DOCUMENT RESUME PS 022 784 AUTHOR Musson, Steve; … · DOCUMENT RESUME. PS 022 784. Musson, Steve; Gibbons, Maurice The New Youth Challenge: A Model for Working with Older Children

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PS 022 784

Musson, Steve; Gibbons, MauriceThe New Youth Challenge: A Model for Working withOlder Children in School-Age Child Care.Canada Employment and Immigration Commission, Ottawa(Ontario) .

ISBN-0-917505-02-688

100p.

School Age NOTES, P.O. Box 40205, Nashville, TN37204.

Guides Classroom Use Teaching Guides (ForTeacher) (052)

MF01/PC04 Plus Postage.*Children; Elementary Education; Feedback;*Individual Development; Motivation; PersonalAutonomy; *School Age Day Care; Self Esteem; TeachingGuides

IDENTIFIERS *Challenge; *New Youth Challenge Programs

ABSTRACTNew Youth Challenge (NYC) programs teach new skills

and attitudes to school-age children in non-school care settings. Theprograms empower children by allowing them to direct their ownactions and take responsibility for the activities in which they areinvolved. This manual outlines the NYC program, how to make such aprogram work, and the role of the concept of challenge in thisprogram. Section 1 defines the basic concept of the program,challenge (defined as a systematic reaching forward toward difficultbut valuable achievements), and presents a structured model for theprogram. ,Jection 2 describes patterns of interaction between staffand participants during the three typical phases of a youthprogram--the directive phase, the shared influence phase, and theguidance phase--and how this model transfers to "real life." Thissection also explains how to design a challenge course based on aseries of interaction patterns. Section 3 explains the role of thechallenge instructor in terms of an analogy with a tradesman with atoolbox. Section 4 provides practical tools, such as determiningbaselines of performance ability and providing feedback, that willhelp children link their present efforts to their challenge goals.Section 5 deals with frameworks for motivation, including visions,efficacy, and systems, and the influence of self-esteem onmotivation. Section 6 contains examples of proven programs and ideas.(AP)

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The New Youth Challenge

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A Model for Working with Older Childrenin School-Age Child Care

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A Model for Working with Older ChildrenSchool-Age Child Care

Steve Musson and Maurice Gibbons

School Age NOTESP.O. Box 120674Nashville, TNU.S.A. 37212

Challenge Education Associates3284 Tennyson CrescentNorth Vancouver, B.C.

Canada V7K 2A8

3

Available FromSchool-Age NOTES

P.O. Box 40205Nashville, TN 37204

615-242-8464FREE After School Resource Catalog

©1988 Challenge Education Associates


A Model for Working with Older Childrenin School-Age Child Care

Published in the U.S.A by:School Age NOTESP.O. Box 120674Nashville, TNU.S.A 37212

Published in Canada by:Challenge Education Associates3284 Tennyson Crescent,North Vancouver, B.C.Canada V7K 2A8

All rights reserved. No part of thismanual, except where noted, may bereproduced in any form withoutthe express permission ofChallenge Education Associatesexcept in the case of brief passagesembodied in critical reviews.

Copyright © 1988by Challenge Education Associates Inc.

First Published in 1986by Challenge Press.Second Edition co-published bySchool Age NOTES andChallenge Education Associates.

Printed by Book Crafters,Chelsea, Michigan.

Library of CongressCatalogue Card Number: 88-62241

ISBN 0-917505-02-6

4

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the contributionsof the following persons and organizations:

The New Youth Challenge TeamHeather KennedyKate QuenvilleRandy WallisBill Saulwho piloted many of these programs.

Barb Waterman (Coordinator, Spare Time Fun Centres)who helped create the idea.

Elenor Wu & Hyne-Ju Chofor preparing the manuscript.

Gwen Norman & Peter Normanfor designing the manual.

Canada Employment & Immigration CommissionEmployment Development Branchfor funding the initial stages of this project.

Digitized images are from the pilot phase of the New Youth Challenge program except pages 48,64, and 70 which are derived from photographs by David B. Sutton.

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Table of Contents

Section I: What is the New Youth Challenge? 1

An Iiportant Role to Play 3A Vision for Youth Programs 6A Model 7What is Challenge? 9Challenge-ability 10

Section II: How to Make the NYC Program Work 13

Patterns of Interaction 15Beginning with Courses 20Proceeding to Clubs 25Advancing to Contracts 26The Contractual Approach 30Categories of Challenge 31Shaping the Challenge 36Brainstorming Possibilities with Kids 37

Section III: The Role of the Challenge Instructor 41

Instructor as Guide 43Tools for the Instructor 47The Tool Box Approach 47

Section IV: Practical Tools 49

Base lining: Focusing on Progress 51

Feedback 53Goal-Setting for Youth Groups 56

6iv

Section V: Theoretical Tools 59

Frameworks for MotivationSelf-Esteem

Section VI: Proven Programs and Ideas

61

68

71

Adventure 73Creative Expression 77Sports 83Practical Skills 87Logical Inquiry 89Community Service 93Job Experience 97Personal Improvement 101More Ideas 103

A Final Word 105

About the Authors 106

Selected Bibliography 107

I: What is the New Youth Challenge?

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What is the New Youth Challenge?

An Important Role to PlayThe field of child/youth care* is changing in many exciting ways.We are beginning to realize the impact we can have on the growthand development of young people. Afterschool programs of alltypes are becoming more sophisticated, more innovative. The NewYouth Challenge (NYC) program represents a major step toward avision of what quality child/youth care programs can become.

NYC programs teach new skills and attitudes to children in non-school settings. These programs empower children by giving themthe wherewithal to direct their own actions and take responsibilityfor the activities that they are involved in. Encouraging children todirect their own programs is changing the face of contemporarychild/youth care.

The idea of child-directed(or self-directed) programsis best accomplishedthrough the medium ofchallenge. We definechallenge as a systematicreaching forward, towardthe difficult but valuableachievements that onedesires. It is the drive tobecome the best one can be.Challenge is the pursuit ofpersonal excellence.

* For our purposes, the child/youth care field encompasses the following organizations:daycares; school-aged child care facilities; teen groups; community centre programs; youth-at-risk

programs; organized youth groups; extra-curricular school clubs, and; parents.We group these 'organizations' together because they are all concerned with the child/youth (aged

7-17) and with care. To be sure, care for members of a teen group is different than, say, care forseven year olds in an School Age child care facility. But it is only a different aspect of the samething - care. All are in the same business of promoting the personal development of children.

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Our Role in the Development of Children

One of the cornerstones of the NYC approach is the belief that we,as child/youth care workers, can play a vital role in the personaldevelopment of children. We can possess a workable, compellingvision of where (or toward what) these children are developing.And we can use our programs as a vehicle to assist and enhance thisnatural development. We are not 'glorified babysitters' there simplyto entertain and supervise children.

In this confusing age, nothing could be more important thanteaching children how to challenge themselves, how to work towarda healthy sense of independence and how to direct their own lives.In our programs we can teach children to set their own goals andwe can also teach them how to pursue those goals effectively. Wecan play a major role in a child's pursuit of his own excellence.

But this task is not without its pitfalls.

Obstacles to Child Development

In today's world children are faced with some major obstacles intheir quest for personal development.

1) Urbanization and technology are depriving children ofopportunities for natural play. Places to play are disappearing andways of playing are changing radically.

2) Children are becoming over-programmed and passive because ofthe television they watch, the crowded schools they attend, over-structured rxreation, and such electronic pastimes as computer andvideo games which may usurp human imagination.


The changing home environment; the rise of the single-parentfamily, the stresses of the two-career household, mothers entering' he workforce while the children are still young, and the increasingincidence of open conflict and abuse in the home.

