Youth Workin' It

Consultancy and Resources for Youth Workers and Organizations Worldwide

10 Travel Would You Rather Questions

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Would You Rather QuestionsEvery week, we’re publishing lists of Would You Rather questions with different themes – you can check out all the questions in the series here.

This week, all the questions relate to travel and the wider world. Beneath the list, we’ve also given some suggestions of some other youth group activities you can use that will tie in to this travel / global theme.

10 Travel Would You Rather Questions

Would you rather…

  1. have a two week vacation on a remote island or go on a cruise?
  2. climb Mt Everest or walk the entire length of the Great Wall Of China?
  3. eat a curry in India or pasta in Italy?
  4. take a train in India or a bus in South America?
  5. go on a safari in Africa or kayaking in Antarctica?
  6. travel by camel or elephant?
  7. see mountain gorillas in the wild in Rwanda or go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia?
  8. go to Paris for Valentine’s Day or the North Pole for Christmas?
  9. visit Japan or Brazil?
  10. travel across the US from east to west by train or by car?

Discussions / Activities

501 Would You Rather Questions
Get the book – 501 Would You Rather Questions

These questions are a great icebreaker to use when planning some youth group activities that encourage your young people to be globally minded (here’s why that’s important).

To help with your planning, here are some different resources, ideas, activities and games you can use when planning this type of youth work session:

If you liked these questions and ideas, check out all the other Would You Rather questions in this series.

Question: What other travel / global youth group activities would be good for using with these questions? And what other travel-themed questions can you think of? We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below.

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Youth Consumerism – Youth Work Session Plan Idea

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Youth ConsumerismRecently, Macklemore (and Ryan Lewis) has begun to make a name for himself (in the mainstream) in the US and UK with his song ‘Thrift Shop.’ I think we can all agree that song is “freaking” awesome! Besides being incredibly catchy and fun, it has a deeper message about consumerism.

Stephen then found Macklemore’s song ‘Same Love’ and we really started to appreciate his musicality, rhymes and messages. I started listening to his entire album, The Heist and found even more great songs.

One of my new favorites is Wing$ which has very powerful lyrics and music video. The main idea that I drew out from it (although like most of his songs it has multiple levels of morals and lessons) is that our consumer culture tells us we need things – in this case a certain type of shoes – to be someone or something of worth.

Macklemore himself said on his blog “The song “Wings” is about the pursuit of identity through the means of consumerism. The attempt is to dissect our infatuation and attachment to logos, labels, brands and the fleeting happiness that is intrinsically linked to the almighty power of the purchase. The subject I use in the song is shoes, but its aim is to paint a broader picture of being a consumer and tracing the lineage back to my first memory of retail infused desire.”

Here’s the video for Macklemore’s Wing$ – n.b. language warning – preview first (email subscribers click here to watch):

 

 

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – Wings Lyrics

You can use this video and/or the song’s lyrics for multiple youth work session discussion ideas about youth consumerism. Here are a few to get you started:

1. Macklemore has said that the song is about his first experience of “retail infused desire”. What do you think this means?

2. What does this say about consumer culture and how it affects us and how we care for our things? Why do people buy knock-offs?

The box, the smell, the stuffin, the tread, in school
I was so cool
I knew that I couldn’t crease ‘em
My friends couldn’t afford ‘em
Four stripes on their Adidas

3. Why are logos so important? Some people cover the logos on their shirts with duct tape. Why do you think they do that? (Most say that they’re not a billboard or being paid to advertise for that company)

On the court I wasn’t the best, but my kicks were like the pros
Yo, I stick out my tongue so everyone could see that logo

4. Do you know anyone who has been hurt for their gear? What happened? Why would someone murder someone for shoes or a coat – is it really about those things?

And then my friend Carlos’ brother got murdered for his fours, whoa
See he just wanted a jump shot, but they wanted a Starter coat though
Didn’t wanna get caught, from Genesee Park to Othello
You’d get clowned for those Pro Wings

5. What are some things that teens you know stand in line for, spend their money on or take from others? Why are those items important? Macklemore thinks it’s about trying to fit in – why is it important for you to fit in but also to be individuals?

I was trying to fly without leaving the ground, cause I wanted to be like Mike, right
Wanted to be him
I wanted to be that guy, I wanted to touch the rim
I wanted to be cool, and I wanted to fit in
I wanted what he had, America, it begins

6. What kind of things are you consumed by? Why do you think it’s important to keep shoes in such pristine condition – like only wearing $300 shoes on Sunday so they don’t get worn or have the whites marked?

