54620131 Games and Energizers

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101 Games, Energizers, and Activities for Under $10


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A FEW THANKS AND CELEBRATIONS

Hello there, Games are one of the most effective ways to get people energized tolearn and change their communities. Over the years, I have had the opportunityto work with some great games, folks. When I am visiting groups throughout the country, people always ask where I get my ideas for activities. This book is justa sample of games I have played or facilitated over the years. Use it well and

let me know how things turn out. In fact, share your ideas and lets build 101 More Games, Energizers and Activities for next year. I would like to thank Lottie Walker, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, for putting this together for usduring her summer internship with Youth Crime Watch of America in the Washington, DC Office. I would also like to thank some of my colleagues, friends, and allies who have shared their ideas or taught me how to play. Kip Lowe, California Youth Authority, Lisa Lybbert formerly with National Crime Prevention Council, Clarence Small in the Midwest, Brent Blackburn and Jana Hogan formerly of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Del Erwin in Virginia, Suzanne Young in Texas, Regina Asaro in Virginia, John Mattson in Rhode Island, Kim McGillicuddy formerly of YouthForce in New York City, the youth of RA (Respect and Accept) in Muskegon, Michigan, and folks over at the San Francisco Youth Institute. And now finally YOU. Ha

ve a great time engaging others in building stronger more vibrant communities. Let me know what happens! Kindest Regards, S. Jonann Wild

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101 GAMES, ENERGIZERS,AND ACTIVITIES FOR UNDER $10 TABLE OF CONTENTSI II III Introduction..4 For Advisors.

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INTRODUCTIONThe purpose of this book is to give Youth Crime Watch sites and participants ideas for group activities and events. In order for Youth Crime Watches to be successful, cohesion amongst YCW members is a necessity. In order to establish thesebonds between the members of the group, games and activities are excellent facilitators of social bonds. The activities within this book are to energize and build trust within the group. This booklet also serves another purpose, to outline

the objectives of Youth Crime Watch and to excite and motivate its members. Thishandbook is divided into three separate sections depending on the reader and the type of activity you wish to complete. The first section of the book is especially written for group advisors. This section gives an overview to advisors andalso tells them what to look out for when participating in these activities. Thesecond section is the 101 activities section. This part of the book has been divided into separate subcategories depending on the type of activity needed (icebreakers, name games, affirmations, etc.). These activities can be used to entertain a group for the day, or to get the group on task at the beginning of a group meeting. The activities are to help groups remain entertained and socially bonded throughout the duration of their meetings and subsequent Youth Crime Watch activities. The third and final section of the book is about action projects. Thi

s section provides information about planning, executing, and evaluating your community action project. These projects work best for groups with extra time available for more long-term undertakings (i.e. summer or spring vacation). Even though formal school may not be in session, Youth Crime Watchers can remain an asset to the community by organizing and performing one of these projects. This section provides strategies for planning and implementing action projects. For moredetail on completing an action project, see the Action Project Manual publishedby Youth Crime Watch of America. Hopefully this handbook will provide valuable ideas and opportunities for youth involvement and participation. ~ Lottie Walker

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For Advisors

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For AdvisorsAs a leader, your job is to get young people involved by making them feel comfortable and building in a fun factor. The first thing you need to keep in mind asan advisor, at all times, is the aspect of safety. All participants should be safe and should feel comfortable in every group and individual setting. Safety foreach activity should be assessed in terms of both physical and psychological safety. Are there any physical dangers in the immediate area? Does each participan

t know what is expected of them in this activity? Is everyone comfortable with participating? One way to make people feel more comfortable with the activity isfor the leader to participate himself/herself. When leading activities, it is important too, that you as the leader exhibit a sense of fun as well. Nothing willmotivate a group to participate more than seeing the leader having a good time.The most important thing you, as a leader, can do is to have fun! If you enjoyyourself, you are sure to see your enthusiasm reflected back from your kids! Theoverall book of activities should serve as a tool to energize and motivate thegroup to pursuer the YCW mission and vision of youth-led crime prevention and education. As an advisor, you should take advantage of the group gatherings as anopportunity for the group to understand the meaning and vision of Youth Crime Watch as a program based on youth commitment to the reduction of crime, violence,

and drugs. These activities and group meeting can also be used to motivate the group of youth to plan for the following year. Many of the following activities provide opportunity for brainstorming and idea gathering, use these to your advantage. Rather than naming helpful attributes of a friend, come up with project, fundraising, recruitment, and publicity gathering ideas. Take advantage of each of the activities in this book and use them to your liking. Feel free, as an advisor, to change the rules a bit and to use the activity for a different yet productive purpose. The activities provided in this book are merely a suggestion andopportunity to get your kids together and motivated to prevent crime and improvethe overall school environment. As a leader, one of the best ways to tie theseactivities to the Youth Crime Watch vision is to debrief the kids after each activity. Ask them what they learned. What strategies were used? How can these strategies be converted over to crime

