draw on
the photo as they present their response. Probe in the area of finance, culture and
language, school-family-community partnerships, education, etc.)
8. How is your photo composition different from and similar to the others in this cluster?

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POTENTIAL PROBE S FOR SMALL-GROUP TEAMWORK MONTAGE S

Clarifying Questions
1. Please explain to me why your team selected these six photos.
2. Can you tell me more about how these six pictures work together – that is, what story
do you intend to tell?

Probing Questions
1. As you look over all these pictures, how are they similar and how are they different?
What different stories are the pictures telling? What stories are they not telling?
2. Why did you or your team select this as one of your six key photos?
3. How does the composition illuminate the collective leadership for community change
around the theme of [insert theme from probing questions]?
4. I see that in the photo your team selected, you’re highlighting [insert activity/activities
here]. Tell me more and, in particular, how the photo speaks to [insert: individual
leadership skills, collective leadership capacity, bridging differences, creating new
pathways for community participation, community change, new policies and practices,
etc.].
5. What activities in these photos do you believe will endure in your community?
6. How have the activities you highlight in your story affected other community activities?
7. If the sky were the limit, what would be your next steps to further the work of your
group in your community? What might hinder this way forward?

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POTENTIAL PROBE S FOR FULL-GROUP DISCUSSION AND MONTAGE

1. How does this picture (or cluster of pictures) tell the viewer what collective leadership
is and the impact it has on [insert theme: improving teaching and learning, building
effective youth-adult partnerships, etc.]?
2. How does this picture (or cluster of pictures) show differences (of race, class, ethnicity,
gender, etc.) within a community and how these differences can be bridged?
3. What challenges are being highlighted here? How are they being addressed success-
fully or unsuccessfully?
4. As you build and reflect on this collective montage, how does it speak to creating
systemic changes in a community? To what end?
5. How does this story reveal elements of replication, adaptation, and growth of your
group within and across communities?

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HANDOUT 7C: INVITATION TO JOIN THE PHOTOVOICE PROCE SS

Please fill in the blank parts with the appropriate information. Have your participants
keep the invitation letter for their records. Collect the consent forms and keep them for
your records.

Please keep this consent form for your records!

This consent form acknowledges your participation in the

[name of your organization] photovoice process. The activities will be administered by
[name of facilitating team], which consists of
[list names of
co-facilitators].

The photovoice process will ask that you spend 1 week taking one roll of film (27 exposures)
and then mail or deliver the camera back to us (self-addressed, postage-paid envelope
provided). We will develop your photos and return them to you. We will then ask you to
select and reflect in writing on six of your pictures that you believe are most meaningful
in their description of the work of the fellowship and that you would want to share with
a broader audience. You will return the photos and reflections to us (self-addressed,
postage-paid envelope provided). You will then participate in a 1-day learning workshop
that will engage you and other participants in the photovoice process through a facilitated
discussion and analysis.

During this full-day session, we may be audiotaping and video recording the conversations
and taking field notes. At any time, you can request that the recorders be turned off.
You also have the right not to answer any questions you choose. The recordings and
transcripts will be kept in a locked file cabinet, and your identity (if you choose not to be
identified by name) will not be disclosed (we will use “site participant”). The data will be
used in a report to [insert name] about the project, and
may be used in published articles and presentations.

Because of the small number of participants (9–15), identity might be discerned; therefore,
only limited confidentiality can be guaranteed. However, your privacy will be protected
to the maximum extent allowable by law. Please know that participation in this project
is voluntary and that you may choose at any time not to participate. This withdrawal
Handout 7C

would not incur any penalty or loss of benefits to you or your program.

Should you have any questions or concerns about the rights of subjects and the duties
of investigators, or are dissatisfied at any time with any aspect of the study, you may
contact – anonymously, if you wish – [insert contact person].

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact

[name of lead facilitator
and contact information].

Sincerely,

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HANDOUT 7D: CONSENT FORM

PLEASE RETURN THIS SHEET!

The facilitators have my permission to focus observations on my interactions with other

participants during the photovoice process.
Yes No

The facilitators have my permission to access the photos, photo reflections, and other
documents I develop as part of the reporting process.
Yes No

The facilitators have my permission to use audiotape and video recording equipment for
group and individual conversations during the photovoice process.
Yes No

The facilitators have my permission to use audiotapes, video recorders, and photographs
that may include me in presentations, as long as they do not identify me by name or
through other background information without my consent.
Yes No

Your signature below indicates your voluntary agreement to participate in this evalua-
tion.

