GLOW Youth Activity Pack - Youth Work Ireland

Step Two –Brainstorming activity to help the young peopleidentify their individual messages and designs for their lanterns1. Split the young people into groups of four to six;2. Give each group a flip chart with a lantern drawn on it;3. Facilitate the young people in the brainstorming exercise by asking:- What is a brighter future for you?- What would you like to achieve through youth work that will help you to achieve yourbrighter future?- What word best encapsulates your hope for a brighter future and the things that you willachieve through being involved in youth work?- What steps in your own life do you need to take to make this brighter future happen?4. Working together as a group use the flip chart to write words or draw pictures and symbolsof things that you wish to achieve in your future, your communities’ future or Ireland’sfuture that you think youth work helps to achieve.Imagine yourself in the future. What does that looklike?‘Happy’‘leader’ ‘Equal’‘Participating’‘Confident’‘Healthy’ ‘Wealthy’ ‘Connected’‘Educated’ ‘Working’Step Three – Decorating the earth lanterns:When you have finished brainstorming, ask the young people to look at the words and symbols onthe flip chart and decide on a word or a symbol or a phrase which best represents their hope for abrighter future. The next step is to use markers and glitter to decorate your lantern with themessage. Stencils make, to learn more about using stencils go tohttp://www.ehow.com/how_6224799_make-stencil-art.html3

Session 2: Group word and making a word designSession ObjectivesYoung people will:Discuss and develop group identityDevelop group cohesion and group effectivenessIdentify group goals and aspirationsCelebrate the groupTime:Materials:Approximately 60 to 90 minutesGlow lanterns, flip charts with large lanterns drawn on them, markers, art materials.Lanterns, tea lights, lighter, camera.Step One: Introduce the activity to the young peopleExplain the following to the young people in the group:This activity is about communicating your aspirations for your group and community thatyou would like to achieve through youth work with one word;We are going to work together to agree a word that we will spell out in lit lanternsNaas Youth Project chose YOLO (You Only Live Once) as their message for GLOWIt is important that you take some time to discuss what word we will use because it is aneffective way for the group to connect together on their shared vision. By discussing it youwill work towards consensus and a collective vision of who you are together and what youare trying to achieve. Groups are much more effective and work better together wheneveryone agrees on what it is that they are doing together.4

Step Two: Lead a group discussion to identify your group goals1. Facilitate the young people in discussing group goals by leading a conversation. Some helpfulquestions to start the conversation includeWhat represents a brighter future for your group?What word represents the group as a whole?What one word best describes what we are trying to achieve as a group?What word describes the change that will take place if we are successful as a group?What change will take place amongst us?What change will take place in our community?E.g. HOPE, JOBS, FRIENDS, HAPPY, LIGHT.IMPORTANT! Remember that this word needs to be spelled out in lanterns, each letter usuallyneeds about six to nine lanterns so you will need between 24 and 36 lanterns for a four letter word.If you want to have a larger word you can order more lanterns by contacting the fundraisingdepartment in Youth Work Ireland. 01-8584500.2. Write the various words down on the flipchart as they are suggested. Keep encouragingmore and more words until the list is as big as your group can make it. If the group suggestsfunny or silly words write these down as they present an opportunity to discuss the variousviews of what the group is about.3. Once all the words are on the flipchart ask the group to vote on which word they most thinkdescribes what they are trying to achieve, or what they are about.“This activity opened up discussion about aspirations and hopes. It was easy to do and will appealto all ages. The group loved the ownership of the glowing word at the end.” Tina O’Sullivan, YouthWorker, Kildare.5

Step Three: Lead a group discussion to address differences ofopinion in the group1. Ask the group to consider what is similar and what is different about the words thatcame in first, second and third in the voting.2. Do the young people that voted for the number two and three word really not agreewith the winning word? Is there another word that captures the winning word and thesecond and third place words? Is there a compromise that can be found?3. Once you have agreed a word that best represents the whole group move on to stepfour.Step Four: Lead the group in spelling out the word in lanterns1. Spelling out the word takes planning and time.2. Choose a place that is safe, easily photographed, and free from any flammable objects.3. Use tape, chalk, or string to make a line that will serve to orient the letters in your word.4. Break the group up into smaller groups and ask each group to plan out how they wouldarrange the lanterns for one letter of the word along the line you have made.5. Give each sub-group between six and nine lanterns for their letter.6. Encourage them to work together both in their subgroup and with the larger group tomake the word.7. If you are using the lanterns inside be sure that you check with your health and safetyofficer before lighting the lanterns and that you know where your fire extinguisher islocated.6

Step Five: Light the lanterns and take your photographsThis last step is about celebrating and sharing the power and impact of youth work with the widercommunity. You can light your lanterns at a GLOW event, or at another event for the group or club.Step Six: Fundraising and PromotionWe all need to fundraise to add value to our projects, right? It is easy to turn this activity into afundraiser for your youth group. You can:Sell the individually designed lanterns to supporters of your youth clubAsk your local companies for sponsorship for your GLOW ceremony.Organise an exhibition of your lanterns and invite the local community to attendUse Sky Lanterns at your GLOW ceremony to release into the air. Ask companies to sponsora lantern and include their message for a brighter future for young people on the lantern.Join forces with other youth groups to create a major event during Youth Work Ireland Weekand invite the community to attend the ceremony.Make sure you tell your supporters where the money is going – to Brighten the Future of ouryoung people through valuable Youth Work!It is important to promote your involvementin the Biggest Lantern Ceremony in Ireland!Our national launch takes place on February 28 th with winner of The Voice of Ireland 2012, Pat Byrneas the GLOW ambassador. You can organise local media coverage also.Ask a local personality to attend your GLOW ceremony and circulate photos of them at theevent to the local media.Use Press Release templates from National Office to promote your GLOW ceremony and topromote your youth group’s involvement in GLOW, the biggest lantern ceremony in Ireland!Snap, Post and Share!Snap your photos with a good camera and set up fun shots that will interest the media.Post your photos to Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and on your own website.Share your photos with Youth Work Ireland, local media and all of your supporters.Send your photos along to hello@youthworkireland.ie to ensure that they become part of the GLOWcampaign.7