the academy 2021
Peer mentors information pack
Explore Beyond the Unknown
Start
Released: October 2021Created by: The Academy Planning Team - Coline, Eirini, Emily & RaulGraphically designed by: Malkini Fernando
introduction
You have been appointed to be a peer mentor at the Academy 2021. This means that both WAGGGS and WOSM trust you to be able to carry an important message that will help Guiding and Scouting across Europe flourish. You are all unique and offer a variety of different and creative ways to facilitate discussions and mentor a group of people. However, there is always more to learn or other ways to enhance your skills. Read on to reach your full mentor potential! This pack includes general information, self-learning and some guidelines to support you in your mentoring approach.
What is The Academy?
The Academy 2021 is a unique Guide and Scout event designed to enable participants to get flexible and high-quality training and networking opportunities around the core priorities of the European Regions of WAGGGS and WOSM. The event is open to anyone holding a role at national level in a WAGGGS or WOSM Association/Organisation, ranging from members of working groups to Chief Commissioners. It's likely that participants hold positions in specific areas of work, including management (as Commissioners or board members), education or training (those responsible for programme/education/training), communication or representation (for instance in branding or advocacy) and they can be both volunteers and paid staff.
a joint event
The Academy is one of the flagship events of the joint work of WAGGGS and WOSM in Europe. The Academy is built on a strong tradition of collaboration and it is something that is important for you as a facilitator to be aware and to be ready to embrace. Participants come from countries with different models of Scouting and Guiding. In some countries, WAGGGS and WOSM work independently of each other, and in others, the two work quite closely. It is important to be aware of this and be mindful of it in the language you use while delivering your session. In WAGGGS, each country’s organisation is referred to as a Member Organisation (or MO). In WOSM, if there is just one organisation in a country it is referred to as a National Scout Organisation (NSO), and if there are multiple associations within a country each is referred to as a National Scout Association (NSA). While most facilitators may not be involved in both WOSM and WAGGGS work, please ensure that the language you use in your session is inclusive, referring to both Guiding and Scouting, or NSOs, NSAs and MOs.
Explanation of the symbolic framework
The world has changed in the last few years. The human race was not ready to face such change. Despite the huge efforts the scientific community made, and the quick development of several vaccines, that was not enough. The rich countries were soon vaccinated, and a relative calm lasted for a while. However, the fact that most of the countries in development didn’t have easy access to the vaccines allowed the virus to continue its mutations and spread again all over the globe. The situation was complicated and the WHO predicted that several new viruses could start appearing all over to make things worse.
The UN, aware that the health situation on the planet is degrading and foreseeing the effects of the climate emergency, started a secret project in collaboration with the espacial agencies of several countries, to explore the universe. The project, aiming to increase the knowledge about the planets of our surroundings and beyond, has been called upon by an ancient Greek source of knowledge, “the Academy”.Your role in this project? To save the world by exploring new discoveries in space: the Gaia Planet, the Expanding Galaxy, the Umbrella Constellation… on the infinite! Ready to join us?
the learning paths
Learning paths are important to show you a direction on your learning journey, but not to limit you.
The Expanding Galaxy
The Umbrella Constellation
The Gaia Planet
Going further and expand scouting and guiding impact This path covers areas around growth : Some topics to be explored during the different sessions:Retention & Recruitment of youth and volunteers, supporting adults to deliver Youth Programme,Advocacy: strategic partnerships, voice of the young people, external relations, governance and finances
Creating a more sustainable worldThis path covers areas around sustainability. Some topics to be explored during the different sessions: SDGs, environment, ecological conversion and change of mindsets, community involvement
Creating a space where every star can shine This path covers areas around diversity & inclusion.Some topics to be explored during the different sessions:Inclusive participation, Diversity : new public and profiles, Gender equality, Youth participation
the peer groups: Let's talk about the crews
Peer groups are informal reflection groups facilitated by you, one of our wonderful peer mentors! As this year the event is online, there is not a set time for peer groups. The peer group, together with you, will decide when and how long they will meet. However, you are expected to host at least six peer group meetings (more information beyond “how to be a good engineer mentor”). You can be flexible and set your meetings to last 45 mins. In the peer groups, participants will be encouraged to reflect on their learning experience and on the impact of each of their experiences during the Academy. The results of the peer group will be shared with the Academy planning team, in order to give the opportunity to change and adapt the programme and content to the needs of participants. In addition, every session will include a short moment of evaluation of the impact in the context of participants’ personal work (local, national, international level). This year, the peer groups will deliver & present a peer group project.
