While most of the activities are run in a similar format to other groups – Fortune 500, for example – there is a need for specific ideas to engage students and create discussions around what they are facing, the challenges and the solutions.
For example, bullying has been around as long as humans. It is difficult to say if bullying is more pervasive or reported more, or both. What we do know is that, in today’s digital world, young people are faced with bullying in all areas of their life so there can be no escape – on their computer, in email, on their phone, Facebook and any number of ways that extend the bullying far beyond school or the neighborhood.
How can experiential activities help us deal with this problem?
In many ways! Experiential activities can help boost self-confidence and self-esteem. They can open up lines of communication and create circles of trust and support that otherwise don’t exist.
Experiential activities help each one of us see what we do, NOT what we THINK we do. I had no idea I was a person who ‘yelled’ when I am very passionate about accomplishing a goal under time pressure. Turns out, I do it a lot.
The fact I am a ‘yeller’ in goal oriented, time pressured experiences is not necessarily a bad thing. It just is. The question I have to ask myself, and what good facilitators do, is, “Is that what I want? Is that how I want to behave and treat others in those situations?” Maybe yes, maybe no.
The best facilitators are mirrors for others to see their own authenticity. Then they gently ask questions and apply their behavior back to life.
So tying this back to bullying.
No one is born wanting to be a bully. This we know for a fact.
Two questions come to mind:
- Why do people become bullies?
- What do you do with a bully?
And most importantly, what can an experiential activity do to help students in this area?