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prevention and education? How does the level of trust within the group affect the outcome of the activity? What types of communication were utilized in completing this activity? Try to do this as much as you can so that the activities retain their ties to the YCW foundation. Keep in mind, not all of the following activities lend themselves to this type of review.

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Activities

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Ice Breakers/Name GamesBehind the BlanketThis exercise can be used as an ice breaker, name game, energizer, or even a teaching game. Have the members of the group introduce themselves. Ask for two volunteers to hold the blanket or two facilitators can hold the blanket. Divide thegroup into two teams. Explain the rules. Each team will send up a person to stand behind the blanket (on their side). When the facilitator signals go, the blank

et will be dropped to the floor. The first person to yell out the other persons correct name wins. The person named first must join the winning side. This will continue until everyone is on the same side. Before starting the game, have the members say their names one more time.

Four Corners CardDistribute 3x5 cards to everyone in the group. Have everyone place their first name in the center. On each corner, people are to write or draw the answers to four questions such as What is your favorite food? Who is your favorite TV/Movie/Music Star? If you could talk with anyone (living or dead) for one hour, who would itbe? Ask the members to find a partner and share the information on the card. Next, ask everyone to share their information with the group.

Koosh Name GameThis exercise can be used as a team builder, an ice breaker, a method to assessthe groups collaboration skills, a method to build collaboration, to establish norms, or simply as an energizer. Have the group form a circle. Explain the groupwill be playing a name game with the Koosh Ball. The rules of the game are to keep the Koosh in the air and to help others succeed. In order to play the game, apattern (how we are going to toss the ball) must be established. Members will toss the Koosh to the same person each time. Each person can only receive the toss once when we are setting up our pattern. So when someone has received the Koosh and tossed it, they should place their hands behind their back. Have everyonesay their name, so that when the Koosh is tossed to them their name can be called out. Then establish the pattern. After the pattern is established and you have

received the Koosh, repeat the pattern and include additional Koosh Balls. If the group is having trouble tossing and catching the balls, stop and have them brainstorm ways of being more effective. Then repeat the exercise.

Link Name with Food/Adjective of Same Sound or LetterThis is a great name game and/or energizer. Have the group sit in a circle. Eachperson will introduce their name and attach it to the name of a food or adjective

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that sounds the same. For example, Jonann is for Jell-O, Lottie is for Loveable.Variations include not saying the same food or adjective twice. Try linking onnames and foods/adjectives until the last person has to say everyones name.

Name/AdjectiveThis activity is a great name game, energizer, or way to learn about peoples skills or passions. Give each participant a piece of paper or construction paper and

marker(s). Have them list the letters of their name in large print down one side of the paper. For each letter, have them brainstorm adjectives that describe them. SALLY would be S is for Social, A is for Athletic, L is for Lovable, L is for Laughs a lot, Y is for Y Not Always Willing to Try New Things. After people have completed their chart, have them use it to introduce themselves. Have each person post their chart.

Whats My Name?The object of this game is to figure out the names of the other players. This isan excellent game to use to start the bonding process. To play, give each participant a pen or pencil, a pin, and a few pieces of paper. Each player should write the first letter of his/her first name on one of the papers and pin it to his

/her shirt. Next each of the players goes around trying to guess each players name using the first letter as a hint. Each name guess should be written on a pieceof paper and then handed to the person whose name is being guessed. After eachplayer has had a chance to guess the names of the other players, they should read each of the name guesses aloud to the group, then announce the correct name.

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Commonalities GamesCommonality BingoPass out a bingo card and a pen or pencil to each person as they arrive. The cards should be set up like a bingo card, as a grid of blocks. Each block should have either a skill, talent, or object written in it, such as I own a dog or I can snap my fingers. When the signal is given, participants must find at least one person for each square. The first four who have completed the card can either win a

prize or choose the next activity for the group. After the game is completed, take time out to find out who does what (plays a sport, knows a great ice breaker,etc.).

