ÉAccessibility

We recognize that the activities in the We Lead! curriculum may have to be adjusted to meet the accessibility needs of your participants. Here are some examples of how facilitators have adapted their program to meet the needs of their community:

Several programs have changed the length of We Lead! Some groups held the program one day a week for several weeks; others held it once a month. In both of these programs the students were assigned homework between the sessions to work on their community service program.

Peer Choices – A program for adults with mental illness, had participants plan, develop, and implement micro-enterprises instead of a community service project. Participants broke into teams, and developed a proposal for their business which they presented to the facilitators and their peers before they were granted money for their business. Participants then developed their businesses and sold their merchandise at local conferences.

Week One: Inclusion and Self Exploration

Goal for the Week: Identify the Community Service Project Issue

During this week participants will interview community service organizations with whom the staff has set up meetings with. Staff may need to alter activities to meet the needs of the organization’s time.

Each day participants will participate in the “Words of the Day” activities. These words have been carefully chosen as key elements of leadership characteristics. You are encouraged to spend some part of the morning talking about why they were chosen and what they mean. In Week Two there is an exercise that uses these words.

Week One: Day One Participants and Parents become familiar with the program and with each other

Today’s Suggested Activities

• Parent and Participant Orientation

• Word of the Day

• Descriptor and Gesture Name Game

• Community Norms and Expectations

• Communication “Listening”

Materials needed for day

• Markers

• Large Piece of Paper

• Plenty of Room to Move Around

Handouts

• Word of the Day- Discipline and Clarity

• Blocks to Communication

• Trust Building

• Listening Exercise 1

Week One: Day One

If you are working with youth or participants’ with guardians we recommend you do a parent and participant orientation.

Parent and Participant Orientation

• Welcome

• Introduction of staff

• Pass out a We Lead! program calendar to each parent and participant

• Review philosophy and goals of We Lead!

• Clarify expectations of participants

  • Behavior

  • Contract

  • Consequences

• Excuse participants for their orientation.

(Lead staff person remains with adults while other staff and volunteers move with participants to another room to start the day’s activities)

Continue with Parent Orientation

• Discussion on developing participants’ leadership by encouraging participants to assume the responsibilities of young adults.

• Suggest ways parents can support the program goals in the home.

• Review Paperwork

  • Contact information

  • Insurance information

  • Media and Picture permission slips

  • Program / Staff contact info

• Describe what they could expect if an emergency arises.

• Invite parent’s questions and concerns.

Continue with Participant Orientation