Participant’s name (PLEASE PRINT):

Email address:

Phone number:

Participant’s Signature Date

Parent or Guardian Signature

(if participant is under 18)
Date Handout 7D

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HANDOUT 7E: PHOTO RELEA SE FORM

Return Release to: [Name of organization]

[Address]

[Phone]
[Fax]
[Email]

I give to [name of organization], its nominees, part-

ners, and assigns, unlimited permission to copyright and use photographs that may
include me in presentations, as long as they do not identify me by name or through other
background information. I hereby waive any right that I (and Minor) may have to inspect
or approve the copy and/or finished product or products that may be used in connection
therewith or the use to which it may be applied.

Name of person photographed (please print):

Age (if under 18):
Street address, city, state, and zip code:

Signature: Date:

Consent of parent or legal guardian if above individual is a minor

I consent and agree, individually and, as parent or legal guardian of the minor named
above, to the foregoing terms and provisions. I hereby warrant that I am of full age and

have every right to contract for the minor in the above regard. I state further that I have
read the above information release and that I am fully familiar with the contents.

Signature: Relationship:
Handout 7E

Photographer name:
Signature:
Assignment/Date:
Location:

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HANDOUT 7F: PHOTOVOICE E THICS:

SAFE TY, IMPACT, AND OBLIGATION
Photovoice is, by design, intended to include participants in participatory inquiry. They
become documentary photographers at their site; their objective is to take pictures of
activities, events, symbols, and people (photo subjects) that best respond to the framing
(trigger) questions. The impact of this work can extend to include:
■ The photovoice photographers,
■ The photo subjects, and
■ The broader community that experiences the stories and photos through the
Community Gallery.

Although safety and ethical considerations will vary across situations and rarely lend
themselves to standard solutions, we can benefit from consideration of the following
issues and questions.

Safety
Photovoice participants are asked to photograph the work of their community. They may
document elements of strength and issues of concern. Recording these elements for pub-
lic dissemination could have negative repercussions for the participant – as the photo is
being taken or after the photo and explanation of it have been disseminated. Here are
some concerns and what we will instruct photovoice participants to do in practice.

KEY CONCERNS YOUR PRACTICE

■ Potential risks to photovoice photographers ■ Give careful thought to the context and content
from putting themselves in dangerous of your photos – the communities in which you
settings or situations. live, the issues you will be exploring, and the
■ Potential risks to photovoice photographers situations you might get into while
from photo subjects. documenting your work.
■ Potential risks to photovoice photographers ■ Because you know your neighborhoods better

from being identified in connection with than we do, we encourage you to use your
their photos and stories. street sense.
■ “Shooting smart” – maintaining your personal
safety – is of highest priority. No photo is worth
personal danger.
■ Remember that there are alternative ways to
present issues (e.g., through abstract
Handout 7F
representation).
■ Take your photos in public spaces (from which
participants can photograph without being
seen as trespassing) versus private property.

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Subjects of Photographs
The evaluation team and the photovoice participants have an ethical responsibility to
their photo subjects. We want to emphasize that photovoice photographs are meant for
dissemination. For this reason, there is no point in taking photos that cannot be shown
for lack of the subject’s permission through the release form. Here is our key concern
and what we instruct photovoice participants to do in practice.

KEY CONCERNS YOUR PRACTICE

■ Potential risks to photo subjects from being ■ As a documentary photographer, you must
identified in connection with particular respect the privacy of others. If someone does
situations or activities in photos. not want his or her picture taken, don’t take it.
■ It is essential that photo subjects sign a release
form to be photographed. We have included
forms. For children or youth under the age
of 18, you will need approval from a parent or
guardian. This is provided for on the release
form. Please make more copies if you need
them.
■ Please emphasize to photo subjects that the
photographs are meant for dissemination.
Photos cannot be shown without a subject’s
release.
■ Again, there are ways to portray issues of
concern that don’t require showing individuals.

Impact on Your Community

KEY CONCERNS YOUR PRACTICE
■ Potential risks to your community as a ■ Because of your background using a number
whole through generating conflict around of dissemination tools, we are confident that
issues or negative image. you understand the importance of weighing
potential for collective good against potential
for both individual and collective harm.

