Financial Literacy Resources
Creative lessons and resources teaching financial literacy to youth K-12.
Paw Prints to Learning
Teach young people about animal welfare and how they CAN make a difference in animals' lives.
Activity
At-a-Glance
Time:
15 minutes
Materials:
- None needed
Physical Setting:
Large room where participants can sit on the floor in a circle or there is a circle of chairs
Sequence:
Best used as an opening or closing activity for a session. Use in moderation as young people could tire of it quickly.
Circle of Truth - An Energizer Activity
From Community Partnerships with Youth Inc.
Youth as Philanthropists
Objectives:
- To begin to build a team between the young people in the training
- To use the experience of learning more about individuals to explore our knowledge of community and how our knowledge affects our attitudes
Activity Theme:
“It’s the things in common that make relationships enjoyable, but it’s the little differences that make them interesting.”
~ Todd Ruthman
Activity:
The facilitator explains that many of us experienced a change in the way we perceive other individuals by participating with them in activities. “If we did not know people well before the activity, we may have been pre-judging what we think about them. When we don’t know the people in the community and/or organization or school, we can make false assumptions about them. Today’s activity will help us understand and appreciate others we do not know. We all need to get to know other types of people better by actually communicating with them to learn more about them as individuals.”
The facilitator asks the participants to sit in a circle, facing inward. He/she will pose a question to the entire group. Each participant will answer as honestly as possible, with only a one or two word response. The facilitator reminds participants that they always have the right to pass if the activity becomes uncomfortable.
The facilitator asks a series of questions with the questions gradu¬ally becoming more personal. NOTE: It is a good idea to vary the intensity level of the questions (i.e. after an extremely personal ques¬tion, ask a lighter, less intense question). Be sure to end the activity with a light, upbeat questions.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS:
OPENING:
- What is your favorite color?
- What is your favorite movie or television show?
- What is the name of your most beloved pet?
- What is your favorite food?
MORE PERSONAL:
- What is your special place?
- When was a time your felt frightened or scared?
- Who is the person you admire most?
- When was the last time you felt really challenged?
- Who is the person you trust the most?
CLOSING QUESTIONS:
- What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
- What community event do you enjoy the most?
- What quality do you look for most in a close friend?
- Would you rather be rich, smart, or beautiful?
Processing:
The facilitator should make the transition from the individuals present today to the larger community, organization, or school.
- How does this activity relate to the way we feel toward our community and/or organization or school?
- What groups or individuals do we tend to know about (neighborhood, groups they belong to, members of a faith-based group, peers they run with in school) and what groups don’t we know too much about?
- Is there a place in our community, organization or school where people from different schools, neighborhoods, and backgrounds come together?
- How might we find ways to introduce ourselves to others and begin to know them better?
- Have you had an experience where you participated with others and your opinions of those individuals or groups changed? These can be positive or negative experiences.
- Why is it important to know others better as your begin your philanthropic actions in an organization, school or community?
Application:
This might be a good time for the facilitator to talk about empathy and compassion. As the participants get to know more about the community and/or organization, they will be able to see more ways to impact the common good and become more thoughtful and intentional about what they do. This ties the activity closer to the definition of philanthropy.