Continued...
In general, each peer group session should have three parts.1. Sharing and reflections on the day.2. Prepare the peer group project (explained below)3. Practical evaluation and space for questions or requests Once you cover the three topics we mentioned above, the methodologies you use are totally up to you. However, in order to help get your creative juices flowing, we have compiled some examples in the Appendix to help. PLEASE NOTE: It is important that you take note of any difficulties that participants are having and report back to the Academy Team. This year, linked with the Academy's symbolic framework, participants will be crew members of this ambitious project: they are the core of the mission, and different vessels have been sent to space, hoping that some succeed to find a suitable planet for us. A chief engineer will support each crew in its mission: the peer mentor.
Continued...
Each peer group needs to gather as many resources and essential objects as possible to be successful in its mission. During the event, they can collect them by attending sessions and participating in side activities. To gain these resources, crew members will have to attend a certain amount of sessions among the different formats offered :
- Live sessions and facilitated discussions during the week-ends
- Self-directed learnings available online for the duration of the Academy
- Peer group meetings in the function of the availability of the participants
- Social events during the weekend, possibility to meet during the week through the platforms
Together with your peer mentor you will arrange your first meeting before the start of the event. You will meet regularly to reflect on your learning journey and your mission is to create a peer group project by the end of the Academy 2021. As a chief engineer, you will support them in organizing their crew and creating a new project to save the world.
Important note: As the aim is to maximize the networking between participants, we encourage that each peer group attends at least 4 different sessions per slot. This will be the requirement to obtain the resource associated with each slot of live sessions. That would need a bit of preparation & discussion between your group to decide who will attend which session. Remember that each session is running twice, so if someone wants to attend a specific one, there is more than one possibility to do so. At the end of the day you can have separate discussions to update each other on the content of the session you attended. Although being highly encouraged it is not mandatory, but they need to be aware that if they don’t attend 4 of the sessions offered at a time, they may not obtain the slot resource.
Peer group project: creating a time capsule!
This year again, participants will be required to prepare a peer group project. This is to encourage productive networking with their peers, but also to share the word for the impact of Scouting & Guiding and how we can react in our environment in a post-pandemic world.Precisely, your role will be to facilitate the process for the peer groups to build their peer group project. As we are in space and the distance between planet Earth and the newly discovered planets and galaxies is immense, there is only one solution so that the projects created can reach the Academy project organisers and be broadcast around the world: creating a time capsule. The content of these capsules will be presented by the crews during the closing ceremony, and the time capsules launched to return to earth.
Continued...
Here few indications about how these time capsules should be created : This is about giving the crews (peer groups) the collective responsibility to contribute together and see that youth organizations (and individuals) have to work together to make a change and set the direction for this generation and our future ones.We are asking for personal commitment by using “We”. Together, we are looking ahead in a new direction, reflecting and acting in a more positive way. This is your frame to work with your peer group. It could be looked at through the eyes of the different groups/perspectives but pushes no specific agenda onto the group. It could be presented in whatever manner the group wishes: no limits to their imagination, do not forget that we are in space! In the closing ceremony, we will ask the peer groups to share their projects together. Each peer group will have 2 minutes in the closing ceremony to present their project summary: it could be a basic message/ motto of what they have worked on with their peer group or an online poster that they have created. Let’s think out of the box!They will then share their full submission (time capsule) with the Planning Team and we will promote their projects through the Academy channels (website, Facebook page) after the event.
Continued...
Tips on how you could facilitate the discussion for the peer group project:
- Set clear expectations: what is this project, what will be the impact, how much time you will work on this daily, who will be involved (the whole group, but maybe 1-2 participants can take the coordination lead apart from you)
- Make sure this is communicated in your 1st meeting with your peer group
- Brainstorm ideas based on the main theme: “Explore beyond the unknown”” .
- The project will keep evolving as participants will actively participate in the different sessions, so keep space for new ideas.
- Make sure that your peer group can find time to work on this project: You could either allocate specific time in your meetings (10 mins) or let the team be more flexible, but get 2 minutes updates on the progress they have done while working outside the peer group meeting time.