Obligation of the Evaluation Team

KEY CONCERNS YOUR PRACTICE
■ The photovoice process puts the evaluation ■ Because of your background using a number
team in a close partnership with site of dissemination tools, we are confident that
participants. The effectiveness of our work you understand the importance of weighing
is based on bonds of trust and our potential for collective good against potential
commitment that participant stories and for both individual and collective harm.
voices be meaningful.

continued next page

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KEY CONCERNS YOUR PRACTICE

■ At the same time, we know that you are ■ We will strive to build a participatory
invested in the photovoice process and data. component through ongoing phases of
Because of the many potential uses for analysis.
these data, we will share stories in a variety ■ You will be a part of the decision-making
of ways for a variety of purposes. process in how the photos and stories will
be disseminated.
■ We will strive to balance agendas through
finding “both/and” solutions and multiple
avenues for dissemination that meet the
needs of various stakeholders.

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HANDOUT 7G: PHOTO REFLECTION SHEE T

Participant code number: Photo #:

Date:

Site location #:

Brief description of photo:

Why do you want to share this photo?

What’s the real story this photo tells?

Handout 7G

How does this relate to your life, the lives of people in your community, or both?

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“The Most Significant Change” and the photovoice activities were just two of many
exercises employed to facilitate the KLCC II evaluation process. For results of the
evaluation to date, visit www.klccleadership.org. For a more complete
treatment of evaluation – including how to engage youth and adults as partners in
evaluation and how to fully develop and implement an evaluation plan – see our
Reflect and Improve tool kit in the “Activities, Tool Kits & Reports section of our
website, www.theinnovationcenter.org.

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Spreading the Word

When community-change groups come together over an issue or an idea, it’s
easy to see and feel their excitement and motivation. Another way to create
this excitement and motivation, and create awareness about your group at
the same time, is to attend conferences and community events and introduce
yourself to other groups or organizations in the community. Attending such
events will strengthen your group’s pride in its work, enhance the sense of
unity within your group, and celebrate its hard work and accomplishments.

All of the KLCC II sites spread the word about their work by sending their
people to attend outside events. From these experiences, we noticed many
(overwhelmingly positive) side effects. At outside events, participants
met many new contacts and engaged in valuable conversations. Because
of these experiences, they often returned to their sites with a boost in
self-confidence, a more determined spirit, and new knowledge to share
and use. Furthermore, the new contacts became part of a network that
provided information about new sources of funding.

The Big Creek community from McDowell County, West Virginia, felt the
positive effects of attending an outside conference even before its members
arrived at the meeting. While en route to the KLCC II national gather-
ing, the members of the Big Creek site decided to practice the presentation
they were to give at the conference. The community had recently experi-
enced severe losses – two floods, a sharp decline in population, the consoli-
dation of the local high school – but when the group members stood up on
the plane and serenaded the other passengers (including the pilot) with the
song they’d written for their presentation, the solidarity of the group was
nearly tangible in the airplane cabin. Despite the struggles of the com-
munity during the previous year, these group members were energized
and ready to share their work with people from other KLCC II sites, and
anyone who would listen.

This section of the tool kit, unlike the others, does not contain activities.
Instead, it’s loaded with tips to help members of your group share their goals
and successes with others. As you now know, creating change is an exciting
and fulfilling process. Share the joy and the experience with others.

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Part 1: Sharing Stories and

Introducing Your Community
to Others
All of the KLCC II sites learned the importance of introducing their communities to others.
Spreading the word about their communities and their projects gave group members
from KLCC II pride in their communities and the work they were doing and helped clarify
their messages and goals. Here are some tips to guide you and your group in thinking
about what stories you have to share and how to share them.
■ Think about what makes your community unique. How do you celebrate? What
kind of food brings you together? What places bring you together or give your
community identity?
■ What is the history of your community that has motivated social change?
(Consider sharing your history wall or some of the powerful stories or lessons that
surfaced during this activity.)
■ Where in the community do you witness community action?
■ How are young people being involved in community action?
■ What drives social movements for your community?
■ What are you passionate about – as a group and as individuals?
■ Describe victories, both large and small, and how you got there.
■ Describe challenges and what you learned from them.
■ Share handouts of any materials that describe your group or work that helps tell
the group’s story. People love to walk away with something concrete in their
hands.