Find Someone WhoThis is a great ice breaker that gets conversations going. One leader should bepicked from the group. That leader should yell out random phrases, such as, I have a younger brother, or I can snap my fingers. When the phrase is called out, the participants need to find someone who can do each item as it is yelled out and hold onto that person.

Find That Tune

This game is a good mixer, it facilitates group discussion and is also a good activity for splitting the players into smaller groups. The goal of this activityis to find the other players humming the same tune. To play, the leader of the activity should give each player a well-known tune to hum. There should be several people humming the same tune once the activity gets started. The players thenwalk around the room humming their tune and listening for others with the same tune. Once the groups have matched up, the game is over.

Life Boats or ScattergoriesThis exercise can be used to define communities, identify commonalities, energize a room, or to divide a group. Ask everyone to shout out their favorite thing in a given category (such as ice cream flavors, sports, TV shows) and to form groups with other people yelling the same thing. The facilitator can be very specif

ic or can be vague concerning the category. This gives the group a chance to self-select. Once all the groups have been formed, have each one yell out their category in turn attempting to see which is the loudest or most creative.

The San Francisco Youth Leadership Institute and Anya McMurray shared this activity. Match My QuoteThis game enables the players to get to know each other in a fun way. The goal of this game is to find the people with pieces of the same quote or Bible passages as

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you. To play, each person is given a piece pf paper with a section of a well-known quote. The players are then supposed to find the people with the rest of thequote. Once the individuals find each other, they should stay together until allthe groups are united. After everyone is paired up ask the players to learn atleast one fun fact about the other person.

Matchmaker Mixer

This activity is a good way to get participants into smaller groups for later activities and to facilitate kids getting to know each other. For this activity, the only materials required are pens and paper. Each piece of paper should have the name of one member of a famous duo or group (Ringo from the Beatles, or Juliet from Romeo and Juliet). The papers should be randomly distributed to the group. Thegoal of this game is to find the other members of your respective group (Juliet would search for Romeo and Ringo for John, Paul, and George).

Plate GameAs each person arrives give them a white paper plate and a pencil or pen. Give them a time limit and have them meet as many people as possible. They need to geteach person to share something about themselves and sign the plate. The person

with the most names on their plate at the end of the predetermined time wins. Talk about some of the interesting facts you have learned. Note: If the participants know that the game is a race for the most signatures, they might skip the factfinding part of the activity. To ensure the getting to know you phase remains,tell the participants before the beginning of the activity that they will be quizzed on what they learned at the end of the game.

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EnergizersAdd an ActionHave the participants stand in a circle. Ask for one volunteer to make a gesture(waving, jumping, kicking, etc.). Any bodily movement is possible. The player next to the first person now performs the first gesture as well as one of his/herown. The object of the game is to repeat all of the gestures in order and for each player to add their own. Play until all participants have added a gesture. O

ne variation on this activity is to not allow any gestures to be repeated.

Ah So KoHave the group form a circle. Explain the rules of the game. The cycle is in three parts. Demonstrate the three movements. The first movement is done as you sayAh. The movement is a scooping motion made at waist level pointing either to theright or left. The person being pointed at will need to say So as they make a scooping gesture pointing over their head to either the left or right. The person being pointed at needs to immediately say Ko as they place both palms together and point across the circle. If someone is slow in responding or says the wrong thingor does the wrong gesture, they are out. When someone is out, they run around the circle and attempt to get the group members to goof up. The circle will get s

maller until only one person is remaining. Rules include people who are out cantgo into the circle or touch anyone. This is a fast and furious game since peoplewill be yelling. You probably want to have the doors closed while playing it.

Thanks to Reeths Puffer High School in Michigan for this exercise. It energizesthe room! Alphabet StoryHave the group sit in a circle and tell a story. The first person starts the story with a word beginning with an A. When they stop, the next person must begin the story with a B and so on through Z. You can also vary this by using three orfour volunteers in front of the group. If someone gets stuck, they can be switched with a volunteer from the audience.

Bag Skits

This is an activity thats great for road trips, lock-ins, or rainy days. Fill bags with miscellaneous items, such as balloons, straws, toilet paper, cotton balls, pens, or stickers. Each group has to come up with a skit using all of the items in the bag and share it with the rest of the group. This activity is very amusing and great entertainment.