I’m an individual, yea, but I’m part of a movement
My movement told me be a consumer and I consumed it
They told me to just do it, I listened to what that swoosh said
Look at what that swoosh did
See it consumed my thoughts
Are you stupid, don’t crease ‘em, just leave ‘em in that box
Strangled by these laces, laces I can barely talk
That’s my air bubble and I’m lost, if it pops

7. Is it wrong to want things? Is a consumer culture a bad thing – why or why not? Do you agree that some items that we make into icons like shoes, electronics and clothes are ‘just another pair of shoes’ or are they more significant?

Consumption is in the veins
And now I see it’s just another pair of shoes

Questions: How would you use this video or song with your young people to explore youth consumerism? What discussion questions might you pull out from the lyrics?

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3 Important Reasons To Help Youth Think Globally

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Global Youth WorkTomorrow I’ll be speaking at Open Boston.

There are going to be a range of topics explored by talented youth workers from across the North East. My session is going to identify ways to help students (as young people in middle and high school are commonly referred to in the US – which means college / university-aged students in the UK) think globally.

My session is going to be very practical, so there won’t be a lot of background as to why it’s important for young people to think globally. So, if you plan to attend my session tomorrow – you get a little teaser today! If you’re not able to attend, you might still find it helpful to understand why helping the youth you work with think globally is an important part of your practice.

Firstly, you may want to acclimate yourself to what Global Youth Work is – go ahead, I’ll wait.

OK, ready?!  So now that you know a little more about where I’m coming from when I talk about Global Youth Work, let’s talk further about why it’s important:

1. It helps fight xenophobic and nationalistic ideas

While having a positive and patriotic view of your country is good, thinking that all your cultural ideas and norms are the best and being afraid of anything different isn’t so good.

Exploring global issues with your youth will help combat these fears and help them to appreciate the differences in each of us.

2. It helps youth learn more about themselves

Sometimes things are a little too close to home. We need perspective to help us learn more about our ideas and values. Global Youth Work helps create the necessary ‘distance’ between issues that are sensitive to us, while still allowing for a productive discussion about them.

For example, a student who is being sexually abused at home may not want to address the issue as it’s too personal. Looking at sexual abuse from a global perspective and how it affects others may therefore help them work through their own situation internally, bringing them to a place whereby they’re able to disclose their abuse.

3. It helps students develop and explore faith issues

(For a good explanation of this, see pages 20 & 24 of Richard Stearns’ book The Hole In Our Gospel) For my faith-based colleagues, the Barna Research Group says that only about 6% of people who are not Christians by the age of eighteen will become Christians later in life.

Faith that is lived out through actions by understanding global issues and working to make a difference to change them can be a great testimony for others who do not have a faith in Christ.

Also, according to the Poverty And Justice Bible there are over 2,000 verses about poverty and justice in the Bible, so while it may not be God’s only message to us in the scriptures, it is certainly a big one.

These are just three of the reasons why students need help thinking globally. Tomorrow, if you’re attending Open Boston, we’ll explore some techniques on how to do it. Otherwise, check back as we will have posts in the future on this topic.

Question: What are some reasons you think it’s important for students to think globally? Share your thoughts in the comments below- or tweet your thoughts with the hashtag #OpenBoston.

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Enough Food For Everyone IF – Youth Work Session Idea

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Hunger Youth Work Session Idea(Edit: Since this post was published, it looks like the Enough Food For Everyone IF website has been taken down. We’ve therefore removed any dead links – apologies that this reduced the usefulness of this session idea)

Almost one billion people worldwide suffer from hunger, so there’s a new campaign that’s started in the UK called Enough Food For Everyone IF.

Purpose

The purpose of this campaign is to put pressure on the leaders of the G8 countries to commit to fixing four areas that impact hunger. The G8 is made up of countries with some of the largest economies in the world:

  • Canada
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Russia
  • UK
  • USA

The European Union is also represented at the G8, so a commitment by all these nations could achieve a big difference.