Now more than ever, children need to be shown how they can takecontrol over their own actions and therefore over their own lives.They must learn how to challenge themselves so that they can dealeffectively with an ever-changing world.

We Can Make a Difference

What follows is a manual that outlines a program powerful enoughto accomplish many of child/youth care's loftiest goals. It is aprogram that begins at the child's own level, and guides him inworking toward his own vision of personal excellence.

As child/youth care workers, we are in a unique position to helpchildren grow. We can make a difference! Using the ideas expressedin this manual we can take a giant step forward.

A Vision for Youth ProgramsYou can't have a dream come true, until you have a dream.

Any quality youth ogram needs a vision. In order to be effectivewe require a clear picture of where we are going with our programs.We need to understand what it is we are trying to accomplish. Inshort, we need a vision, and a map that can show us how to getthere.

A program vision can provide us with inspirati:,:in, direction, and areference point for evaluation. Without a vision, programs are inconstant danger of stalling or wandering off course. "If you do notknow where you want to go, you will probably end upsomewhere...else."

The New Youth Challenge program is a vision. At the same time itcontains a map - a way to attain the vision.

The NYC vision culminates in the concept of the self-directedperson. A self-directed person is one who is responsible,independent, and generally feels in control of his own life. He haslearned how to set his own goals and to pursue them systematicallyand effectively. Children in after school programs can learn how tobecome self-directed. We, as caregivers/youth leaders can helpthem develop the necessary skills and attitudes.

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A ModelDirecting one's own actions is not magic. It can be reduced to asimple series of learnable skills. The NYC program is structured toteach these skills in a logical, natural progression. The programinvolves three phases. (Figure LI)

0a)

1--

0

2U)

E

2

PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3

Expose participant

to challenge

activities

Give participant

experience in

challenging himself

Transfer owner-

ship of challengeto participant

Instructor

designed courses in

challenge areas

Participant

directed clubs in

challenge areas

individual

participant contracts

in challenge areas

Direct instruction:

Instructor selects

and designs course

Shared instruction:Participants choose

content & activities

Guidance:

Individual sets goal

and plans activities

eg. Course in

backpacking skills

eg. Backpacking

club plans a

hiking trip

eg. Individual

contracts for

winter camping

Figure 1.1: A Model of the Youth Care Challenge Program

Phase Three contains the vision of what young people can becomewithin our programs. Phases One and Two represent steps towardthe vision. Together, all three phases function as a map for youthprograms. For without a map, our vision remains just a dream.

1 3

It is our belief that young people can learn to direct their ownprograms. Youth programs can be a place where young peopleactively answer the question, "What do we want to do?"

We feel that this vision of youth directing their own programs canbest be reached through the medium of challenge. By learning whatit takes to successfully meet a variety of challenges in differentareas, young people can learn what it takes to meet any type ofchallenge. They develop their own 'challenge-ability': the skillsnecessary to deal effectively with an ever-changing world. We useactivities in the areas of Adventure, Creative Expression, Sports,Practical Skills, Logical Inquiry, Job Experience and PersonalImprovement to teach young people about the general process ofchallenge. Armed with the skills needed to effectively challengethemselves, they can begin to take control of their own lives. Theycan use our programs to direct their own personal development.

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What is Challenge?

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The word challenge impliesmuch more than justexcitement or thrill-seeking.And it is clearly notsynonymous with words likedanger or dare.

Challenge is the pursuit ofpersonal goals. It is areaching forward, an attemptto grow. It is the striving toattain new levels ofperformance that we set forourselves.

Challenge is personal. Each individual carries around with himdifferent ideas about what is challenging. A particular activity (suchas rock-climbing or public-speaking) may be challenging to oneperson but not to another. And also, what is challenging to younow may not be challenging to you in five years. It all depends on'where you are at' and what goals you set for yourself what newlevels of performance you aspire to.

The notion of challenge, then, is closely related to the idea of goal-setting. If a person wants to achieve something (learn a new skill oraccomplish a task) the pursuit of that goal is what constitutes achallenge.

The natural by-product of challenge is growth. The more a personsuccessfully challenges himself, the greater will be his capacity totake on different and varied personal challenges in the future. Theability to challenge oneself is an integrated set of skills. And theseskills can be learned.

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Challenge-abilityDeveloping the Ability to Challenge Oneself

Challenge-ability can be defined as the desire and ability to challengeoneself. It is the ability to set personal goals and to worksystematically to achieve them. It is the skill of aiming at, andattaining, those things that we desire in life.

A person can be said to possess a high level of challenge-ability if hecontinually strives to reach forward and become the very best hecan be. It is the constant quest for personal excellence.

When we say personal excellence, we do not mean that everybodymust become an Einstein, Ghandi, O.J. Simpson, or Mother Theresa.Personal excellence means being the best you that you can be. Andmake no mistake about it, that's challenging! In terms of a child,striving for personal excellence means putting out the effortrequired to be the best expression of himself that he can be. It doesnot mean that he has to be the smartest student in the class or thestrongest kid on the block, just the very best at being himself.

The ability to challenge oneself is a valuable skill, especially in afast-paced world where the only constant seems to be change itself.Challenge-ability can be used by the individual to take control of anever-changing environment and to use change to help him grow.

The important thing to note about challenge-ability is that it can belearned. And if it can be learned, then it can also be built into ouryouth programs. How does one develop this ability in others?

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There are two major components in the development of challenge-ability (in yourself and others). First, kids need EXPOSURE tochallenging activities, EXPERIENCE with the phenomenon ofchallenge, and must then take OWNERSHIP for their challenges(Figure 1.2).

EXPOSURE EXPERIENCE OWNERSHIP

Figure 1.2: The Development of Challenge-ability

Second, kids can learn about the process of challenge. They can learnto identify the common elements that go into a challenge of anysort. Techniques for goal-setting and systems for effective action canbe mastered. Armed with these tools a child is better equiped totake ownership for his challenge activities. He can then direct hisown quest for personal excellence, and begin to take 0. ntrol of hisown life.

The main goal of New Youth Challenge programs is to develop ahigher level of challenge-ability in each and every participant. Wewant each child to learn to desire challenge in their lives (assomething constructive and positive), and we want each child toequip themselves with the techniques for effective goal attainment.

17 11.

141111) ,o+-

II: How to Make the NYC Program Work

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How to Make the NYC Program Work

Patterns of InteractionThe NYC programis based upon asimple, yetpowerful series ofinteractive patterns.It is simple becauseit is built on logicand experience. It ispowerful because itserves as a map forprogram progressand evaluation.

As we have said earlier, our vision is that of self-directed childrenpursuing personal goals within our programs. Well and good...buthow do we get from here (where we are at now) to there (our vision)?

A major clue can be found in the patterns of interaction. That is, wecan assess the development of a program by the type of interactionbetween the staff member and the participants. If we can determinethe pattern of interaction that is most common between the staffmember (hereafter called the Instructor) and the participants, thenwe can figure out how self-directing our participants are.

For example, if the Instructor is doing most, or all, of the talking,most of the planning, and most of the motivating, then our programis not very self-directed. On the other hand, if the bulk of programplanning and motivation comes from the participants and theInstructor is used in a facilitating role, then the program can beclassed as highly self-directed.

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Directive Phase

The first interactive pattern we would expect to see in a youthprogram is one in which the bulk of communication flows from theInstructor to the participants.

This is quite a na'ural beginning for a youth program. After all, canwe expect our participants to be self-directed right from the start?

This first phase we call directive because the Instructor takes on thebulk of program directing. We can use this phase to our advantage.Here we can concentrate on exposing our participants to well-runprograms. They can see a quality program in operation. For if weexpect them to direct their own programs in the near future theyshould get some exposure to well-run programs.