Sharing these and other aspects of your community and personal lives will give other
communities a deep sense of who you are as individuals and as a group and what you
are about. Many groups from the KLCC II communities found that sharing helped remind
them about what their communities were about or what bound their group together.

Here are some tips on reaching out to other communities:

■ Create opportunities to form coalitions by sending group members to other
organizations’ meetings.
■ Create coalitions by hosting a networking event at your site. Invite all the
community-based organizations in your community. Encourage people from
each group to introduce themselves and network to create stronger bonds.
■ Investigate outreach opportunities for your group. These opportunities can be
on a local, national, or even international level. These websites are a good place
to start:
www.learnandserve.org
www.nationalservicesources.org/calendar/index.php
www.changemakers.net
www.seedsofpeace.org/site/PageServer?pagename=beyondborder

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Part 2: Planning a Gathering of

Community-Based Organizations
Hosting a gathering of community-based organizations is a great opportunity for your
group to network and spread the word about its own work. But hosting an event for dif-
ferent groups, or even for members of different project teams within the same group,
entails some special considerations.

Each year, members from the different KLCC sites come together at a national gathering
to share their successes, their learning, and their questions. The questions below arose
during the planning process for this gathering. We think you’ll find them useful in plan-
ning your own gathering of different community-based groups:
■ How do we create a safe and gracious space that allows everyone to be who they
are in the spirit of connection and respect?
■ How will young people develop and lead lessons that speak to their experiences
and needs?
■ How will we model youth and adult partnerships throughout the gathering?
■ What skills, tools, and resources do different sites want to offer to the whole
community?
■ What skills and resources are not available among the sites that people might
want to learn about to bring back to their communities?
■ How do we leave energized and better prepared to do the work at home?

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Part 3: Creating a
Communications Plan
In KLCC II we learned how a strong communications plan could be instrumental in achiev-
ing group goals. A well-constructed communications plan will help your organization
target diverse audiences and produce clear, memorable, and effective messages – and
these messages, in turn, will help you advance your aims for community change.

Langhum Mitchell Communications assisted KLCC II communities with their communica-

tions plans and strategies. The sites used these tips in planning their communications
efforts. These same tips will guide your group in developing your own strategic commu-
nications plan.
1. Determine goal(s). Your group will likely have multiple communication goals.
These goals may include increasing awareness of your group or organization, sending
messages to the community, or recruiting more people to your cause.
2. Identify target audiences. Each goal should have at least one target audience;
messaging may need to vary accordingly. It’s important to identify the target
audience or audiences and envision their point of view and current level of awareness.
Knowing your audience will help your group create the right message and the right
method for delivering it.
3. Develop key messages. Key messages are the concepts from communications plan
that you want your audience(s) to remember. These messages will be woven through
all your group’s communications materials and will allow its members to create
greater awareness of the group’s community-change work.
4. Determine strategies. Choose the best strategies to reach target audiences and
achieve your group’s goals. Knowing your strategy will help your group decide on the
tools needed.
5. Identify tools. Decide what tools will be used to accomplish stated goals. These
tools can range from billboards to bumper stickers. Brainstorm with your group’s
members about how they have been most affected by messaging. Your group can
have several tools, depending on the audience(s) it wants to reach.
6. Determine activities. Activities are the actual steps your group will implement.
7. Establish a timetable. Once you’ve identified objectives, goals, audience(s), and
tools, create a timeline outlining a schedule. Many of these activities can and should
overlap.
8. Determine evaluation criteria. Your group should evaluate each activity to
determine its effectiveness. There are many ways to evaluate a communication
plan’s success. See the Reflect and Improve tool kit in the “Activities, Tool Kits &
Reports” section of our website, www.theinnovationcenter.org, for ideas on
different methods of evaluation.

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Feedback
How did you like the tool kit? The Innovation Center needs your feedback. We’d love to
know how this tool kit met your needs, what parts helped, what suggestions you have
for improvement, what stories you want to share, and what help you might need. We’ll
consider all comments seriously and use them to make the tool kit more useful. Anyone
submitting a comment will receive a small gift and special acknowledgment on our
website.

Send us your comments at info@theinnovationcenter.org, or go to the Online

Communities section of our website www.theinnovationcenter.org/onlinecommunities
and join the Innovate discussion group to share your ideas with us and with other tool kit
users.

Thank you! We hope to hear from you soon.

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