- Share that this will be shared widely after the event in the Academy communications channels. This hopefully will motivate them even more :)
- Present it as something exciting and interesting to work on and build enthusiasm, so that it will not feel as “mandatory homework”
- Reach to our team, if you have questions, comments or other observations you want to share
Expectations of a peer mentor: how to be a good engineer mentor
Your role during the Academy will be to support participants to engage with the training and maximise their growth throughout the event.You are expected to host at least six peer group meetings:
- 27th October: Launch of the peer groups (see below about requirements for the first meeting) in order to allow the crew members to meet and to discover a bit about the Academy
- One meeting during the first week-end to reflect on learning and determine the main objective of the peer group project
- Two meetings during the second week to reflect on learning and work on the project
- One meeting before the closing ceremony to reflect on learning and finalise the presentation of the project
- You will also be expected to attend the closing ceremony on 7th November.
There are three key missions for you to complete as a peer mentor;
- Ensure your crew is engaged
- Allow time for your crew to reflect on their learning and how this will impact them moving forwards
- Support your crew to complete their project
Information to help you with these tasks is outlined in the next slide
Continued...
1.Engagement
● Involve participantsUsing a variety of techniques will help a much wider range of people engage fully in your peer group meeting. We all differ in how we learn and take in information, whether we prefer to speak in large groups or small ones, if we need to move our bodies for our minds to stay active, how much reflection time we need etc.Remember, not everyone will have the same expertise interacting with varying online tools and it's your role to support and enable participants where possible. ● Active listeningActive Listening is about suspending our own thought processes and making a conscious effort to hear and understand another person's position. This is a key competency of any peer group/engineer mentor and even more necessary with online mentorship.This is in contrast to how we listen in normal conversation when we often only lend half an ear to the speaker and continue to think about what we want to say next. There comes a point in most discussions when someone needs to pull everything together and move on to the next stage of the process.Active listening online means avoiding communicating with other people offline or consulting the chatbox where possible. You should model active listening and support participants to rearrange and guide their thoughts. An actively listening mentor can summarise where the discussion has got to and where it still needs to go.
If you want people to engage during a discussion, you have to make that clear upfront. Great discussions get everyone engaged within the first five minutes and create the conditions to learn. To help you achieve this, there are some pointers below; ● Bring everyone togetherThe key to mentoring is that you and the participants are equals - you all share the responsibility to create a good learning experience. You may find that sharing your own experiences will encourage others to actively contribute. Creating a safe space online and modelling behaviour is key to encouraging participation. You may not personally be involved in both WOSM and WAGGGS, but please ensure that the language you use in your session is inclusive, referring to both Guiding and Scouting, or NSOs, NSAs and MOs. ● Set clear expectationsTogether, you have a collective responsibility to set and support the expectations of the peer group. You should use the code of conduct and discuss or reframe any expectations at the beginning of the peer group discussion to ensure you can meet them.Make sure you define: how long your meetings will be? What tools will be used? Will participants have to complete tasks?
1.Engagement
● Involve participantsUsing a variety of techniques will help a much wider range of people engage fully in your peer group meeting. We all differ in how we learn and take in information, whether we prefer to speak in large groups or small ones, if we need to move our bodies for our minds to stay active, how much reflection time we need etc.Remember, not everyone will have the same expertise interacting with varying online tools and it's your role to support and enable participants where possible. ● Active listeningActive Listening is about suspending our own thought processes and making a conscious effort to hear and understand another person's position. This is a key competency of any peer group/engineer mentor and even more necessary with online mentorship.This is in contrast to how we listen in normal conversation when we often only lend half an ear to the speaker and continue to think about what we want to say next. There comes a point in most discussions when someone needs to pull everything together and move on to the next stage of the process.Active listening online means avoiding communicating with other people offline or consulting the chatbox where possible. You should model active listening and support participants to rearrange and guide their thoughts. An actively listening mentor can summarise where the discussion has got to and where it still needs to go.
If you want people to engage during a discussion, you have to make that clear upfront. Great discussions get everyone engaged within the first five minutes and create the conditions to learn. To help you achieve this, there are some pointers below; ● Bring everyone togetherThe key to mentoring is that you and the participants are equals - you all share the responsibility to create a good learning experience. You may find that sharing your own experiences will encourage others to actively contribute. Creating a safe space online and modelling behaviour is key to encouraging participation. You may not personally be involved in both WOSM and WAGGGS, but please ensure that the language you use in your session is inclusive, referring to both Guiding and Scouting, or NSOs, NSAs and MOs. ● Set clear expectationsTogether, you have a collective responsibility to set and support the expectations of the peer group. You should use the code of conduct and discuss or reframe any expectations at the beginning of the peer group discussion to ensure you can meet them.Make sure you define: how long your meetings will be? What tools will be used? Will participants have to complete tasks?