So our first interactive pattern looks like this:

INSTRUCTOR PARTICIPANTS

e bulk of communication flows this way

Figure 11.1: Directive Pattern

This phase is equivalent to the Course phase outlined in Figure I.1.

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Shared Influence Phase

Done effectively, the directive phase can quickly evolve into phasetwo. This phase is characterized by an even balance ofcommunication between the Instructor and the participants. It is atwo-way pattern. We call it the shared influence phase. In the firstphase the participants were exposed to well-run programs. Nowthey can be expected to contribute significantly to the design andrunning of the programs. Using the skills developed in the firstphase, the participants can now experience that which goes into asuccessful program. Under the supervision of the Instructor, theycan experience what it is like to plan their own activities. Thismutual influence phase is equivalent to the Club phase in Figure I.1.Diagramatically it looks like this:

INSTRUCTOR PARTICIPANTS

shared influence in program design

Figure 11.2: Shared Influence Pattern

Guidance Phase

In the final phase of the model we attain the vision we talked aboutearlier. The bulk of the communications at this stage originatesfrom the participants. They are ready to take control of their ownactivities.

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We are r.pw in the realm of self-directed programming. Theparticipants inform the Instructor what they want to do, and howthey propose to do it. They have had exposure to well-runprograms, and they have experienced what it is like to run their ownprograms. Now, in the third phase they are ready to accept fullresponsibility for their own activities. They have been properlyprepared to take ownership of their programs. We call this theguidance phase, because the Instructor takes on the role of a guide,helping others to do what they want.

INSTRUCTOR PARTICIPANTS)

*- expressing personal goals0- taking on more responsibility

Figure 11.3: Guidance Phase

This is equivalent to the Contract phase in Figure I.1.

Transfer to Living

The three interactive patterns represent a developing process ofparticipant self-direction within the context of youth programs. Ifwe could imagine a fourth phase it would involve the participantsafter they have left our programs. What do we want ourparticipants to take with them when they leave? It could be calledthe maturity phase, represented by mature young adults creatingtheir own goals and pursuing these goals for themsel-,es. Or itcould be called the leadership phase, where our well-trainedparticipants seek leadership positions within our organization. Itwould look something like this:

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INSTRUCTOR

* there if needed

PARTICIPANT(S)

o- personal goalso- self-direction11. leadership

Figure 114: Transfer to Living

An Important Note

Because of time or age limitations, not all youth organizations orgroups will be able to get their programs to the more advancedinteractive patterns. Some young people may not be ready, someorganizations may not have the resources.

The important point to note is that we can all work toward theselater phases. We may not accomplish the entire process, but we canuse these later phases as a vision. These later phases serve to givedirection to the earlier phases. We may not be able to move all theway to the end of the process, but we can all move forward!

The next sections of this manual show you how to incorporate theseinteractive patterns into your child/youth program.

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Beginning with Courses

Consistent with our patterns of interaction, the NYC programbegins with relatively structured experiences we call challengecourses. In these courses the bulk of the program design andexecution is done by the Instructor.

In terms of ultimate visioi1 of young people directing their ownprograms, it is our belief (and our experience) that kids need to beexposed to well-run programs before they can realistically beexpected to direct their own. They need to see what a program lookslike before they can be expected to replicate it under their ownstewardship.

Challenge courses are animportant beginning inthe whole challengeprocess. It is here that thekids can pick up valuableskills in a formalteaching/learningsetting. It is also here, inthe structured courses,that the kids can beexposed to various ideasof what they can become.Skill-oriented coursessuch as First Aid,Wilderness Survival,Carpentry, Cooking andBabysitting fit in wellhere.

A series of successful courses will naturally lead to the childrensuggesting other topics that they are interested in. Of a well-runchallenge course they will exclaim, "That was great, what's next?".

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How to Make the NYC ProgramWork

How to Design a Challenge Course

Step 1: The Challenge Event

The design of a course begins by setting a challenge event. This eventrepresents an attainable vision of group excellence. It shouldcontain various powerful, beckoning images that appeal to eachindividuals' desire for achievement and personal challenge.

Here are a few guidelines to use when designing a challenge event:

1) The level of challenge inherent in the challenge event should besufficiently high to sustain motivation throughout the entireprocess, but it must be realistic and, above all, attainable.

2) It must be attainable by all participants in principle; that is, given agood dose of hard work and commitment. The success of thechallenge event should never be guaranteed in advance.

3) The challenge event must be based upon the Instructor'sevaluation of the group's readiness. He must take into account eachparticipant's skills, resources and time.

And finally,

4) Some input from potential participants may be required in orderto find some activity areas that would be of interest to your targetpopulation.

The Challenge Event:

A POWERFUL,ATTAINABLE VISION

OF GROUP EXCELLENCE

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Step 2: Study Units

Once a challenge event has been specified the next thing for theInsiuctor to do is to decide upon the first steps needed to attain thevision. He must ask himself "What do the kids need to know/learnin otder to successfully meet this challenge?".

The content of these study units can be divided into skills,knowledge and attitudes.

Usually the teaching of skills is more readily accepted by youngpeople in a course setting. A good principle to follow when teachingthese courses is keep it simple. Always relate the learning that ishappening to the attainment of the vision. The relationship of learningto challenge is an important one. It is a good idea when the coursemeets for the first time to show the children the whole programdesign. In this way they can make the all-important connectionbetween study/skill development/effort and a challengesuccessfully met.

The Study Units:

Skills Knowledge

Step 3: Practical Units

Attitudes Skills

Practical units represent the intermediate step between the studyunits and the challenge event. The content of these units can bedetermined by the answer to the question "In what situations couldthe children practice and test the skills that they learned in thestudy units?" The content of these units could also be determinedby figuring out what practical experiences are required before theparticipants could be deemed ready to accept the final challengeevent. These units can take such forms as field trips; tours or mini-challenges. They can also be thought of as sub-goals on the road tothe final goal.

How to Make the NYC Pro ramWork

Practical Units:

Practising skillsthat were learnedin study units.

Final preparationbefore attempting thechallenge event.

The key to a well-designed challenge course lies in a smoothprogression from study units to practical units to the challengeevent. This progressive learning design allows participants toaccept the final challenge event as a challenge, and not as a threat,dare, or a meaningless adventure.

Course Design: Putting it all Together

Here is what a challenge course looks like once all the steps havebeen taken:

CHALLENGE EVENT

Vision ofGroup Excellence

PRACTICAL UNITS

Practising skillsthat were learnedin study units.

Skills

Final preparationbefore attempting thechallenge event.

STUDY UNITS

Knowledge Attitudes Skills

A blank form to use for designing your own challenge programs is provided on the next page.

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ChallengeEvent

PracticalUnits

StudyUnits

LessonPlans

Challenge Category: Designer:28


Proceeding to Clubs

In the challenge courses the participants are exposed to qualityprograms. In challenge clubs the participants experience their ownchallenges under guided supervision. This is consistent with theshared influence phase of Instructor/Participant interaction.

The progression from courses to clubs is a natural one. Once kidsdevelop a number of skills they naturally want to put these to thetest. A success in one or two courses will lead kids to seek morechallenges and then more control over those challenges.

For example, when a grouphas been exposed to a series ofchallenge courses involvingsay, hiking, survival andcamping, it is quite likely thatthey would form a outdoorclub with a view to planningtheir own backpacking tripwith some help from theInstructor. Or a group that hasbeen exposed to courses indance or drama may decide tomake a Rock Video.

Once a club decides what itwants to do, it is a good idea touse the same format used inthe courses (i.e., challengeevent, study units, practical

units). This allows the kids to replicate the process that they wereexposed to in the courses. The important difference now is that theyare starting to direct their own experience. They are beginning totake control of their own programs.

