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Session Summaries: LUHS Junior/Senior, Spring '07 |
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Intercultural Leadership Initiative
2006 – 2007
LUHS Junior/Senior #13
Multi-purpose Room
May 2, 2007 9:40 – 10:14
2006 – 2007
LUHS Junior/Senior #13
Multi-purpose Room
May 2, 2007 9:40 – 10:14
LUHS ILI Students: 19
ILI Staff: Matt White, Alice McFarlane, and Craig Kerr
We began with the students in a circle. Craig explained that this was going to be the last time that they were going to meet this year. The students were visibly and audibly disappointed.
We stood up and tried “lap sit.” This is a really fun activity to get people to engage with one another.
After we tried the “lap sit” we sat down and had them fill out the end of the year survey. When they were done with the survey, Matt asked them to write on a piece of paper questions that they had on the survey.
Then we began a great discussion on what should we be covering with the students during their time in ILI. As the discussion began to get going…the bell rang and it was time to go.
This was the last time this group will meet this year.
Bob Kovar, Project Director
Intercultural Leadership Initiative
Intercultural Leadership Initiative
2006-2007
Junior & Seniors LUHS Activity Period
February 21, 2007 Session #12
9:45-10:15am
LUHS ILI Juniors: 16 LUHS ILI Seniors: 15
ILI Staff: Craig Kerr, Ernie St. Germaine, Matt White
After a brief welcome that included the announcement of the March 3-4 retreat, Craig passed out a playing card to everyone in the group. He then said to get into groups, according to the numerical value of the card, of 31. When the group was formed they were to find something deeper than what they could see from the outside that they had in common. Then Craig called out 27. We then did this process a few more times.
After a few minutes of this activity, pens and paper were passed out and Craig asked the students to write down all the things they would like to change about the High School. While they did this 3 rope circles were put on the floor in a bullseye shape. The desired changes were gathered. Craig then asked everyone to stand up. The lists were read one suggestion at a time. Suggestions such as: “less cliques” or “more truth”. The students were asked to get into the circle that best represented their opinion of how much they wanted that suggestion to change. “Very much” in the center circle, “kind of” for the middle circle, and “not very much” in the outer circle. This process resembled a “physical” opinion poll.
Then Craig had them circle up and asked them to put out their arms. He told them to clap when He SAID clap. He then proceeded to count to three and then clap…..and then SAY clap. Most every one clapped with his hands not his words. We tried it a few more times and then Craig led a discussion about how if we want some thing to really change we need to expect people to do as we DO not just as we SAY. Craig encouraged them to know how much power for change they have. Then it was time to go.
Bob Kovar, Project Director
Intercultural Leadership Initiative
Intercultural Leadership Initiative
2006-2007
Fereshman/Sophomore & Junior/Seniors LUHS Activity Period
January 31, 2007 Session #10
ILI Students: 47
ILI Staff: Ernie St. Germaine, Craig Kerr, Matt White
Today we had all of the ILI students meet today because the students that are putting together the theatrical performance wanted to talk with all of the students about where they were in the process.
Today we had a large group of all our ILI students. We began in a circle and Craig welcomed everyone. He also told them about Bob receiving an award in Madison for ILI, and that the reason he received the award is because of what they were doing to make our community a better place. Craig then told the students that he had talked with the students who were heading up the performance that they could have the whole time to talk with their peers about the performance and introduced Jazmyn. The after school ILI group has increased their meetings to include Tuesday’s and Thursday’s after school so they can work on this performance.
Jazmyn described the whole performance, scene by scene. All the students were very attentive to what she was saying and were curious as to what would happen next. After she was done explaining the performance she asked about who would like to still be in the performance. Most of the students raised their hands. The students then went to Jazmyn to sign-up for being actors and Dustin if they wanted to be on the stage crew.
Craig ended the session with a question, “If you were in 7th and/or 8th grade would you want to come to an ILI session that was all day Friday, over-night Friday, and Saturday until dinner? At dinner you would perform something for your parents.” This is an idea the ILI staff have pondered and wanted the thoughts of the older students. Most of the students raised their hands in approval of the idea. A few students did not think that 7th and 8th grade students would want to do that.
