1. El Paso County Attorney’s Office Teen Court Program
Smart Strategies
Facilitated by the
El Paso County Attorney’s Office Teen Court Program
with the
ARISE Foundation

2. Your Presenter… A member of the
faculty or staff at KEYS Academy and Options HS
Internationally Certified in Life Skills through the ARISE Foundation

3. Frame
We will identify some strategies for improving our actions to more accurately reflect who we want to be.
EQ: How can strategizing improve our ability to make better decisions?
I will role-play a difficult situation I run into on a regular basis.

4. Rules for Training Participation is crucial No wrong/stupid answers
Respect one another
No talking while others talk,
No rude comments or noises
Wait until you’re called upon

5. Why we’re here… Because we have to be
To learn some skills that will carry over into adulthood
To learn more about ourselves

6. How we’re going to do it…
Discussion
Everyone participates
Some, very little lecture
Activity or activities
Some Conclusions

7. Questions?

8. Ice Breaker What is an ice breaker? Definition of an ice breaker:
An activity used to lighten the mood and or get participants warmed up to the idea of interaction

9. Ice Breaker!!!!

10. Topic of the Day – Smart Strategies
Does everyone know how to strategize?
What is strategy?
Why do we need to have a plan when we’re dealing with different types of situations?

11. Topic of the Day – Smart Strategies (cont.)
How do we avoid falling into traps that we typically fall into?
What are some of the situations we run in to that keep us from being who we want to be?

12. Strategy… Allows you to plan where you want to go
Allows you to plan how you’re going to react to different situations as you run into barriers
Helps you decide, in advance what barriers will keep you from getting where you want to go
Allows you to anticipate what steps will be taken before they’re taken

13. Strategy…(cont.) Good strategies include:
Anticipating steps you need to take
Anticipating levels of difficulty of the steps being taken
Anticipating what your reactions will be while you’re doing whatever you’re doing

14. Strategy…(cont.) Good strategies include:
Anticipating what others’ reactions will be
Identifying barriers you’ll face
Identifying the easiest, but healthiest, roads toward achieving what you want to achieve

15. Activity: Role Playing
Rules:
No Cursing
No put-downs
Be respectful
When I say “Stop!” you stop or pause where you’re at
If I say “Continue” then you continue

16. Activity: Role Playing (cont.)
Split up into groups of 3 or 4
Come up with scenarios you encounter every day
Scenarios must present a difficult situation
They can be personal experiences
Your long and short-term goals have to be presented
Present how the situation can turn ugly

17. Activity: Role Playing (cont.)
Volunteers to present
Now, go through a positive reaction!

18. Activity: Role Playing (cont.)
What are other ways that the presenters could have responded?
What were the core issues in the presentation?
What are some of the things any of these situations could have led to?
Why was the second way that each of these scenarios were presented better?
Any additional comments?

19. Conclusions
Strategy allows you to know how you might react prior to some situation taking place
Strategy allows you to figure out what kinds of situations, including barriers, you might face
Strategy pushes you to think about the future and the work it will take to get you where you want to go