1. Steps to build a Friendship Group
Step 1 Set the stage Step 2 Create safety Step 3 Watch energy levels Step 4 Select activities to facilitate group development Step 5 Process activities for learning Step 6 Facilitate connectedness among Friendship Group members
Steps to build a Friendship Group
Step 1 Set the stage
Step 2 Create safety
Step 3 Watch energy levels
Step 4 Select activities to facilitate group development
Step 5 Process activities for learning
Step 6 Facilitate connectedness among Friendship Group members
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2. Step 1: Set the stage Find a private place
Keep group size between 10 and 12
Sit in a circle, everyone sees
Adult & Youth facilitators sit across from each other for “help” signals
Everyone should be on the same eye-level
Step 1: Set the stage
Find a private place
Keep the group size between 10 and 12
Sit in a circle so everyone sees each other
Adult and youth facilitators sit across from each other so signals for “help” may be seen
Everyone should be on the same eye-level
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3. Step 2: Create safety Review ground rules
Use various low risk activities in early session
Help members feel accepted
Use various activities to promote connectedness
Support “Honor, Dignity and Respect” philosophy
Step 2: Create safety
Review ground rules
Use various low risk activities in early session
Help members feel accepted
Use various activities to promote connectedness
Support “Honor, Dignity and Respect” philosophy
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4. Step 3: Watch energy levels
Leaders need to watch for signal needs:
Needs for information
Needs for movement
Needs to express self
Step 3: Watch energy levels
Watch for signals of various needs; then match the activity to meet the needs of the group. People have three basic needs, and it is demonstrated non-verbally:
If there is a need for information, then there are clear body posture changes. For example, be attentive, raise hands, body leaning forward.
If there is a need for movement, then participants become fidgety or sleepy.
If there is a need to express self, than staff will clear their throat, lean forward, or take a breath, etc.
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5. Share what have you learned from these games
Knots and Vacation
Share what have you learned from these games
Introduce two low-risk activities now and allow minutes for these two activities to be played and processed individually.
Knots (See Youth Alive Participants’ Manual, page 39)
Vacation (See Youth Alive Participants’ Manual, page 51)
Ask the members of the Colored-cluster groups to share what they have experienced in this session.
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6. Step 4: Facilitate group development
Participate in group activities
Process what they have learned
Develop emotional commitment to a choice of staying drug-free
Step 4. Select and conduct activities to Facilitate Group Development
Through participating in group activities, Colored-cluster group members need to
process what they have learned and begin to
develop emotional commitment to a choice of staying drug-free. Involvement motivates toward commitment. The group facilitators can use several techniques to assist participation:
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7. Group facilitator techniques
Give permission to talk in a safe
and structured way:
Ball has the floor
Pen for “microphone”
Risk Slips
Group facilitator techniques
Give permission to talk in a safe, structured way, Some ways to do this:
Toss a ball from one person to another. The person with the ball has the floor and can speak, and then choose to whom to throw the ball next.
Option: can use a pen/pencil as a “microphone” in a similar way.
Risk slips (See Youth Alive Participants’ Manual, pages ) This game helps participants to share in a structured way. Don’t give the slips out in advance or some will be more advantaged. Let group members draw slips from a bag or envelope.
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8. Demonstrate by going first
As a facilitator, demonstrate what is expected by going first.
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9. Facilitate group development
Through the activities:
Opening (getting acquainted)
Working (share ideas and thoughts)
Closing (think of what they’ve learned and pray for one another to enhance group’s closeness
Facilitate group development through three major stages of activities
OPENING: Get acquainted by using low risk activities to know each other and build the trust level.
WORKING: Use activities for members to share ideas and thoughts with others and support one another.
CLOSING: Allow 5 – 10 minutes of the FG slot to bring the session to a close, helping members to think about what they have learned and its application, and to pray for one another in order to enhance the group’s closeness. The closing activity needs to be chosen by the group.
Break into Colored-cluster groups and select another low risk activity game until the group feels free to share. Suggested low risk activity game:
Fire (See Youth Alive Participants’ Manual, page 38)
Scary See Youth Alive Participants’ Manual, page 49)
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10. Step 5. Process Activities for Learning
Experience the exercise
Identify what they felt or thought
Analyze the meaning
Generalize, what did you learn
1. What have we learned? Use the EIAG technique to help Colored-cluster group members learn from the exercise as well as enjoy it.
E = Experience the exercise
I = Identify what they felt or thought. Ask, “What did you feel/think?”
A =Analyze the meaning. Ask, “What happened to you or to the group?”
G = Generalize. Ask, what did you learn? For example: I learned acceptance, patience, etc. Focus on the spiritual lesson that could be drawn from each of the activities performed. In this way the youth, while playing games, could be drawn to Jesus, the highest power that can build up resiliency.
Break again into Colored-cluster groups. Try an activity which introduces some working level and processing experiences now.
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11. Trust Walk game Choose the Trust Walk game
(See Youth Alive Participants’ Manual, page 82)
Process the game by asking:
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12. Trust Walk What did you learn from this game?
How did you feel being close to the leader or being at the tail end?
Do you have the same feeling if you are close to God or far away from Him?
Trust Walk
What did you learn from this game?
How did you feel being close to the leader or being at the tail end?
Do you have the same feeling if you are close to God or far away from Him?
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13. Then connect heart and head
Connecting does not happen on command
Then connect heart and head
This is an act of listening to feelings, identifying what we see or hear, then connecting it to what has been learned.
Connecting does not happen on command.
Remember the principle in life:
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