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It should be noted that these clubs still require a lot of supervision.In the courses, the Instructor was the leader. Now the kids mustlearn to lead themselves. The Instructor's role shifts from a content-oriented teacher (as in a First-Aid course) to a process-orientedfacilitator. Process orientation focuses on things like groupmanagement, effective action plans and problem-solving. All ofthese process-skills are directly related to the development ofchallenge- ability in each participant.

For a youth group/centre, this club phase can be an incrediblyexciting time. Young people begin to use our programs to furthertheir own personal development. The facilities and talents of ourorganization begin to be used to express the real desires of ourclients.

We can also begin to prepare the ground for the next phase in self-directed programs, the contract phase.

Advancing to Contracts

If everything has gone well up to this point for the individual (orgroup), the action contract is a natural progression from courses andclubs. Up to now the challenges have taken place within the comfortand security of a peer group setting. Now it is time for theindividual participant to strike out on his own, to pursue his owngoals and to take personal ownership of his challenge activities.

An action contract is a powerful tool for anyone, but it is even moreeffective when it is offered to the individual after he has learned thebasics through challenge courses and clubs. The action contractrepresents the ultimate in self-direction within the context of youthprograms. It is our last chance to empower young people beforethey leave our organization as mature young adults.

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How to Make the NYC Pro ram Work

In terms of ourinteractive phases,individuals withinthe program wouldtell the Instructorwhat they wantand how they planto do it, thus takingon the lion's shareof responsibility forthe way they spendtheir time in ourprograms.

The role of the Instructor is relegated to an advice-giver, resourceperson and/or systems-checker.

What is an Action Contract?

An action contract is a way for an individual to mobilize the powerof systematic action in the pursuit of a personal goal. As a contract, itis a promise made to oneself to get out and do what you want. As asystem, the action contract represents a very effective way to focuseffort to achieve a personal goal.

An action contract is made up of five sections:

eog0O Plan

Mumg®uirDs[rnO R&M TM

EQIT@WeA

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Action CONctrRACTName: Start Date:

Completion Date:

© Copyright 1983 Challenge Education Associates


Goal:a goal is a vision of some aspect of personal excellence.it should be stated in operational (workable) terms, and should be:

important to youworthy of effortattainablemeasureable

Plan:a plan describes what you must do in order to reach your goals.planning means deciding on all that you need to ensure success,

and the best order in which to do it all.includes; options, strategies and priorities.

Management:after you make a plan, then you must manage it.management means putting your plan into action.concentrate on making action effective, keep activity on track.includes; baselining, motivation techniques, charting progress,

contacts, timelines and scheduling.

Results:results refer to outcomes you expect at the end of the contract

process. But these results can (and should ) be specified before youstart your contract! You must be able to decide ahead of time how youare going to judge your results.

you must set out criteria for your future success.specify minimum results, satisfactory results, and performances

of personal excellence.

Renewal:this section can be filled out at the end of the contract process.It represents two things:1) Looking back What did I learn?...about activity, the challenge

process, myself?2) Looking ahead - What next? How can I challenge myself next?

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The Contractual Approach

The action contract is the culmination of the New Youth Challengeprogram. And the contractual approach is also the cornerstone of theoverall program design.

A contractual approach simply means that there is a sharedaccountability for the success of NYC programs. The success ofthese programs do not lie solely in the lap of the staff members.

In challenge courses theparticipants buy into the challengeevent. It is something that theywant to do, and is thereforesomething that they must acceptsome responsibility for. Inchallenge clubs the kids begin todesign their own programs andtherefore accept a lot of theresponsibility for theirsuccesses (and failures).

And finally, in the action contract the responsibility for success liessquarely upon the shoulders of the contractor. Raising the levels ofresponsibility as each stage of the challenge process is masteredallows the individual to enter the world of adulthood with a healthyattitude toward the idea of being responsible for one's experiences.

How to Make theNYC Program Work

The Categories of Challenge

The New Youth Challenge program is divided into eight categoriesof challenge; advent-re, creative expression, sports, practical skills,logical inquiry, community service, job experience, and personalimprovement. The purpose of these categories is to assist theInstructors and participants in developing ideas for courses, clubsand contracts.

Each category is defined below, and examples are given. Eachactivity is divided into a topic and a specific challenge. The challengemust be stated in performance terms because the topic is usuallynon-operational.

Here are the challenge categories:

Adventure

A challenge that involves a testing of the child(ren)'s personalcompetence and confidence in an unfamiliar environment.Adventure challenges are often physical in nature, but can also bepersonal, psychological or social.

Examples :

TOPIC CHALLENGE (in performance terms)

Backpacking organize a 3 day backpacking trip

Bicycle touring go on a 3 day cycle trip

Rock-climbing master a one pitch top-rope and rappell

Farm life spend 3 days working as a farm-hand

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Creative Expression

A challenge to explore, cultivate and express the child(ren)'s ownimagination. Creative challenges involve both learning about thecreative arts, and participating in the process of expressingcreativity.

Examples


Drama write and produce a one-act play

Rock Video produce a rock video from scratch

Japanese Art learn about Japanese art formsthrough classroom activities and practice

Sports

A challenge that involves the pursuit of personal athletic excellencethrough competitive games, cooperative ventures or individualeffort.

Examples


Soccer put on an invitational soccer tournament

Gymnastics put on a gymnastics display for schoolor make the city championships

Baseball produce the best possible team we can:play a league team

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Practical Skills

A challenge to explore a basic skill useful in everyday living.Creating something useful or exhibiting a skill with practicalreal-life application.

Examples


First Aid acquire an emergency first aid certificate

Self-Defence earn a yellow-belt karate

Bicycle maintenance strip, clean and rebuild an old bicycle

Cooking cook 7 different dinners in one week

Logical Inquiry

A challenge to explore one's curiosity, to gain a fuller understandingof a phenomenon that is of particular interest to the child(ren).

Examples


Astronomy learn 7 constellations; locate them on aclear night

Chess learn grandmaster strategies;organize a tournament

Weather foretell local weather over a week period

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Community Service

A challenge to help your community through volunteering aservice. To learn about the needs of your community and aboutyour power to assist in meeting those needs through volunteerwork.

Examples


Senior Citizens produce a show to entertain atSenior centres

Teens in Trouble create a peer counselling team

Hospitals volunteer and work as a candy-striper

Job Experience

A challenge to become job-ready for the local labour market. To gainthe skill, experience and references needed to open the door to afirst time job. Job experience challenges can also be fund-raisingwork projects for youth groups.

Examples


Landscaping operate a small lawn-cutting business

Daycare volunteer at a local day-care centre

Salesmanship organize a group fund-raising sale

Resume learn to write effective resumes

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Personal Improvement

A challenge to change something about yourself that you feel youwant to change for the better. To improve some aspect of your body,mind, or personality through commitment and hard work.

Examples


Weight control design a nutrition/fitness plan

Fitness attain a pre-set fitness level

Homework wwelop a program to improveacademic record

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Shaping the Challenge

Ideas for challenge courses, clubs or contracts can come fromanyone. Almost any activity can be made into a challenge.However, a problem that an Instructor might encounter in putting aprogram down on paper is the tendency to confuse a topic with achallenge event.

A topic could bebackpacking, danceor cooking. Butstrictly speaking,these are not yetchallenges. Achallenge eventmust specifyan expectedperformance level. Itmust give us insightinto how the group

(or individual) will be challenged and at what level they will beexpected to perform to meet this challenge. Nobody's challenge isbackpacking or dancing -- it is a particular performance level withinone of those topics. The challenge event must be measureable.