● Make it safe to engageIt is just as important online as offline to create a safe space. We learn best when we feel safe, as we are willing to try out things and explore new ideas. Different life experiences, personalities and cultural expectations mean that what makes us feel safe can vary and as a mentor, you should create the conditions for all.- Complete the team building activities at your first session. This will help the team get to know each other and feel more comfortable sharing.- Work together to set and regularly recap the ground rules for your crew.- Use your body language and look into the camera, to connect with and respond to the body language and statements from participants.- Be aware of different personalities and cultural differences within your crew - do not make assumptions about people’s behaviour. Through careful preparations, you will be able to create a safe space for all, to understand themselves, learn, surface their assumptions and question their previous perceptions and judgments.
● TechnologyAs a mentor, you should be familiar and practised with the platform we are using (gather town). Don't forget, a stable internet connection and good light are necessary.In your first meeting, you will undertake a tour of the platform to ensure everyone is comfortable.Bad connections can result in misinterpretation of a point or of who should/can speak or use video. Ensure you are prepared for this and how you will manage this. Shall you face any technical issue, do contact the Planning team for tech support
2.Reflection
● Sketchy Reflections: Create a visual representation (writing, drawing, or a mix) of your biggest learning from the day. ● Vlogs: Challenge each participant to record 30 seconds to a minute’s worth of ‘selfie’ style video, talking about key points/learnings/experiences from the day. Then compile the short clips into a peer group recap. If they’re happy with it, send it to the Content Team so it can be shared on the Academy’s Facebook (can be done just once, or every day). ● Quotable Learning: Ask everyone to choose a famous quote and explain why it connects to a concept from the day. Alternatives to quotes include a song, a movie, a piece of art, a brand – anything that gets them thinking deeper and reveals a bit more about their passions and interests. ● Hand evaluation: Ask participants to reflect and share the following questions: Thumb – something good, something they enjoyedIndex finger – something they would like to point out (could be good or bad)Middle finger – something bad, something they did not enjoyRing finger – something they will treasure from the activity/eventLittle finger – something little they want to add (could be good or bad)Palm – A prediction for the future - what are they going to do next?
Reflection provides an opportunity for participants to think about what they did and what the effects were. It also allows them to turn reflections on a specific situation into abstract understanding that can be applied to other contexts. Setting aside time for reflection as part of your crew meetings is a great way to imbed and enhance the learning. Make sure you plan the structure/method of reflection in advance and be mindful of timings - keep the discussions on track so you stick to your start and finish times. When planning your guided reflection - be sure to add some extra time for questions or technology hiccups! If you plan to use technology to engage participants during a session, ensure participants are aware from the beginning and are suitably prepared. Reflection techniques This is not an exhaustive or mandatory list, it is designed to spark ideas - feel free to be creative and use your own ideas/techniques!● Two-minute Recap: Set a timer for one minute and ask peer group members to reflect on one of their most eye-opening revelations or biggest questions. Set the timer for a second minute and ask peer group members to write it all down. These can be shared with a partner and/or the full group. If there are any particularly good ones, please get permission to share them with the Content Team so they can be shared on the Academy’s Facebook.
● High – Low: Go around the online circle and ask people to share their ‘low’ and their ‘high’ of the day. ● Graffiti wall: Put up a whiteboard (you have one in your peer group room!). Ask participants to write their thoughts on the wall. It is often helpful to start by writing some key questions to get the group going e.g.What did you enjoy? What do you want to do next? ● Photo Story: Ask each participant to take a picture during the following day which can be used to sum up a key learning or experience of the day.
- How to launch the peer groups: the crew ceremony (27th of October)
This will be your first meeting with your crew, it is important you offer a safe space for the crew to bond and learn a bit about each other and the platform. Ideally, your meeting should last approximately 45 min. Below is a suggested outline for the meeting, feel free to adapt/personalise but ensure all the activities are completed.
Important note: If you are responsible for more than one group, you can have the 1st meeting with the 2 groups together
Support for you
The Academy planning team are here for you! If you have any questions or concerns at any time, please contact us (info@thesgacademy.eu).Using the tech:Gathertown will be our main platform for this Academy. Make sure you familiarize yourself and feel comfortable walking around the “space”.Before the event, you can stroll around freely, using this link:https://gather.town/app/4Rnd4oQGpJjdq4oJ/TheAcademy2021There, you will find a dedicated room for your crew, named after your “spaceship”. This is a safe space that you can gather whenever you want and you can also advise participants to meet there for networking or for research in your library, where different resources will be stored.If you & your crew feel more comfortable using other platforms to communicate (WhatsApp, Facebook), feel free to do so. However, we strongly encourage that your main meetings will happen in gather town.