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Balloon StompPass out a balloon and a piece of string to each person. Have them blow up theirballoon and use the string to tie it around their ankle. Remember, some peoplemay need help getting their balloon blown up or tied or attached to their ankle,so encourage everyone to assist each other. Make sure you provide enough stringso the balloon is away from the ankle it saves on injuries. When you say GO, everyone tries to stomp everyone elses balloon while protecting their own balloon.

The last person with a balloon is the winner.

Clothes Pin GameThis exercise is simply to energize the room and blow off excess steam. Pass outfive clothes pins to all participants. Instruct them to pin them on their clothes. When you say go, they are to chase each other and attempt to clip the pins on others. The first person with no pins wins. P.S. Dropping pins on the ground does not count.

ClumpingThis exercise can be used to divide a group and/or energize the group. Instructparticipants that you will be calling out a number. They need to clump together

in an exact number not one more or one less or they are out. If they are short,they need to figure out how to get the right number. The facilitator can add tothe confusion by telling people they are short or have one too many when they have the exact number. After they have kicked one person out, or recruited another, tell them that they had the right number of people in the first place.

Cotton ThrowHand each participant a cotton ball. The object of this activity is to see who can throw the cotton ball the farthest. This game is particularly entertaining for all involved because it is nearly impossible for anyone to get a cotton ball any distance.

Dragons

Divide the participants into groups of five or six. Give each person a piece ofcloth and instruct them to tuck it in the back of their pants, similar to flag football. Advise the participants that the lead person is the head of the dragonand is the only one who can snatch the flag off the last person of the dragon. If their flag is taken, the person must join the other team. The game continues until there is one big dragon.

Elbow TagForm the group into a circle. Ask for two volunteers. Instruct the remaining folks to get a partner and link arms at the elbows. One of the volunteers is the runner and the other is the chaser. The chaser goes after the runner and attemptsto tag

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that person. When the runner is tagged, the people change roles. The runner alsohas the option to link elbows with a person. When this happens, there is now agroup of three. In this case, the person on the end, the one who was not the runner before, becomes the new runner.

ElectricityDivide the group into two teams. Have each team line up and sit on the ground fa

cing each other. At one end of the line, place a ball or a Koosh ball in the middle between the two rows. Everyone needs to hold hands, place them down at theirsides, bow their heads, and shut their eyes. The person at the beginning of each line will be watching as a coin is tossed. If its heads, they squeeze the handof the next person. The squeezing goes all the way to the end and the last person grabs the ball. The group getting the ball first moves the person at the end of the line up to the front. The losing group moves one person back down to the end of the line. If the coin comes up tails, the people dont start squeezing hands. If they do, they have to move one person back to the end of the line. This continues until one group rotates everyone through the line once. As the facilitator, you will be flipping the coin. Keep it moving and dont wait too long if its coming up tails.

Elephant, Palm Tree, Energizer BunnyForm the group into a circle and begin to introduce the game. The group leader will stand in front of a person and say elephant, palm tree, or energizer bunny.The person and the people standing on either side must form the object. If its anelephant, the center person will be the trunk of the elephant, and the other two people will be the ears. If its a palm tree, the center person is the tree trunk, and the side people are the leaves. If its an energizer bunny, the middle person puts their two hands over their head to make the ears, and the other two people act like they are beating the drum. Make up as many different configurationsas you would like. If any of the three people hesitate or mess up, they must take the center of the circle.

Four Corner Scavenger HuntDivide the participants into four groups and assign each to a different corner of the room. Yell out an item and the group must find that item within their group and bring it to the center of the room. The first two teams arriving get points (two for first and one for second place). Have fun pierced body part, least hair on head, lipstick, marker, etc.

Fruit BasketThis exercise is used as an energizer. Participants are seated in a circle (on chairs best without the desk attached) with the group leader standing. The groupleader will explain that they are going to make fruit salad by listing various fruits

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suggested by members of the group. Make sure to tell them they can repeat a fruit. After everyone has identified their fruit including the group leader, begin the game. When the group leader says, Bingo, the members hearing their fruit declared must go across the room and sit in an empty chair. The last person standing will become the group leader. If the leader wants everyone to exchange seats, then they will yell, Upset the fruit basket! The group leader asks each person to state the their favorite fruit.

Thanks to the San Francisco Youth Leadership Institute for sharing this activity!! Guess the EndingTo play this game, have the entire group sit around and listen to one player read a story (a mystery or detective story works best). Have the reader stop just before the conclusion. Ask the rest of the group how they think the story will end. Keep going until everyone who wants to speak has had a chance. After all of the endings are guessed, have the reader finish the story. A variation on this activity is to use stories other than mysteries and have the group create a more interesting ending of their own.

