Life Skills & Leadership: Unit 1, Session 4: Choosing Positive Values | Page 44 of 93A. Positively Valuable
Participants identify positive activities in their community that influence how they view themselves.
- Remind participants that the messages we hear from our community help shape who we are. Say:
“Last time, in the skit about Sammy and Samantha, we learned how the things someone says about us
influence our self-esteem and our self-confidence. They affect the structure of our ‘house.’ Similarly, the
messages and truths we learn from our family and community go into making us who we are. They
become the bricks and mortar (Note: Use wood and nails or other materials appropriate to your
setting) that we use to build our ‘house.’ Your community has an influence on you.”“In addition, the choices we make and the actions we take contribute to the structure of the
community. Each of us also has the ability to influence our community by the choices we make. Those
choices add up and shape the kind of community we live in.”- Distribute papers and pens or pencils. Say:
“There are many positive things going on in your community that in one way or another influence who
you are; they have helped you build your ‘house.’ I’d like you to think of activities, celebrations, or
resources that your community makes available to its members. Write separate ideas on individual
pieces of paper.”- If participants are having trouble thinking of ideas, encourage them to consider these questions, and
write down their examples on their individual papers. Be prepared to give some specific examples of
your own.
What holidays or events does your community celebrate? (Independence Day? Religious holidays?
Mothers/Fathers/Daughters/Sons days? Veterans Day? Labor Day? Agriculture fairs? Craft fairs?
Book fairs? Volunteer days?)
How are “life events,” like births, graduations, weddings, and deaths, recognized?
What public structures, like community centers, water wells, and parks, have been built?
How are vulnerable people, such as children, elders, and people with disabilities, cared for?
What commitments have been made for safety, health, housing, education, or nutrition?
What are some positive outlets in your community for recreation, leisure, sports, or the arts?- Ask participants to hang their papers on the wall or bring them to the center of the learning space.
Invite people to review all the community activities. Ask participants to help get rid of duplicates and
ask them for suggestions of any that might be combined. Then divide participants into groups of three
to four. Distribute the community activity papers evenly to each group. If there are more groups than
community activities, make duplicate activities papers. Say:
“When I asked you to clap together on ‘three’ my actions were more persuasive than my words. For
example, ‘You followed my actions, not my words.’ My actions sent a message. In a similar way, these
activities that you have identified in your community also send a message.