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Online youth group sessions enhance communication and social skills.
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This boosts their self-confidence.
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Helps them become the leaders our world needs.
Many children around the world are staying at home and not attending school.
Many of them are missing their friends.
If they have internet access they can connect with their friends.
There is a way to help them effectively structure their online sessions.
STRUCTURED:
If meetings are not structured they will not be effective.
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Sessions need to have structure.
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Participants need to feel protected.
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Attendees must have an equal opportunity to take part.
PURPOSE:
To be effective, sessions need to have a defined purpose.
To achieve this, give the session a theme or topic.
HOW TO ORGANIZE:
Effective sessions need to have structure and purpose.
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Find a suitable platform to use for online sessions (examples are Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, Microsoft Teams, etc.)
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Contact your friends and become familiar with the online platform.
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Choose a ‘Theme’ for your session. (A topic that everyone wants to review)
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Choose a few roles to start with such as Meeting Leader, Thought of the Day and/or Hot Questions Master.
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You can find descriptions of various roles at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MVUsArWJw7KCisdomht0_ml0uc9OqfG9pNjg_fnVTFk/edit?usp=sharing
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As you become familiar with some roles, add additional roles in future sessions.
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Share your experiences and ideas with others.
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Encourage others to start their own sessions.
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Have fun.
UNIQUE ASPECTS:
Here are some aspects of these sessions that make them unique.
Diversity:
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Participants of different age groups can join;
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Siblings from the same family can join; and,
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Those from different backgrounds and cultures strengthen the group.
Locations:
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Those in different locations can join a session.
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Those in isolated communities can join.
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Anyone with dependable internet access can take part.
Accommodating:
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Accommodates those with varying communication skill levels.
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Participants can learn and contribute at their own pace.
SKILLS LEARNED:
During the sessions they will be able to practice and learn how to:
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organize meetings;
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practice appropriate online meeting protocol;
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practice and learn communication and leadership skills;
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speak impromptu;
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create and deliver presentations;
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give constructive feedback;
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think independently and voice their opinions;
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collaborate with others;
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interact in a group and team environment;
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support and help each other; and,
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build community.
These important skills can lead to future success.
PARENTS:
Having their children being schooled at home is a challenging task for parents.
It requires above-average involvement in their child’s life.
These sessions can give parents a break whilst their child attends a session.
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TEACHERS:
Online youth group sessions offer many unique benefits.
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Online sessions can encourage students to take ownership in parts of their education.
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As not all sessions require teachers to be present it can help lighten the teacher’s workload.
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These sessions encourage students to mentor each other.
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Adults with experience on the theme or topic can join the sessions.
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Students can join with those of other schools.
Online youth group sessions offer exciting opportunities to enhance our children’s skills.
This helps prepare them for the changing future workplace.
What are your experiences with and thoughts about online group meetings?
Please share your ideas on how we can work with our youth in this regard.
This will enable them to gain the communication and leadership skills required in the 21st Century.
If you require more information, please contact us.
LEARN MORE:
Are you are interested in learning more about online youth group sessions?
If so, contact us to obtain a report on a simple and easy system on how to set up group coaching programs for youth. You can do this in the ‘Contact us‘ section of the website.
Please contact us to enter the discussion, REQUEST A FREE COPY OF THE GROUP COACHING PLAYBOOK or JOIN THE REGULAR COACHES FORUM.
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Wishing you lots of love and laughter, as always.
Fred Jones
Victoria, BC Canada
As always Fred, you put out an informative and instructional newsletter. I belong to three groups (Choir, Toastmasters, and ladies golf league.) All are now having weekly on-line meetings. One, it keeps us seeing and visiting with each other. Two, it allows us to share how we are doing, and get ideas from others. Three, each group also has some structured time to practice our skills in singing, speaking, or learning golf tips.. It helps us maintain our social life and keeps us connected to the things we normally do each week. It is great for our mental health and we don’t feel quite as alone as we might if we didn’t have that contact.
While students are out of school this is a great way for them to get together with their classmates as well, review some of the things they were doing in school this year, discuss new math concepts they learned, share what they had been working on in class projects, etc. They can also keep journals or write creative stories to share. There is also the Kane Academy, on-line classes by grade level, in nearly every subject. A great way to stay current and keep learning. If nothing else read, read, and read. Read to each other, read to your children, share the stories with others on-line, just keep reading. This is the perfect time to read those books you have meant to read. If you don’t have books at home you can get books on-line, there are many free sources to download books.. Just Google, Free on-line books.
If we think positively we can all make this a wonderful time of sharing and learning. One of the members in my local Toastmasters club is an exchange student from Mexico. We are setting up Spanish lessons with her. She wants to practice her English we want to learn some Spanish. Perfect!
Or be like the British family and create a family singing session; or a play, or band session, find something to do together.
There is so much we can be doing and we have all been given the time to do it. No excuses – give something new a try.
Maureen
Hello Maureen,
Thank you for your informative comment with many great suggestions on what we can do during this interesting time.
If you know of any teacher’s group that might find the approach that I am suggesting please let me know your thoughts.
I believe that if the students run their own discussion groups it can enhance their skills, the education and help relieve the teachers to a certain extent.
Wishing you lots of love and laughter.
Fred