Just Say HA!

Everyone lies on the ground. The people need to lie down with their head on eachothers stomach. Have the people lie at angles with their head in the center of the other persons stomach. One head per stomach. The first person must yell out, HA! The next person must yell, HA, HA! The third must say, HA, HA, HA and so on. Very soon everyone starts laughing since the heads start bouncing when the stomach moves as you are saying HA.

Mummy WrapDivide into teams of five. Have one to three people be mummies and the other oneto three folks wrap them with toilet paper. If you want to, you can give them atime limit, and watch them wrap. NOTE: Bring lots of toilet paper.

Neighbors Who

Participants are seated in a circle (on chairs best without a desk attached) with the group leader standing. The group leader will go up to a person and ask them why they like their neighbor. The person will say like because they are wearing a watch. Anyone in the group wearing a watch must leave their seat and go across the circle and find another seat. The person remaining standing is the groupleader and repeats the process.

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Orange PassMake at lease two teams and have them stand in a line. Give the first person ineach line an orange. The orange must be passed down the line from one persons neck to the next WITHOUT USING ANY HANDS. The first team to do this wins.

People to PeopleThis activity can be used as an ice breaker or energizer. Have the group form a

standing circle. Have everyone find a partner. Stand in the middle of the circleand introduce the directions. The group leader will be calling out a body partsuch as toe to toe. People will need to place their toe in contact with their partners toe. The group leader will then call out another body part and the group will change contact. This isnt like Twister so the members are only in contact with one body part at a time. If the group leader says, people to people, the group must cross the circle and find another partner. The last person without a partneris the group leader.

Thanks to Clarence Small for sharing this activity. Rhyme RaceHave the group sit in a circle. Ask for one volunteer to sit in the middle of the circle. This volunteer should think of a simple word and shout it out. After t

he word is yelled, the volunteer should look around the circle and point to oneof the sitting participants. The person being pointed to has 5 seconds (less ifyou feel the game is starting to lag) to come up with a word that rhymes. If theperson does not come up with a rhyming word in time, he/she will replace the person in the middle of the circle. If he/she does come up with a word, the personin the middle should point to another person for different word that rhymes theoriginal word.

Sack RaceHave each member of the group find a partner. Give each pair a burlap sack or atrash bag. Have each member of the pair put one leg in the bag. Next have all ofthe pairs (or depending on the size of your group, only a few) line up for a race. When you say, GO, the pairs should race (using their three legs) to a predeter

mined spot. The first pair to finish, wins. This activity is also a good one forteam work and cooperation.

Shoe Pick Up RelayHave everybody take off their shoes and place them in the middle of the room. Divide the group into four teams and assign them to the four corners of the room.When the group leader gives the signal, the first person runs up from each line,runs up to the shoes, and finds the second person in lines shoes. When they arefound, they must bring them back and place them on that persons feet. As soon asthey are finished putting the shoes on the person, the first person goes to the

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back of the line. The newly shod person must run up and find the next person inlines shoes and take them back and get them on their feet. This process is repeated until everyone has their shoes.

Stories in ActionThis is a great activity for an active group. This activity gets kids up and moving while being creative and listening to the story being told. The goal of this

game is to listen and act out the story being told. To begin, the leader or oneof the participants tells a story, pausing every sentence or two to enable thekids to act the story out. Stories can either be made up or read aloud from a book.

Suck and BlowMake two lines of participants. Give the first person of each line a card. The goal of this game is to get the card passed down through the line of people faster than the other line. This person sucks on the card and the next person tries to suck it off. The secret to making this work is that as the second person sucks, the first person begins to blow. If a card drops on the ground, the group muststart over. NO HANDS ARE ALLOWED!!!!

Ultimate FrisbeeGroup the participants into equal teams. To begin the game, you have a kickoff (just like football). Whoever catches the Frisbee CANNOT RUN AFTER THEY HAVE POSSESSION. They must pass it to another person on his/her team. If a member of theopposing team intercepts the Frisbee, they will take possession. The team without the Frisbee will gain possession if the pass is dropped by the other team. Toscore points, a team must pass the Frisbee into their end zone and the Frisbee must be caught by a member of their team. A completion scores five points. If theopposing team catches the Frisbee in the end zone, they receive three points and possession. You can make time limits, play quarters or halves, and you can even have the coin toss.