Tips for handling challenging participantsBelow are some potential situations that may arise with participants along with some tips for handling them. If you are struggling with a particular issue, please let the planning team know and we will assist!
Enjoy the journey to space creating your smaller safe space for participants & yourself!
" It doesn’t matter what country or what political system you are from. Space brings you together "
Valentina Tereshkova
thanks
THE ACADEMY 2021 EXPLORE BEYOND THE UNKNOWN
Peer Mentor's Pack
eirini.kappou
Created on October 25, 2021
Start designing with a free template
Discover more than 1500 professional designs like these:
View
Smart Presentation
View
Practical Presentation
View
Essential Presentation
View
Akihabara Presentation
View
Pastel Color Presentation
View
Blackboard Presentation
View
Higher Education Presentation
Explore all templates
Transcript
the academy 2021
Peer mentors information pack
Explore Beyond the Unknown
Start
Released: October 2021Created by: The Academy Planning Team - Coline, Eirini, Emily & RaulGraphically designed by: Malkini Fernando
introduction
You have been appointed to be a peer mentor at the Academy 2021. This means that both WAGGGS and WOSM trust you to be able to carry an important message that will help Guiding and Scouting across Europe flourish. You are all unique and offer a variety of different and creative ways to facilitate discussions and mentor a group of people. However, there is always more to learn or other ways to enhance your skills. Read on to reach your full mentor potential! This pack includes general information, self-learning and some guidelines to support you in your mentoring approach.
What is The Academy?
The Academy 2021 is a unique Guide and Scout event designed to enable participants to get flexible and high-quality training and networking opportunities around the core priorities of the European Regions of WAGGGS and WOSM. The event is open to anyone holding a role at national level in a WAGGGS or WOSM Association/Organisation, ranging from members of working groups to Chief Commissioners. It's likely that participants hold positions in specific areas of work, including management (as Commissioners or board members), education or training (those responsible for programme/education/training), communication or representation (for instance in branding or advocacy) and they can be both volunteers and paid staff.
a joint event
The Academy is one of the flagship events of the joint work of WAGGGS and WOSM in Europe. The Academy is built on a strong tradition of collaboration and it is something that is important for you as a facilitator to be aware and to be ready to embrace. Participants come from countries with different models of Scouting and Guiding. In some countries, WAGGGS and WOSM work independently of each other, and in others, the two work quite closely. It is important to be aware of this and be mindful of it in the language you use while delivering your session. In WAGGGS, each country’s organisation is referred to as a Member Organisation (or MO). In WOSM, if there is just one organisation in a country it is referred to as a National Scout Organisation (NSO), and if there are multiple associations within a country each is referred to as a National Scout Association (NSA). While most facilitators may not be involved in both WOSM and WAGGGS work, please ensure that the language you use in your session is inclusive, referring to both Guiding and Scouting, or NSOs, NSAs and MOs.
Explanation of the symbolic framework
The world has changed in the last few years. The human race was not ready to face such change. Despite the huge efforts the scientific community made, and the quick development of several vaccines, that was not enough. The rich countries were soon vaccinated, and a relative calm lasted for a while. However, the fact that most of the countries in development didn’t have easy access to the vaccines allowed the virus to continue its mutations and spread again all over the globe. The situation was complicated and the WHO predicted that several new viruses could start appearing all over to make things worse.
The UN, aware that the health situation on the planet is degrading and foreseeing the effects of the climate emergency, started a secret project in collaboration with the espacial agencies of several countries, to explore the universe. The project, aiming to increase the knowledge about the planets of our surroundings and beyond, has been called upon by an ancient Greek source of knowledge, “the Academy”.Your role in this project? To save the world by exploring new discoveries in space: the Gaia Planet, the Expanding Galaxy, the Umbrella Constellation… on the infinite! Ready to join us?
the learning paths
Learning paths are important to show you a direction on your learning journey, but not to limit you.