The four areas that Enough Food For Everyone IF are seeking change in are:

  1. Aid – Give aid to stop children dying from hunger. Help the poorest have enough food to live.
  2. Land – Stop poor farmers being forced off their land. Grow crops to provide food, not fuel.
  3. Tax – Stop companies dodging taxes in poor countries so millions can be freed from hunger.
  4. Transparency – Governments and companies must be honest about their role in the food system.

Video

Enough Food For Everyone IF have produced the short video below explaining about the campaign.

Who Is Involved?

Many large charities like World Vision are supporting this initiative, with many different faith groups and non-faith groups also being involved.

This is therefore a great example of organizations putting aside differences to work for the common good.

Free Session Resources

There are many different resources available on the Enough Food For Everyone website that you can use as youth group activities to address the issue of hunger:

  • Case Studies – This PDF has numerous case studies about people suffering from hunger in different countries around the world. This resource suggests splitting up into smaller groups to have the young people look at just one case study, but if you only have a small group in the first place you could just as easily look at all the case studies together.
  • Plate Activity – If you’re in the UK, this activity involves having your youth decorate a plate with their own thoughts, ideas and solutions to global hunger. You then send the plates to one of three UK based organizations, who will then send them on to the Prime Minister.
  • Learning Resources – This page contains links to 30 different free resources from charities like Oxfam and Action Aid that address the issues of Aid, Land, Tax and Transparency that this campaign is focused on.

What Are Key Stages?

There are references to Key Stage levels 2-4 on their website, particularly on the Learning Resources page. This refers to the age-appropriateness of the activities for students. Here are the ages that the Key Stages relate to:

  • Key Stage 2 – 7-11 year olds
  • Key Stage 3 – 11-14 year olds
  • Key Stage 4 – 14-16 years old

Therefore, if you’re working with teens, the Key Stage 2 activities will probably be too “childish” for your youth, so pick the Key Stage 3 or 4 activities instead.

Other Hunger-Related Resources

We’ve previously published a free youth retreat theme based on hunger, so that has many other youth group activities that you can use to explore this global issue.

In the comments on that post, TJ’s also referred to another organization called Kids Can Make A Difference that seeks to enable youth to make a difference about hunger.

Question: What other hunger-related resources have you used or know about? We’d love to find out about them, so let us know in the comments below.

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Youth Using Skills To Benefit Others – Youth Group Activity

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Youth using skills to benefit others
What skills do your young people have?

If you’re a regular reader of the Youth Workin’ It blog, you’ll know by now that we’re big fans of youth empowerment and youth participation.

This week’s youth work session plan idea aims to build on that and help show youth how they can make a difference in the lives of others.

Session Purpose

This activity is based on a video that highlights how one young person from Sierra Leone is using his skills to benefit his community.

The purpose of this session idea is therefore to get your youth to consider what skills they have and how they can use them to benefit their own community.

Session Outline

Show the video below to your youth group. Once they’ve watched it, use the discussion questions below – or your own – to explore some of the areas covered in the video and to help inspire your young people to take action.

Video

First, watch this video with your young people:

Discussion Questions

  1. Kelvin loves inventing – what do you love doing?
  2. What job would you want to do in the future, even if it meant you hardly earned anything?
  3. Kelvin’s taught himself how take broken electronics and fix them. What things do you actively seek to learn outside of school / college?
  4. He made a generator and created his own radio station to give a voice to other youth. What could you do to give a voice to other young people? (If they struggle to come up with any ideas, consider suggesting areas they might be able to get involved in, like sticking up for other students who are bullied or for youth who are trafficked).
  5. David said about African countries: “Unless we have a host of young people who can think at any given point that here’s a challenge, here’s a problem, here’s an opportunity to solve it, there won’t be steep growth in national development”. How true do you think that is in your own country?
  6. Kelvin’s known as DJ Focus, as he believes that “if you focus, you can do an invention perfectly“. What are some things you focus on that you can do perfectly?
  7. Are these areas that benefit you or other people in some way?
  8. His Mom was excited as people said good comments about him. Is this something that happens to you?
  9. If not, what could you do to change that?
  10. Everything he learned at MIT, he wanted to share with his friends, colleagues and loved ones. What do you know that you could share with others to benefit them?
  11. David runs an innovation camp in Sierra Leone that seeks to have young people identify some of the problems in their community and challenges them to come up with solutions. What are some problems in your own community?
  12. Now that you’ve identified some of the problems, what can you do to solve them?

Question: What other discussion questions would you use with your young people based on this video? Please share your ideas in the comments below.

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