Water Balloon VolleyballDivide the group into two teams. You may want to have several courts if you havelots of participants. Have members find a partner. Each pair will have a towel.Place a water balloon in one of the towels for that pair to serve the balloon.The water balloon is lobbed over to the other side where a pair will catch the balloon. If the balloon falls and breaks, it is a point for the other side.

What Leader?Have everyone sit in a circle except one person who leaves the room. One that person is gone, choose a leader. This person will demonstrate a simple movement such as clapping, snapping fingers, rolling shoulders, or tapping their nose. The

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group follows the group leaders gestures without being too obvious about who theyare following. The person who is in the all re-enters the room and stands in the center of the circle. The must guess who the leader is. The leader must changetheir motion at least every thirty seconds. When the leader is guessed, they must leave the room and the process is repeated. Variation: the person guessing only has three opportunities.

Wizards, Dwarfs, GiantsDivide the group into two teams. Set boundaries with a line on the floor equallyin between the two teams and a safe zone for each team on each side (e.g. in thebasement two opposite walls would be the safe zone for each team and you can make a line with masking tape on the floor in the middle). Each team does a team huddle prior to each round. In the huddle, they decide whether they want to be wizards, dwarfs, or giants. This is played like Rock, Paper, Scissors. Wizards overcome Giants. Giants beat Dwarfs, and the Dwarfs are greater than the Wizards. Whenthe team decides their identity, they approach the middle line. When the groupleader yells out, Dwarfs, Wizards, and Giants, the members of the team begin acting their role. Dwarfs squat near the ground. Wizards throw out their arms like they are casting a spell. Giants stand on their toes and act really big with their

hands stretched overhead. Once you see what the other team is doing, you eitherrun into your teams safety zone or you run after the other teams members and tryto tag them before they reach their safety. Whoever is tagged joins the opposingteam! The team with the most people at the end of time, wins!

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Team Building52 Card Put DownShuffle a deck of cards. Pass it out so that each member gets several cards. Advise the group that you are going to time them. They must start by placing the ace of spades on the ground and move through the spades until they have places theking on the pile. Then move from the diamonds to the clubs and end up with thehearts. Have them talk about how they can get a faster time and repeat the proce

ss.

Adore/DetestThis exercise can be used as an exercise to begin to build consensus or as an ice breaker. Divide the group into small groups and advise them that they will need to come to consensus on six things their group absolutely adores and another six things they absolutely detest. Everything on each list must be adored or detested by everyone in the group. Also advise them you will be timing them. If youhave the time, combine groups and have them develop a list. Continue combining groups until the entire group comes to a consensus. Sometimes the group gets stuck on the detest list use one of the following examples: zits, rats, or cockroaches.

Bucket GameThis exercise can be used to build a team, introduce decision making or problemsolving, break the ice, or energize the room. Have the group sit on the floor ina circle. They will need to pass the bucket you are holding in your hands around the circle using only their feet. They cannot touch the bucket with their hands, nor can it touch the floor. If it does, the bucket will be returned to the original person and must be passed around again.

Thanks to the folks at Youth Force in New York City for showing us this activity!!! Electric FenceChoose an area that is soft like the ground, tumbling mats, or pillows. Have two people hold a string or broom handle to form a fence. Have all of the participant

s stand on one side of the string or fence, and put any cushions on the other side. Explain to the group that they must figure out how to send each member of the team over to the other side of the fence through team work. Set a time limit.Make sure that it is long enough for them to reach their goal, but not so long that the game gets boring 10 minutes is a good time limit. Explain there is NO TALKING ALLOWED by ANYONE once the game has begun. If anyone talks during

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the game, the entire group must GO BACK to the other side and begin again. So before they start, they need to make sure they have asked all their questions. TIPS ON SUCCEEDING: Build a pyramid on one side and have people walk up and jump over, use some people as stabilizers to help the person from falling; once you have some people over, you can do a people pass from one side to the other, make the person being passed lay stiff and on the ground, now have the team on one sidepass them over to the other side. Keep in mind that it is probably smart to get

some of the bigger people over to the other side before too long. A big mistakeis to send the lighter, smaller folks over first.

Human MachineDivide your group into teams of three. Each group is told to devise a machine that can move a prescribed distance (15-20ft). The catch: only two legs and two arms of the three persons may touch the ground. Also, once a machine has covered the prescribed course, that team has a patent on their methods of movement and noother group can duplicate it. Only one group can go at a time. Give the groupstime to strategize at the beginning. Consideration: requires space for moving and members need to be comfortable with personal touch.