The Expanding Galaxy
The Umbrella Constellation
The Gaia Planet
Going further and expand scouting and guiding impact This path covers areas around growth : Some topics to be explored during the different sessions:Retention & Recruitment of youth and volunteers, supporting adults to deliver Youth Programme,Advocacy: strategic partnerships, voice of the young people, external relations, governance and finances
Creating a more sustainable worldThis path covers areas around sustainability. Some topics to be explored during the different sessions: SDGs, environment, ecological conversion and change of mindsets, community involvement
Creating a space where every star can shine This path covers areas around diversity & inclusion.Some topics to be explored during the different sessions:Inclusive participation, Diversity : new public and profiles, Gender equality, Youth participation
the peer groups: Let's talk about the crews
Peer groups are informal reflection groups facilitated by you, one of our wonderful peer mentors! As this year the event is online, there is not a set time for peer groups. The peer group, together with you, will decide when and how long they will meet. However, you are expected to host at least six peer group meetings (more information beyond “how to be a good engineer mentor”). You can be flexible and set your meetings to last 45 mins. In the peer groups, participants will be encouraged to reflect on their learning experience and on the impact of each of their experiences during the Academy. The results of the peer group will be shared with the Academy planning team, in order to give the opportunity to change and adapt the programme and content to the needs of participants. In addition, every session will include a short moment of evaluation of the impact in the context of participants’ personal work (local, national, international level). This year, the peer groups will deliver & present a peer group project.
Continued...
In general, each peer group session should have three parts.1. Sharing and reflections on the day.2. Prepare the peer group project (explained below)3. Practical evaluation and space for questions or requests Once you cover the three topics we mentioned above, the methodologies you use are totally up to you. However, in order to help get your creative juices flowing, we have compiled some examples in the Appendix to help. PLEASE NOTE: It is important that you take note of any difficulties that participants are having and report back to the Academy Team. This year, linked with the Academy's symbolic framework, participants will be crew members of this ambitious project: they are the core of the mission, and different vessels have been sent to space, hoping that some succeed to find a suitable planet for us. A chief engineer will support each crew in its mission: the peer mentor.
Continued...
Each peer group needs to gather as many resources and essential objects as possible to be successful in its mission. During the event, they can collect them by attending sessions and participating in side activities. To gain these resources, crew members will have to attend a certain amount of sessions among the different formats offered :
- Live sessions and facilitated discussions during the week-ends
- Self-directed learnings available online for the duration of the Academy
- Peer group meetings in the function of the availability of the participants
- Social events during the weekend, possibility to meet during the week through the platforms
Together with your peer mentor you will arrange your first meeting before the start of the event. You will meet regularly to reflect on your learning journey and your mission is to create a peer group project by the end of the Academy 2021. As a chief engineer, you will support them in organizing their crew and creating a new project to save the world.Important note: As the aim is to maximize the networking between participants, we encourage that each peer group attends at least 4 different sessions per slot. This will be the requirement to obtain the resource associated with each slot of live sessions. That would need a bit of preparation & discussion between your group to decide who will attend which session. Remember that each session is running twice, so if someone wants to attend a specific one, there is more than one possibility to do so. At the end of the day you can have separate discussions to update each other on the content of the session you attended. Although being highly encouraged it is not mandatory, but they need to be aware that if they don’t attend 4 of the sessions offered at a time, they may not obtain the slot resource.
Peer group project: creating a time capsule!
This year again, participants will be required to prepare a peer group project. This is to encourage productive networking with their peers, but also to share the word for the impact of Scouting & Guiding and how we can react in our environment in a post-pandemic world.Precisely, your role will be to facilitate the process for the peer groups to build their peer group project. As we are in space and the distance between planet Earth and the newly discovered planets and galaxies is immense, there is only one solution so that the projects created can reach the Academy project organisers and be broadcast around the world: creating a time capsule. The content of these capsules will be presented by the crews during the closing ceremony, and the time capsules launched to return to earth.
Continued...
Here few indications about how these time capsules should be created : This is about giving the crews (peer groups) the collective responsibility to contribute together and see that youth organizations (and individuals) have to work together to make a change and set the direction for this generation and our future ones.We are asking for personal commitment by using “We”. Together, we are looking ahead in a new direction, reflecting and acting in a more positive way. This is your frame to work with your peer group. It could be looked at through the eyes of the different groups/perspectives but pushes no specific agenda onto the group. It could be presented in whatever manner the group wishes: no limits to their imagination, do not forget that we are in space! In the closing ceremony, we will ask the peer groups to share their projects together. Each peer group will have 2 minutes in the closing ceremony to present their project summary: it could be a basic message/ motto of what they have worked on with their peer group or an online poster that they have created. Let’s think out of the box!They will then share their full submission (time capsule) with the Planning Team and we will promote their projects through the Academy channels (website, Facebook page) after the event.
Continued...
Tips on how you could facilitate the discussion for the peer group project:
Expectations of a peer mentor: how to be a good engineer mentor
Your role during the Academy will be to support participants to engage with the training and maximise their growth throughout the event.You are expected to host at least six peer group meetings:
There are three key missions for you to complete as a peer mentor;
- Ensure your crew is engaged
- Allow time for your crew to reflect on their learning and how this will impact them moving forwards
- Support your crew to complete their project
Information to help you with these tasks is outlined in the next slideContinued...