The next meeting is Junior/Senior on Feb. 7
Bob Kovar, Project Director
Intercultural Leadership Initiative
Intercultural Leadership Initiative
2006-2007
Junior & Seniors LUHS Activity Period
January 17, 2007 Session #9
ILI Facilitators: Ernie St. Germaine, Alice McFarlane, Craig Kerr, Matt White, Marcy Jivery
Today we started with all of the students in a circle. Craig welcomed them and told them how much he appreciated them for being there. He also talked about the importance of what they are doing to get to know each other and being part of breaking a cycle of misunderstanding.
Craig told them due to the stress of the upcoming finals that we were going to keep it light. Then he introduced a new activity to the students. The activity is a memory relay activity. Six pairs of cards are set down in a pattern on the floor. Each group would have to send one person from their group down to the set of cards. They would turn over 2 cards and if they matched they would leave them turned over. If, however, they did not match then they had to turn them back over and communicate to their team where the cards were. The first team that had all of their pairs turned over would “win”. We had the students break into 3 groups of 7, and began the activity.
The students really enjoyed this activity. They did a great job communicating and working with each other. We played it several times and continued to change the cards, then the pattern, and then we put all of the cards together and put up some obstacles to some of the teams. We ended with everyone in a bunch right around the cards. We then had the sit in a circle to talk about what just happened.
Craig started out asking about what they thought of the activity. Some students said that it was fun, hard, difficult. He then asked them about the last round we played. The students commented on how the facilitators were giving away clues, blocking others from getting to the cards and having the cards change. Craig then asked them if the activity was fair. Most of the students said “No.” He then asked them how that relates to their lives. The students had a lot of good examples from home life, what happens at school, with friends, at work. We talked about how you deal with things that are not fair. Then Ernie talked with the students about the importance of enjoying the process of playing. He told the students that it didn’t matter to him who won, but he was enjoying seeing them play the game and work together.
Next Junior/Senior Meeting February 7th
Bob Kovar, Project Director
Intercultural Leadership Initiative
Intercultural Leadership Initiative
2006-2007
Junior & Seniors LUHS Activity Period
January 3, 2007 Session #8
9:40am-10:10am
ILI Staff: Craig Kerr, Alice McFarlane
Today was the students first day back from Winter Break. The overall consensus of the group was they had a nice time off and they were happy to see and visit with each other. Craig began by getting everyone in a circle and letting them know that he was glad that they were there. He then quickly overviewed how the morning was going to go.
The first activity we did was “elbow tag.” This is an activity where everyone has a partner. Craig divided a pair and they became an “it” and a “chaser”. The students had a wonderful time with this and there was a lot of laughing and smiling. After a while, Craig added more “its” and “chasers.” This added to the excitement and laughter. Finally, Craig had them sit with their partner. He asked them to share one thing that was good about their break and to share a New Year’s resolution if they had made one.
After they were done sharing, Craig had one pair join another pair. We then went into the activity “partner elbow tag.” It is the same concept of the above activity except you are now running with a partner. This activity always brings out smiles, laughter, and excitement. At the end of the activity Craig had the students sit down in their group of four. He asked them to share a past New Year’s resolution that had not worked and why. Then, Alice passed out paper and pens. Craig asked the students to come up with a goal for the next 6 months. He made sure to let the students know that it did not have to be an academic goal, but that it could be a goal that was relevant to where they were in their lives. After the students were done with their goals Craig asked the students to put these goals where they could see them so that they would remember what they had written and would be more likely to accomplish what they had set out to do.
Finally, Craig handed the meeting over to Jazmyn (the student that has been leading the charge for the theatrical performance). She talked with the students about meeting on Tuesday and Thursday after school to work on the performance.
The next meeting is January 17.
Bob Kovar, Project Director
Intercultural Leadership Initiative