M&M ChallengeThis activity can be used as an ice breaker, to energize a room, develop collaboration, or to break people into pairs for small group work. Ask people to pair up and shake hands. While continuing to hold the others hand, ask them to get downon their hands and knees. (The idea is that they will be o the floor facing each other as if they might arm wrestle. You should not, however, mention arm wrestling.) Tell them that for every time player A touches the back of player Bs handon the floor, she will get an M&M or vice versa. When you say, Ready, Set, Go, youwill find that almost all of the groups start out fighting each other rather than working together to get the most M&Ms.

Musical BagsThis activity can be used as an ice breaker, energizer, and to build collaborati

on skills. (This activity needs two extra people one as the group leader, and one to operate the music.) Place a series of paper bags (large grocery bag size) on the floor. There needs to be more bags than people. Explain the rules of the exercise. Ask people if they have ever played musical chairs. Ask someone who hasto explain the concept. Explain that this game is different. As the music plays, people will walk around the room, but cant step on the bags. When the music stops, they must quickly get on a bag. If there is not a bag available, they must yell, Help me, help me and people need to get them on a bag with them. Begin playing the music, stop it and watch everyone find a bag. Then begin the music, this time begin picking up bags. Keep picking up additional bags each round.

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PictionaryDivide the group into teams. You can use chalk boards, paper, flip chart paper,dry erase board, or index cards as the paper. Markers, chalk or pens need to beprovided for each team. Have one member from each team come up and view the word. They need to go back, and on the starting signal, they must begin to draw something representing the word, a clue. The artist should draw something that symbolizes the word and helps the team guess what the word could be. The first team t

o guess the word being drawn by their team member wins a point. The final roundalways contains enough points for the team in last place to sweep.

Repeat After MeThis is a good activity for a rainy day. To play this game, have the participants sit around and watch the leader. The object of this game is to complete the broom trick correctly. The leader begins the trick by wiping his hands on his shirt and brushing the broom across the floor. He then says, What a nice day to cleanthe house, I think thats what Ill do. The leader then passes the broom on to the next person who attempts to do the trick. As participants attempt the trick, theleader corrects them by telling them right or wrong. The broom is then passed to thenext person, and so on around the group. The activity continues until everyone

has completed the trick correctly. The key to doing the trick right is to wipe your hands on your shirt before sweeping with the broom and saying the phrase. Asthe trick goes on, more and more people will pick up on the correct way to do it. For players who may be slow to catch on, an exaggerated hand wiping may help.The game works best with participants who have not played the game before.

The Shrinking ShipUse a 6-8 foot rope to make a circle big enough for your group to stand inside.Everyones feet must be inside the perimeter for fifteen seconds. Once they have succeeded with this task, ask the group if they would be willing to make the circle smaller. Have them decide on the actual size. If they succeed again, ask themto consider an even smaller circle. Continue this as long as the group is willing. Encourage them to use team work and cooperation to get the smallest circle p

ossible.

Trust CreatureTo begin, have the participants go around and say what some of the aspects are of a trustworthy person. Next, give each group some items with which they can draw and have the group create their own creature using all of the aforementioned traits (big ears for a good listener, a dogs head for loyalty, etc.). Once the trust creature has been created, have the group come up with a name for it. When itis

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finished, hang the picture of the creature in the room to remind each member ofthe trustworthy traits. Depending on the size of your entire group, you could split into smaller groups and have each create a trust creature. After all the groups are finished have each group share their creature with all of the other participants. Then hang all of the creatures in the room.

Thanks to the book 100 Ways to Build Teams by Carole Scearce for this activity.

Vowel ChoralThis activity can be used to energize a room, break the ice, build a team, or break up a group. Each person sings the first vowel of their name while wanderingaround the room trying to find others singing the same letter. Once five groupshave been formed (A, E, I O, U), a conductor is selected to lead the vowel choral (as he/she points to each group, they sing their letter).