1.Engagement
● Involve participantsUsing a variety of techniques will help a much wider range of people engage fully in your peer group meeting. We all differ in how we learn and take in information, whether we prefer to speak in large groups or small ones, if we need to move our bodies for our minds to stay active, how much reflection time we need etc.Remember, not everyone will have the same expertise interacting with varying online tools and it's your role to support and enable participants where possible. ● Active listeningActive Listening is about suspending our own thought processes and making a conscious effort to hear and understand another person's position. This is a key competency of any peer group/engineer mentor and even more necessary with online mentorship.This is in contrast to how we listen in normal conversation when we often only lend half an ear to the speaker and continue to think about what we want to say next. There comes a point in most discussions when someone needs to pull everything together and move on to the next stage of the process.Active listening online means avoiding communicating with other people offline or consulting the chatbox where possible. You should model active listening and support participants to rearrange and guide their thoughts. An actively listening mentor can summarise where the discussion has got to and where it still needs to go.
If you want people to engage during a discussion, you have to make that clear upfront. Great discussions get everyone engaged within the first five minutes and create the conditions to learn. To help you achieve this, there are some pointers below; ● Bring everyone togetherThe key to mentoring is that you and the participants are equals - you all share the responsibility to create a good learning experience. You may find that sharing your own experiences will encourage others to actively contribute. Creating a safe space online and modelling behaviour is key to encouraging participation. You may not personally be involved in both WOSM and WAGGGS, but please ensure that the language you use in your session is inclusive, referring to both Guiding and Scouting, or NSOs, NSAs and MOs. ● Set clear expectationsTogether, you have a collective responsibility to set and support the expectations of the peer group. You should use the code of conduct and discuss or reframe any expectations at the beginning of the peer group discussion to ensure you can meet them.Make sure you define: how long your meetings will be? What tools will be used? Will participants have to complete tasks?
1.Engagement
● Involve participantsUsing a variety of techniques will help a much wider range of people engage fully in your peer group meeting. We all differ in how we learn and take in information, whether we prefer to speak in large groups or small ones, if we need to move our bodies for our minds to stay active, how much reflection time we need etc.Remember, not everyone will have the same expertise interacting with varying online tools and it's your role to support and enable participants where possible. ● Active listeningActive Listening is about suspending our own thought processes and making a conscious effort to hear and understand another person's position. This is a key competency of any peer group/engineer mentor and even more necessary with online mentorship.This is in contrast to how we listen in normal conversation when we often only lend half an ear to the speaker and continue to think about what we want to say next. There comes a point in most discussions when someone needs to pull everything together and move on to the next stage of the process.Active listening online means avoiding communicating with other people offline or consulting the chatbox where possible. You should model active listening and support participants to rearrange and guide their thoughts. An actively listening mentor can summarise where the discussion has got to and where it still needs to go.
If you want people to engage during a discussion, you have to make that clear upfront. Great discussions get everyone engaged within the first five minutes and create the conditions to learn. To help you achieve this, there are some pointers below; ● Bring everyone togetherThe key to mentoring is that you and the participants are equals - you all share the responsibility to create a good learning experience. You may find that sharing your own experiences will encourage others to actively contribute. Creating a safe space online and modelling behaviour is key to encouraging participation. You may not personally be involved in both WOSM and WAGGGS, but please ensure that the language you use in your session is inclusive, referring to both Guiding and Scouting, or NSOs, NSAs and MOs. ● Set clear expectationsTogether, you have a collective responsibility to set and support the expectations of the peer group. You should use the code of conduct and discuss or reframe any expectations at the beginning of the peer group discussion to ensure you can meet them.Make sure you define: how long your meetings will be? What tools will be used? Will participants have to complete tasks?
● Make it safe to engageIt is just as important online as offline to create a safe space. We learn best when we feel safe, as we are willing to try out things and explore new ideas. Different life experiences, personalities and cultural expectations mean that what makes us feel safe can vary and as a mentor, you should create the conditions for all.- Complete the team building activities at your first session. This will help the team get to know each other and feel more comfortable sharing.- Work together to set and regularly recap the ground rules for your crew.- Use your body language and look into the camera, to connect with and respond to the body language and statements from participants.- Be aware of different personalities and cultural differences within your crew - do not make assumptions about people’s behaviour. Through careful preparations, you will be able to create a safe space for all, to understand themselves, learn, surface their assumptions and question their previous perceptions and judgments.
