Next Step Adventure :: mindful, creative, fun approaches to help people and organizations reach the next level
If you’re ready to take your Next Step with us, give us a shout!
Several years ago we were brainstorming about different approaches to adolescent pregnancy prevention, and came up with the idea of an adventure education program framed around healthy relationships. Part of the rationale is that it might be easier to talk about sex and sexuality while you’re busy climbing a wall or getting your group through a giant spider web. We developed Challenge for Healthy Relationships (CHR) and ISU/Polk County Extension has continued the program.
CHR uses trained and professional staff to work groups through a sequence of ice-breakers, cooperative games and problem solving initiatives. The activities are framed around a variety of aspects of relationships including trust, communication, sexuality, goal setting, decision making and healthy choices. Facilitators process the activities around relationships and the entire sequence is framed around the Full Value Contract as a guideline for healthy relationships–
Participants in Challenge for Healthy Relationships complete an evaluation tool that measures self-efficacy–a person’s belief in their abilities to deal with specific tasks or situations. The tool measures a group’s growth during the program. Challenge for Healthy Relationships creates a safe and encouraging atmosphere tor all participants and can be brought to a group’s site or be implemented at the Adventure Learning Center challenge courses.
Schedule the program by contacting Melissa O’Neil at 515.957.5767.
I became fascinated with brain research more than 20 years ago when science began to really get inside the human brain and explore it. I’ve done my best to keep up over the years as more and more information is added to the body of knowledge. Right now I’m planning a mind mapping workshop; this technique of visual note taking is very helpful for me, as I go through the world as a concrete random thinker.
Instead of driving myself crazy trying to fit into a more sequential world, I’ve learned to build on my strengths and find colleagues who can help me with details and task orientation. Brain research has helped me grow creatively and professionally. I use research on learning styles and personality types when I do team building and strategic planning. I’ve put together a post with links to a number of inventories besides the one below.
One of my favorite areas is adolescent brain development. Understanding how the young person’s mind is growing and developing helps me understand her mystifying behavior, sometimes. To that purpose, I’ve developed an experiential workshop for teens and adults that explore–
Other topics and areas of interest can be included. Schedule one session or more. Please email Martha to schedule the program.
–Martha McCormick
It’s always interesting to find out more about yourself. I think that’s what life is really about–finding out who we are and then becoming the best of that. So, whether it’s the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or the Chinese Horoscope (I’m a Tiger, rrrawrrr) on your placemat at your favorite ethnic restaurant, it’s fun to look at what it says about you and decide whether it fits or not.
Here are some links to quizzes that can provide some insight to your preferred personality, learning, thinking, relationship styles. Follow the links for free or inexpensive web-based assessment tools–
Some of the above are research sites; some may be more scientific and reliable than others. Please use your best judgement as you explore your inner tiger, boar or rooster!
This is a great game I learned when I first started working in Urban 4-H with Rick Hofmaster. It is hilarious and has a sneaky way of helping people become comfortable speaking in front of a group, even if all they say is “The stagecoach upset!” You can adapt it to holidays or themes like “Santa Claus is Upset,” “The Rocket Crashed,” “The Fruit Basket is Upset.” You get the idea.
How hard would it be to make a living running marathons? Salina Kosgei has done so since she was 16 years old, and won the 2009 Boston Marathon by 1 second. She trains hard, several times a day, and at 33, knows she won’t be able to run forever. She thinks of returning to prison work so she can be near her family, but what she really wants to do is run a camp to help other young Kenyans learn to run for a living.
This story about Salina is part of an American Public Media series called “Working.” The program profiles one worker from outside the US each month with the idea of connecting us to others who are like us, produce something we can relate to, connect us with the shrinking world around us. There are additional segments on a child laborer, a circus performer, a chocolate taster, cabinet minister, CEO, electronic recycler and pop singer.
Here are some questions to ask your group after you’ve listened to the program, about work and careers–
Providing opportunities for making choices and speaking out are critical components of a model positive youth development program. But it’s challenging to do this with a large group of kids who may want to go in 30 different directions. These skills and qualities empower youth to plan for groups they belong to and for advisory councils and committees. Make sure to help the kids you know develop these skills!
You and your group really should see the Tara Donovan show at the Des Moines Art Center. It blew me away! The scale, texture and rhythm are astounding, not to mention the materials she uses! Tara Donovan is a young woman artist who has made a name for herself across the country. The show lasts until September 13, 2009.
Rachael Jackson, Outreach Coordinator is anxious to set up programs and classes for your organization. Contact her and tell her Martha McCormick sent you. Their schedule is online so you can pass it on to your members or register for a class yourselves.
I’ve taught and played Speed for about a million years now, with literally generations of kids. I still love it but unfortunately my daughter can almost always beat me. I usually have to play until I catch her off guard though, just because.
Speed is a great game that also teaches math skills and reading readiness through patterns. I found this Internet version when I was searching for the directions and I kind of got hooked. Some of your girls may already know how to play the game; it would be a great opportunity to set up mentor pairs and have them teach their peers.
Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino will donate gently used playing cards on request. Email Kay Alcantar or call her at 515-967-1311 or 800-325-9015 x1311 and she will collect them and have them at the front desk for you.
I had the neighbors talking the day I cleaned and took apart 12 old computer keyboards for the Chrysalis After-School Kits out on my front deck last fall. Each CAS kit has a set of these keys. Eric Martin and I developed these teambuilding activities and I’m sure you can come up with some more. We started with the International Association of Teamwork Facilitators by Tom Heck.
We used the keys at CAS Facilitator Training 2008 for introductions. Each person got a key and used the character on that key to tell something about herself. Then each facilitator took a letter key and the group formed as many words at they could in a set amount of time. As a group got together to form a word, the leader made a tally mark on a flip chart or white board.
Download the Keyboard Team Building Activity for more ideas–Keyboard Team Building.
Cliques, gossip, put downs and relational aggression continue as difficulties for the girls’ groups. On the spring survey, about half the girls said gossip and put downs happen at least sometimes in their groups, and only about half the girls say they are stopped when they do happen.
In 2007, I worked with a small group of 7th grade girls at Brody Middle School to put together a video about cliques. One of the things the girls learned when they interviewed their teachers and counselor, was that adults have cliques too. When we played Group Juggle yesterday, people dealt with “gossip” by putting it in their pockets or throwing it on the floor so it wouldn’t interfere with the real work of the group. The real life parallel would be not passing it along or confronting the gossip with how hurtful it is.
Along with the video, the girls at Brody put together a program for the rest of their Chrysalis After-School Group. Here are some of the components–