An effective way to translate a topic into a challenge event is to:

1) Specify a performance level based upon the group'spresent abilities.2) Specify concrete goal-attainment indicators.3) Specify a time limit. Performance levels must be attained by acertain time. Put steps toward the challenge event on a time line.4) Specify any special conditions: limits to outside help, quality ofgroup interaction, sportsmanship and cooperation, or other factors.

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This process of shaping the challenge has several advantages.

1) It creates realistic expectations for all group members.2) It provides a standard for evaluation ("we did better then wethought" or "we got half way").3) It is an easy step to move from a well-articulated challenge eventto the initial stages of program planning.

One final word about shaping challenge events: beware ofstatements that imply all-or-nothing. There are situations, such assports challenges, where it is better to speak in terms of effort ortrying rather than winning or conquering. For if it is an all-or-nothing situation and the group does not win, then they might feelthat the whole challenge, and all the effort that went into it, was afailure. But there is no failure in trying, only in not trying.

Brainstorming Possibilities with Kids

Who knows what is best for kids?

Who should decide what kids want to do? The most effectiveanswer is the kids themselves! Given the necessary exposure andexperience, they can decide what is best for them in the context ofour (their) programs. As youth care workers, the best course ofaction we can take is to ask the kids how they want to spend theirtime in our programs.

Obviously kids can be misled as to what they want to do. They canbe unduly influenced by current trends, the media or peers. Butremember that, under all those outside forces, a kid is a kid. By theirvery nature, young people need to challenge themselves. They needto find out who they are.

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The most effective way to find out what kids want to do is to askthem directly, "What do you want to do (in this program ororganization)?". But this question is not as simple as it first mightappear. Many young people cannot understand the scope of thequestion. Others cannot formulate a coherent, meaningful answerto the question. (Many adults have real problems with thisquestion too.)

You may have to structure the question somewhat. Certainly adiscussion of your organization's mandate (i.e., what yourorganization is all about, the purpose of your job, etc.) might behelpful. An inventory of the resources available, and their limitswould also be helpful. This is not meant to limit input, but rather toput the question, "What do you want to do?" into context and

therefore make iteasier tounderstand.The kids may alsoneed a place tostart. We havefound that breakingdown the myriad ofpossibilities intothe eight differentchallengecategories is veryhelpful in thisprocess.

Outlining each category will undoubtedly give the kids a lot ofideas. Examples of activities in each category can be helpful, but becareful not to unduly influence their subsequent suggestions.

From here a brainstroming session with the kids is usually the mosteffective way to proceed.

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How to Make the NYC Pro ram Work

Here are four simple rules for brainstorming possibilities with kids(adapted form Sidney Simon et al. Values Clarification).

1) Do not evaluate suggestions during the brainstorming sessionitself. This tends to make people defensive and interferes withcreativity.

2) Everyone should be encouraged to think up as wild a suggestionas possible. It is easier to tame down a wild idea than to spike up abland one.

3) Encourage quantity. The more ideas the better the chance that agood one will pop up. Every group member should be encouragedto participate.

4) Everyone should attempt to build upon or modify the ideas ofothers. Combining or modifying suggestions can lead to reallyunique and creative ideas.

For example, during a series of fast and furious brainstormingsessions, we received the following original and unique ideas:

Ice soccerTeens producing a community service commercialTwenty man full-contact racquetballjello-wrestling for kidsBuy an old Arctic icebreaker and attempt the Northwest Passage

Some of these ideas may have to be modified (maybe), but each onecontains the seeds of powerful possibilities. Kids are the best sourceof ideas about how they want to spend their time. It is our beliefthat it is best to get the kids to do what they want to do, rather thatwhat we think they should want to do. This is not always an easyobjective to accomplish (although it is easier than most peoplethink). This is our challenge as creative youth care workers.

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III: The Role of the Challenge Instructor

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The Role of the Challenge Instructor

Instructor as Guide

We call the staff member involved in the NYC program anInstructor. Of course he does a lot more than instruct. He specializesin creating learning situations. Children never stop learning. If anInstructor is good, then the children surrounding him will learneven when he is not instructing.

In terms of direct instruction, the Instructor is expected to have agood grasp of two important things:1) The content of the course, club, or contract material.2) The challenge process, namely; visions, goal-setting, planning,management, evaluation, renewal, and the attendant techniques.

This manual represents a major step toward developing these twoconditions.

The Challenge Instructor's role is analogous to the role of amountain guide. We use the guide analogy because, just as amountain guide does not carry his clients to the top of themountain on his back, an instructor cannot be expected to carry hisparticipants through their own learning and developmentexperiences.

Being a guide means perfectingthe art of allowing people todiscover things on their own. Interms of personal development,a guide creates situations for itsexpression but does notdemand this expression.

Like a mountain guide, anInstructor must know how toget the best effort out of eachindividual involved.

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And both guide and Instructor work to help their clients gain theskills and experience necessary for them to go out and do it on theirown. A good guide will work himself out of a job; he will teach sowell that his clients can go out and climb their own mountains, meettheir own challenges.

As Instructors we can use our adult knowledge and experience toallow our participants to learn and discover what they want. Andover time we can help them learn how to learn and discover on theirown. A good guide/Instructor is one whose group , uponsuccessfully meeting a challenge, exclaims together "There, we did itourselves!"

As Instructors we are in a position to have a great (but notexclusive) impact upon teaching/learning situations. The primarygoal of these situations is to increase each participant's sense ofpersonal competence and confidence. No learning can take placeunless the learner possesses these.

A learner must feel that he is competent enough to master a skill.He must also feel confident enough to reach forward and trusthimself to learn. This would suggest that we make sure theseconditions exist in our teaching/learning situations or prior to thesesituations. If you could only teach your participants one thing, teachthem that they can learn. All other learning is built upon this belief.It should always be included in your lessons.

Teaching for Success

In NYC programs, the child is the curriculum. After all, we are notreally teaching rock-climbing, dance, or cooking, we are reallyteaching children. Their personal development is the standard bywhich we can evaluate our own teaching. We must adopt theapproach of teaching for success. Like guides, we have a vestedinterest in our students succeeding. Their achievements areour achievements.

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What we teach them in NYC programs is not as important as thefact that they are developing and maturing through our teaching(and through their learning).

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Although programcontent should not becompromised, the maindeterminant in anyteaching/learningsituation should be thepersonal developmentof the individual child.This principle becomesmore and moreimportant as theprogram progressesfrom courses to clubs tocontracts. For at the endof an NYC program, we

do not want a child who is merely stuffed with knowledge andskills. We want to see a child who has learned how to learn.

A good Instuctor will make it a practice to check that content-learning is happening in his group. However, it is even moreimportant to assess whether or not growth and development aretaking place. The Instructor should ask himself:

1) Are they learning how to learn?2) Are they taking control of their own learning experiences?3) Are they taking responsibility for their own learning?4) Do they see themselves as becoming more competent?5) Are they gaining a sense of confidence?

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It is important that our programs help our participants create awinning feeling. To a certain extent that winning feeling isstructured in the course phase. There is a place for badges, rewardsand certificates here. As the program progresses into clubs andcontracts, the responsibility for creating that winning feeling fallsmore and more on the shoulders of the participants themselves.

One final word about the Instructor's role as guide. As with amountain guide, one of the primary objectives of Instructors has tobe the safety of his charges. It must be recognized that safety is animplicit objective in any journey. In our programs, safety must takeprimacy. Safety, as a subject, should be taught in all NYC programs.Safety techniques and attitudes can be incorporated into the studyunits and practiced throughout the entire challenge program.

The role of the Instructor is indeed a complex one. The Instuctormust be many things to many people. He must be in control at alltimes, and yet let others take control when they are ready (althoughthese two types of control are not mutually exclusive). It is thepurpose of this manual to assist the Challenge Instructor in meetingthe demands of this complex but exciting role.