● TechnologyAs a mentor, you should be familiar and practised with the platform we are using (gather town). Don't forget, a stable internet connection and good light are necessary.In your first meeting, you will undertake a tour of the platform to ensure everyone is comfortable.Bad connections can result in misinterpretation of a point or of who should/can speak or use video. Ensure you are prepared for this and how you will manage this. Shall you face any technical issue, do contact the Planning team for tech support
2.Reflection
● Sketchy Reflections: Create a visual representation (writing, drawing, or a mix) of your biggest learning from the day. ● Vlogs: Challenge each participant to record 30 seconds to a minute’s worth of ‘selfie’ style video, talking about key points/learnings/experiences from the day. Then compile the short clips into a peer group recap. If they’re happy with it, send it to the Content Team so it can be shared on the Academy’s Facebook (can be done just once, or every day). ● Quotable Learning: Ask everyone to choose a famous quote and explain why it connects to a concept from the day. Alternatives to quotes include a song, a movie, a piece of art, a brand – anything that gets them thinking deeper and reveals a bit more about their passions and interests. ● Hand evaluation: Ask participants to reflect and share the following questions: Thumb – something good, something they enjoyedIndex finger – something they would like to point out (could be good or bad)Middle finger – something bad, something they did not enjoyRing finger – something they will treasure from the activity/eventLittle finger – something little they want to add (could be good or bad)Palm – A prediction for the future - what are they going to do next?
Reflection provides an opportunity for participants to think about what they did and what the effects were. It also allows them to turn reflections on a specific situation into abstract understanding that can be applied to other contexts. Setting aside time for reflection as part of your crew meetings is a great way to imbed and enhance the learning. Make sure you plan the structure/method of reflection in advance and be mindful of timings - keep the discussions on track so you stick to your start and finish times. When planning your guided reflection - be sure to add some extra time for questions or technology hiccups! If you plan to use technology to engage participants during a session, ensure participants are aware from the beginning and are suitably prepared. Reflection techniques This is not an exhaustive or mandatory list, it is designed to spark ideas - feel free to be creative and use your own ideas/techniques!● Two-minute Recap: Set a timer for one minute and ask peer group members to reflect on one of their most eye-opening revelations or biggest questions. Set the timer for a second minute and ask peer group members to write it all down. These can be shared with a partner and/or the full group. If there are any particularly good ones, please get permission to share them with the Content Team so they can be shared on the Academy’s Facebook.
● High – Low: Go around the online circle and ask people to share their ‘low’ and their ‘high’ of the day. ● Graffiti wall: Put up a whiteboard (you have one in your peer group room!). Ask participants to write their thoughts on the wall. It is often helpful to start by writing some key questions to get the group going e.g.What did you enjoy? What do you want to do next? ● Photo Story: Ask each participant to take a picture during the following day which can be used to sum up a key learning or experience of the day.
- How to launch the peer groups: the crew ceremony (27th of October)
This will be your first meeting with your crew, it is important you offer a safe space for the crew to bond and learn a bit about each other and the platform. Ideally, your meeting should last approximately 45 min. Below is a suggested outline for the meeting, feel free to adapt/personalise but ensure all the activities are completed.
Important note: If you are responsible for more than one group, you can have the 1st meeting with the 2 groups together
Support for you
The Academy planning team are here for you! If you have any questions or concerns at any time, please contact us (info@thesgacademy.eu).Using the tech:Gathertown will be our main platform for this Academy. Make sure you familiarize yourself and feel comfortable walking around the “space”.Before the event, you can stroll around freely, using this link:https://gather.town/app/4Rnd4oQGpJjdq4oJ/TheAcademy2021There, you will find a dedicated room for your crew, named after your “spaceship”. This is a safe space that you can gather whenever you want and you can also advise participants to meet there for networking or for research in your library, where different resources will be stored.If you & your crew feel more comfortable using other platforms to communicate (WhatsApp, Facebook), feel free to do so. However, we strongly encourage that your main meetings will happen in gather town.
Tips for handling challenging participantsBelow are some potential situations that may arise with participants along with some tips for handling them. If you are struggling with a particular issue, please let the planning team know and we will assist!
Enjoy the journey to space creating your smaller safe space for participants & yourself!
" It doesn’t matter what country or what political system you are from. Space brings you together "
Valentina Tereshkova
thanks
THE ACADEMY 2021 EXPLORE BEYOND THE UNKNOWN