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Tools for the Instructor

In New Youth Challenge programs, there can be no set or inflexible'how to'. To really be effective, the Instructor must have a lot ofroom to use or express his own style.

An instructor can create, within his students, a desire to learn. Thiscomes easily when the following conditions are met:

1) The students have real input into the challenge vision and into thesteps necessary to attain that vision.2) The students feel that they are truly discovering the knowledge,skills, and attitudes for themselves.3) The students are allowed to see the learning process that theyare involved in. They should be encouraged to take control of thatprocess when they are ready.4) The Instructor should allow for a maximum of learner- directedactivities to take place. As Fritz Perls once said, "Only what wediscover ourselves is truly learned".5) The Instructor should possess (and show) a real sense of wonder

with regard to both content and process.

We must work hard to create an atmosphere wherein learning isexperienced as personal and relevent. We want to produce asituation where the child asks of the Instuctor "Please help me do it

myself".

The Tool-Box Approach

The Instructor could look at his role much like that of a skilledtradesman. No two people problems are ever really the same - just

as no two construction problems that require a skilled tradesmanare exactly the same. No single approach will be effective in all

situations. We recommend that the 'challenge tradesman' gethimself a tool box. This tool box can be filled with useful tools thatcan be applied to problems (opportunities) as the Instructor sees fit.

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The advantage of this approach is that it allows the Instructor tolearn from others (borrow tools from them) while still relying on hisown experience and judgement to decide when, how and where touse them.

Feel free

Some tools arepractical and someare theoretical.Practical toolsare usually

structured waysof communicatingor interactingwith children.Theoretical toolsare primarilyways of looking atthings orsituations. Thesetwo types oftools arcomplementary.Here are sometools to start tofill your tool box.

to add others to your tool box as you see fit. (Hint: Lookingat your own style probably holds a wealth of powerful tools).

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IV: Practical Tools

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Practical Tools

Base lining: Focusing on Progress

Base lining is a practical tool that helps kids link their present effortsto their challenge goals. A baseline is a concrete measurement of agroup's (or an individual's) performance ability before they embarkupon a challenge project. It expresses how much the group knowsabout the field in which it has chosen to challenge itself, and howwell it performs in it now, before they begin to work on thechallenge. A baseline represents the group's starting point,described as precisely as possible.

For example, before beginning lessons for a dance program, anInstructor could video-tape the current level(s) of dancing skillspossessed by the participants. This video-tape could be shown to

the group once or twice in the followingweeks (while the group is busy learning),and also at the end of the program toshow their progress. Different challengesrequire different kinds of baseliningtechniques.

The purpose of baselining is not tointimidate people with what they do notknow, it is to help them get a sense ofprogress thoughout the program. Abaseline measurement should berepeatable throughout the program andespecially at the end of the program. Thebaseline and subsequent progressbecomes the measure of a group'ssuccess. It could be up to the groupmembers themselves to devise anappropriate measurement that could beused to compare where they started towhere they finished.

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A baseline measurement can be a powerful motivator. When agroup is able to focus on its progress from baseline, it can see howfar it has progressed and will be motivated to continue to improve.Nothing succeeds like success. Just knowing that the measurementwill be repeated throughout the program will motivate kids toimprove.

Without a baseline measurement we can easily forget where westarted, thus we can become frustrated with our apparent lack ofsuccess. If we do not know where we started, it is difficult to seehow far we have progressed!

The notion of progress from baseline also takes some of the pressureoff of total goal-attainment. For example, you may set a goal ofdoing 15 sit-ups in one minute. Your baseline is, say, 7. You practicefor one month and are then able to do 12 sit-ups in one minute. Thebaseline approach would stress the improvement from 7 to 12, not theshortfall from 12 from 15. For some kids this is critical.

In goal-setting programs, it is quite natural to focus on goal-attainment. But this should not preclude us from giving ourselvesthe recognition we deserve for our progress prior to goal-attainment. To use a baseline measurement is to focus on the processof attaining goals.

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Practical Tools

Feedback

Effective feedback is a powerful tool in all teaching/learningsituations. Research has shown that feedback is one of the mostimportant factors in learning and growth. The purpose of feedbackis to communicate information to the student. This informationconcerns itself with the student's actions as they relate to his goals.

Feedback operates muchlike the electronic signalsin a guided missile system.It points out actions thatare not functional for goal-attainment, and reinforcesor commits to memorythose actions which aregoal-furthering. In otherwords, feedback helps uskeep on target. There aretwo types of feedback:positive and negative.

Positive feedback communicates to the student that he isimproving. It is the proverbial pat on the back. Positive feedback isreinforcing and tends to increase the probability for furtherimprovement. When someone is learning, it is important to informthem when they are doing well, and it is important to also tell themwhy they are doing well.

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Negative feedback, on the other hand, concerns itself with mistakes,judgment problems and poor performance. It is usually a necessarypart of every teaching/learning situation. In our guided missileanalogy, negative feedback keeps the missile on track and orientedtoward its goal. Although it is called negative feedback, the resultsshould be productive and goal-enhancing.

Giving negative feedback in an effective way is not always easy.Here are some basic guidelines.

Be Constructive, not destructiveRecognize the positive aspects of the student's effort and suggestconcrete steps for improvement. Feedback that destroys confidenceor threatens the student is not conducive to learning.

Be specific, not generalWhen trying to correct a mistake or change a behaviour pattern, beas specific and accurate as possible. Talk in terms of the smallestbasic units, not in terms of everything.

Focus on the behaviour, not the personGive feedback on what a person does, not on what you imagine heis. Speak in terms of a student "acting as if...", or "behaving like...".This leaves the door open for intentional change and avoidsthreatening personal evaluations.

Direct feedback at changeable behaviourFocus on immediate, improvable behaviour. Do not criticize thingsthat the student cannot change.

Be sensitive to the timing of feedbackSometimes timing is everything. There is a time and a place tohighlight and correct someone's mistake. Pick appropriate timesand settings for feedback sessions.

Practical Tools

Always check out feedback for clarity and understandingEnsure clear communication. Ask students to paraphrase yourfeedback. See if they understand what is wrong and what must bedone to make it right.

A Word about Mistakes

We all know that making mistakes is a natural part of thelearning process. And no one makes mistakes on purpose.

Mistakes can present us with unique learning experiences,providing us with knowledge that we could never learn withoutmaking them. As one famous statesman once remarked, "Welearn more from our mistakes than from our successes". Thepurpose of negative feedback is to turn mistakes or so-calledfailure.

Feedback and Base lining

As a tool, feedback can be made more effective if it is coupled withthe practice of baselining. Armed with a baseline measurement, theInstructor can focus his feedback directly on progress andimprovement. In many situations, this has the effect of turningnegative feedback into positive feedback! The Instructor can couchhis feedback in terms of "You are getting better, remember when youstarted?" or, "That was better than before, now let's try this..."Chances for positive feedback are enhanced by the use of baselinemeasurements.

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Goal-Setting for Youth Groups

What is a Goal?

A goal is a basic unit of program design. It is a desired future stateof affairs. It is a statement of intent, connecting a future vision withpresent realities.

A goal differs from a vision or a dream in that, properlyconstructed, a goal is subject to some form of measurement todetermine whether it has been achieved.

The Art of Purposeful Action

Goals play a key role in the distilling of visions into programs. First,there is a vision. From the vision we can identify a goal. Theattainment of a goal is what makes things challenging, and the exactnature of the challenge makes up a tangible program.

Vision Goal H ChallengeProgram

(activities)

To a certain extent goals are part of the vision, but they alsorepresent the first step in the process of achieving the vision. Goalsmake action purposeful. Goals allow us to focus our energy, and playan important role in helping us get what we want.

In a youth program, goals help in the creation of a group identity.Goals help give each individual member's actions meaning in termsof the whole team. They also provide the group with a sense ofworth.

Practical Tools

Operational Goals

Goals that are stated in clear and measurable terms are calledoperational goals. They are stated in such a way that we can work withthem; they give us a base from which to operate. An operational goalshould specify the following:

1) What concrete actions are necessary to signify goal achievement.2) A time frame for goal achievement.3) Any special conditions required in the process of attaining the goal.

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When dealing with goals(especially group goals), askyourself, "Is this goal clearlystated, can we tell when it hasbeen achieved, does it have atime frame, and are there anyspecial conditions attached"?The more operational the goal,the easier it is to make a concreteplan of action.

The distinction betweenoperational and non-operationalgoals can be drawn according towhether a basis exists for relatingthe goal to possible action by thegroup.

For example:

Non-operational goal-statement: "We want to get into dancing".

Operational goal-statement: "We want to start our own teen dancetroupe and perform in a show at the Senior's Centre at Christmas time".

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Both of these statements may conjure up the same vision, but theoperationalized goal-statement provides us with important cluesabout how to proceed.

Long-range goals are often non-operational. They can be brokendown into sub-goals that are more operational. Many world-famousathletes, businessmen, and adventurers use this technique toachieve the 'impossible'.

Group Goals and Individual Commitment

When creating (or negotiating) group goals, one of the mainobjectives is to secure maximum individual commitment. The morethe group members are commited to the goal, the more likely it is tobe achieved, and the more likely it is that each member will getwhat they wanted. Individual commitment to a group goal dependsupon the following factors:

1) How attractive or desirable the goal seems.2) How likely the group is to accomplish the goal.3) How challenging the goal is.4) Being able to tell when the goal has been achieved.5) Ways in which the group members interact.6) How much input or control is allowed for each group member.

All these factors should be taken into consideration when groupgoals are being discussed. A word of caution: a majority vote is notalways the best way to resolve disputes about group goals.

A final word about group goals. Goals are meant to serve the groupand its members. When pursuing a group goal, get feedback fromthe individual members. Ask them, "Is this what you wanted"?Make sure that the goal is in fact serving the group, and not thegroup serving the goal!

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V: Theoretical Tools

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Theoretical Tools

Frameworks for Motivation

Motivation can be defined as 'the will to achieve'. It is that whichmoves a person to act. Motivation gives a program its energy.

Motivating kids is a constant concern in youth programming. Wemust motivate kids both to become involved and to stay involved.The central question is "What causes kids to become active"? Howwe answer this question has a major bearing on how we set up andrun our programs.

Stages of Motivation

It seems obvious thatdifferent things motivatedifferent people. In normalprogramming situations,the things that motivatekids fall into fourprogressive categories orstages. These stages can befit into a framework inorder to relate them to therunning of youth programs(see Figure V.1).

A motivational stage is determined by two factors: its locus (source),and its time-line.

In stage one the locus of the motivation is external to the individualand the time-line is immediate. For example, a child does a choreand receives money from his parents when the chore is completed.The reward (money) is immediate and comes from a source externalto the person performing the action. This is the simplest level ofmotivation.

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Motivation proceeds in stages until it reaches stage four. Stage fourmotivation is represented by a self-directed child. He is internallymotivated and has developed the ability to act in terms of deferred orlong-term goals.

As a tool, this framework can be useful in two important ways.First, it can be used to help assess the current level of motivationthat is most common in a particular youth group. It can help figureout where the group 'is at'. Secondly, it highlights the fact thatmotivation can be conceived of in progressive stages, with simplerforms of motivation followed by more complex forms. In otherwords, there is a progression of motivational stages that can beincorporated into the development of a youth program. Forexample, if your programs were relying predominently on stagetwo-type motivation (a trophy, for example), then the next stage 'up'would be a program that incorporated stage three-type motivation(a short-term, self-motivated program).

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

LOCUS TIME

EXTERNAL IMMEDIATEExample: Child does a task fpr money

EXTERNALExample: Child plays games

INTERNAL

DEFERREDwell to win trophy

IMMEDIATEExample: Child plays guitar for personal pleasure

INTERNAL DEFERREDExample: Child pursues vision of playing in a band

Figure V.1: Achieving Motivation through the Challenge Program

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Theoretical Tools

Ideally, the progression would eventually lead to a self-directedyouth, pursuing long-term, personal goals. Stage four-typemotivation is implicit in the NYC vision. To attain this vision, weuse three complementary tools to motivate kids (or, more accuratelyto help kids motivate themselves). These tools can be usedseparately, but are most effective when used together in aframework.

+ Efficacy System Motivation

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Motivating Through

Visions are powerful motivators. Young people are alwaysdreaming of some future state. They imagine themselves in certainfuture-oriented situations. A child may dream of becoming a greatdancer, guitar-player or mountain-climber. This dream constitutesan idea of what he can become. It is a vision of personal excellence.Everybody has one (at least one), although some people hide theirdream or deny its existence all together. But just as every acornholds within it the makings of a great oak tree, every person holdswithin himself a vision of personal excellence.

A vision is a series of mental pictures. The person doing thevisualizing commonly pictures himself performing in a verycompetent, often heroic, manner doing something that he really wantsto do. Implicit in this vision is the will to achieve.

Contained within a vision, thereare a number of images. Theseimages are more specific thanvisions. Images are fairly clearand precise. For example, achild's vision may be to becomea great dancer. The imagescontained in the vision could bethose of the child dancing aparticular routine in a specifictheatre.

The important thing to noteabout images is that they arevery close to taking the form ofgoal-statements. Because imagesare concrete and specific, theylend themselves to becomingopera tionalized as goal-statements.

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Theoretical Tools

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The net effect is to bring a vision 'down' to a series of images, 'down'still further to an operationalized goal-statement.

In youth programs, we can help kids connect themselves with theirown visions of personal excellence. We can help kids work throughtheir vision and images to the point where they are able to articulatepersonal goal-statements. This process goes a long way in helpingkids to answer the question, "What do you want to do"? Armedwith well-thought-out goal statements, kids are then able to focustheir energy on achieving what they want. This, in turn, can act as apowerful motivator in itself.

Sometimes more is needed. Vision-shaping can help to create adisposition to act, but more may be needed to push this dispositioninto real action. There are two more tools that can be used toprecipitate action.

Motivating Through

Efficacy can be defined as the power to produce effects or intendedresults. A sense of personal efficacy refers to a person's belief that theresults of his actions match his intention. It is a feeling that he canachieve his goals. It is a general feeling; a feeling that goals aremeant to be achieved and that he has the wherewithal toachieve them.

Some people call this a sense of 'can do', or a 'winning feeling'. Itdoes not have to relate to any goal in particular, just to a person'sgoals in general. This positive (yet realistic) attitude is a necessarycomponent in the motivation equation. For without the belief thathe can act to achieve his goals (intentions), a person cannotmotivate himself.

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To promote a sense of personal efficacy in a child(ren), severalguidelines can be followed:

Start small. Have the child articulate even his smallest intentions(like going to school tomorrow, or playing floor hockey afterschool). Have him write it down. Help the child become consciousof all the intentions that he turns into actions and accomplishments.Turn intentions into goal-statements. Pace the growth of goals tothe child's ability to achieve them.

Use feedback skillfully. Take advantage of all opportunities to usepositive feedback. Use baseline measurements to establish a th:.,rneof improvement. Use a positive reinforcement schedule. Begin byreinforcing all goal-furthering actions, and later reinforce only themost effective behaviours. This stimulates the child to reach forwardand perform at his highest level of effectiveness.

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Theoretical Tools

Believe in kids. Certainly one of the most important factors in thecreation of a child's sense of efficacy is the Instructor's belief him.When an Instructor expresses a sincere belief in the child's abilityto achieve his goals, then the child's feelings about himself arealso enhanced. As Instructors we must believe in what childrencan become.

Motivating Through

A child's sense of personal efficacy is greatly enhanced by the use ofsystems. Combined with visions and efficacy, systems can round outthe motivation equation.

A system is an integrated plan. It is a step-by-step process that isfocused on goal achievement. Working systematically toward agoal means using a system that takes all variables into account.Through a system, actions are laid out in a logical sequence, andeffort can be related directly to results. When the actions needed toachieve a goal are laid out systematically and the path is clear, thenmotivation is enhanced. It has been our experience that workingtowards visions is best accomplished systematically.

The action contract on page 28 is a system. It lays out action in anintegrated, step-by-step approach. The format of challenge courses(i.e., Challenge Event, Study Units and Practical Units) alsorepresents a system.

Motivation is a complex psychological phenomenon, and yet it is amajor part of our jobs as youth care workers. There is a limit towhat we can/should do to motivate kids. We can work towardremoving the obstacles to motivation. We can do this by helpingkids visualize their goals, develop a sense of personal efficacy, anddevelop systems for effective action. After that, it's up to them.

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Self-Esteem

What is Self-Esteem?

As youth care workers, we frequently come across the term self-esteem. Many times we are asked to help a child raise his self-esteem, or we are told that so-and-so has a low self-esteem.

The notion of self-esteem has been criticized of late because of itsvagueness, and the difficulties encountered when attempting tomeasure changes. How can we tell if a child's self-esteem is on therise? It is even difficult to come up with a precise definition to workwith.

We do know that the word esteem means to value or to estimate theworth of. So self-esteem must refer to the value or worth that onepsychologically assigns to oneself. Although this definition is stillvague, it can be worked with in the following manner.

Self-Esteem and Efficacy

68

A child's sense ofworth is, to a largeextent, dependent onthe achievement ofpersonal goals. Whatis just as important isthe generalizedfeeling that personalgoals can be achieved.In short, self-esteem isdirectly related to asense of personalefficacy.

Theoretical Tools

If a child's past is full of broken dreams and thwarted intention,then he is likely to place a low value on himself as a person. On theother hand, those children who are successful in the pursuit of theirpersonal goals are likely to place a higher value on themselves aspeople. And the children that believe that, in general, theirpersonal goals can be achieved are likely to experience a greatersense of worth.

Raising Self-Esteem

As youth care workers, we can help children create their ownvisions of personal excellence. This step alone can go a long way toraising a child's self esteem. They learn to value themselves byvalueing their visions. But this step by itself may not be sufficient.

We can also play an important part in helping to make children'svisions become real. The bulk of this manual has been written tohelp youth care workers teach children systems for effective action.Using challenge courses, clubs, or action contracts, children canlearn to be effective in the pursuit of their goals.

In terms of self-esteem, our main objective is to help children aligntheir intentions (goals) with their behaviour (actions). A child's senseof worth increases to the extent that he becomes a person who can dowhat he wants (intends) to do. Matching his behaviour with hisintentions increases the control he has over his own life.

Frequently children with low self-esteem feel that they have little orno control over the course of their lives. They feel that they are atthe mercy of outside forces, and therefore they do not takeresponsibility for what happens to them. This can set up a viciouscycle of failure and plummeting self-worth.

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NYC programs can help change this. Setting and achieving personalgoals naturally makes children aware of the control they can haveover their own lives. These children begin to realize that they canachieve what they want to set out for themselves. From there, theyexperience a greater sense of worth, and begin to search for goalsthat are worthy of them.

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More Ideas for New Youth Challenge Programs

Adventure

Travel clubOutdoor games groupMountaineering courseSailing trip

Creative Expression

Theatre groupWriter's clubPhotography clubJournalism course

Sports

Ski challengeWindsurfing clubRugby team

Practical Skills

C.P.R. courseWoodworking groupInternational cooking classFashion coordination course

Logical Inquiry

Personal finance courseInventor's clubParliamentarian's clubMind expanders

Community Service

School patrol groupLibrary aide programFund-raising committee

Job Experience

Stockroom assistant coursePet exercise serviceBabysitter referral service

Personal Improvement

Memory training courseProblem-solving courseGoal-setting club

au-103

A Final Word

School-age child care workers are on the verge of somethingexciting. Our role in the development of children is expanding.Opportunities to make a real difference in someone's life areincreasing all the time. But to be effective in our new role it isnecessary to develop an integrated approach to youth care. Wemust be able to see clearly that toward which we strive. Ourmethods must be systematic and visionary.

If we can help our kids reach forward to the difficult butvaluable achievements that they desire, then we have done ourjob. If we can work to allow our programs to become vehiclesfor children's self-direction, then we have exceeded that whichis expected of us. The quest for quality youth programs isnever-ending.

We welcome any suggestions or ideas from you, the reader.Please write to:

The New Youth Challenge:

School Age NOTESP.O. Box 120674Nashville, TN.U.S.A. 37212Telephone: (615) 292-4957

Challenge Education Associates3284 Tennyson Crescent,North Vancouver, B.C.Canada V7K 2A8Telephone: (604) 980-1737

9 7 105

106

About the Authors

Maurice Gibbons, a professor emeritus in the Faculty ofEducation at Simon Fraser University, is a Harvard-trainedspecialist in program development. He has taught inelementary and secondary schools and has written severalbooks and numerous articles on how people educatethemselves. His best known works are 'Walkabout: Searchingfor the Right Passage from Childhood and School" (The KappanMay, 1974) and The New Secondary Education. Maurice is also anaccomplished wood sculptor whose work has exhibited inVancouver, San Francisco, New York and Australia.

Steve Musson has been working with youth groups since 1978.He has developed and taught basic rock-climbing, whitewatercanoeing, backpacking and other challenging programs foryoung people. He has worked with kids in Outdoor Education,summer camps, leadership training and school-aged child carefacilities. He is a skilled outdoorsman who regularly challengeshimself. Steve is currently an area manager for the Boys andGirls Club and continues his work in providing innovativeprograms for school-age child care.

ISBN 0-917505-02-6

9S

Selected Bibliography

Brand tmn, Nathaniel. The Psychology of Self-Esteem.Toronto: Bantam Books, 1969.

Gibbons, Maurice and Norman, Peter. Self-Directed Action.North Vancouver: Challenge Education Associates, 1983.

Johnson, D.W. and Johnson, F.P. joining Together: Group Theory &Group Skills. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1975.

Sher, Barbara. Wishcraft: How to Get What You Want.New York: Ballantine Books, 1979.

Simon, Sidney et al. Values Clarification.New York: Dodd, Mead and Co., 1972.

chool-age child care workersare on the verge of somethingexciting. Our role in thedevelopment of children isexpanding. Opportunities tomake a real difference insomeone's life are increasing allthe time. But to be effective in ournew role it is necessary to developan integrated approach to youthcare. We must be able to seeclearly that toward which westrive. Our methods must besystematic and visionary.

ISBN 0-917505-02-6

School Age NOTES P.O. Box 120674 Nashville TN. U.S.A. 37212 Telephone (615) 292-4957Challenge Education Associates 3284 Tennyson Crescent North Vancouver B.C. Canada V7K 2A8

100

Documents

DOCUMENT RESUME PS 022 784 AUTHOR Musson, Steve; … · DOCUMENT RESUME. PS 022 784. Musson, Steve; Gibbons, Maurice The New Youth Challenge: A Model for Working with Older Children