Zip Lock Water Bag TossEach team of two (or more, if you want) gets a zip lock bag. They fill it half full of water. You play this game just like a water balloon toss. Have each participant pick a partner. Give each team one water bag/balloon. Have the participants start out by standing across from their partners with only 4 feet between the

m. Next toss the bag/balloon to the partner. Each time the bag/balloon is caughtsuccessfully, have the partners take one step further apart from each other. The goal of this game is to be the team with the farthest distance between you andyour partner without breaking the bag/balloon. The great part about this game is the bags rarely break, so once they explode, they can just be refilled. Variations include throwing to a partner while standing back to back, or people can use only one hand to catch the bag, or the thrower must strike a pose until the balloon is tossed back.

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Trust BuildingPush Me Pull MeHave the group form a tight circle and hook elbows. One person at a time will keep his/her feet in the same spot and remain still while he/she leans forward. Asthe person leans forward, the people making up the edge of the circle should slightly push the person in the middle to keep him/her upright. Before this game can take place, the people in the group must be very trusting of one another. As

the person in the middle falls into an edge of the circle, the circle should react and push the person back up. The whole group will feel the weight and therefore need to assist at all times.

Trust WalkEveryone needs one partner. One person is blindfolded. The seeing person guidesthe blindfolded person on a walk within boundaries you have established. After aspecified time, they must return, switch places, and repeat the process. Afterwards, talk about what worked and what didnt. You might want to repeat the processas another time. For some groups it is helpful to provide tips on how to guidethe other person so they feel secure. Also, make sure participants dont treat this as a joke.

Wind in the WillowsHave four to seven people in a circle with one person standing in the middle. This person should cross his/her arms across his/her chest and remain stiff. He/she should keep his/her feet in the same spot while falling towards someone with his/her eyes closed. The people in the circle should keep their hands in front ofthem and gently push the person around the circle. It is helpful to place one foot in front of the other to help support the person as they fall.

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Checking InFeelingsHave the group sit in a circle. Ask each person as he/she takes the Koosh ball to express the feeling they are currently experiencing. Take some time to discusswhy they are feeling that way.

More Of/Less Of/Just Right

Ask the group members to take a sheet of paper and divide it into three columns.Title one column More Of. The next Just Right, and the third Less Of. In each of threspective columns, put ideas that the group decides it needs more of, less of,or is just right. For example, if the group is feeling low on group trust, in the more of column, they might put, whole group activities, as they want more whole group activities to increase the level of trust in the group. Discuss which areascan be adapted in the group and which may need to be discussed with others. Thisis also a great time to think about the consequences of proposed changes as well as the interest based bargaining.

The CircleProvide each person with a slip of paper. Ask them to draw a circle and place a

dot in the center of the circle. Explain this circle represents this group and ask each person to place an X on their circle according to how much he/she feelsincluded. They do not have to sign the sheet. Ask them to turn them in at the end of the group meeting.

Weather ReportAsk one person to provide a weather report concerning how they are feeling or what has happened to them since the last meeting. Examples might include sunny weather with no clouds in sight or storm clouds are appearing on the horizon.

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Disclosure/ValuesAlone in SpaceHave the group sit in a circle. Explain that space technology is far enough advanced that we are sending one-manned shuttles into space which stay there for anentire year. Each member of the group will be sent up the next morning. The participants are allowed to take a limited number of personal items. Each member should list what he/she will take. They are each allowed to have three items. After

everyone has decided on their items, share the choices and discuss why these items were chosen.

Birthday LineThis exercise can be used to establish commonalities, break the ice, energize aroom, or divide the room. Have the group form a straight single-file line according to their birthday and month beginning the line with January 1, and ending the line with December 31. The catch is that this line needs to be formed withouttalking.

Community Finders BingoThis exercise can be used as an ice breaker, to identify resources in the room,

or to energize the room. Identify 13-15 items, skills, or resources you need inthe group. Develop a Community Finder Bingo Card which includes a space for their name and telephone number. Give everyone a Bingo Card (face down). When you say go, everyone needs to move around, introduce themselves, and get their card signed. People can only sign one square. There should be additional time for people to identify all the resources/skills they possess. You may hand out another card for people to complete, sign, include their telephone numbers, and turn in tobe compiled into a Resource Book.

Easy/DifficultSeat a group in a circle and ask, What makes it easy/difficult for them to be here. People can either volunteer to speak or you can use a ball. It helps get the group going if one of the leaders goes first.

Feelings CharadeHave the group compile a list of different feelings. Write each feeling in a separate slip of paper. Place the slips in a paper bag. Have everyone sit in a circle. One at a time, each member draws a slip of paper and acts out the feeling while the group members guess. When the feeling is identified, the person guessingcorrectly draws a slip of paper. If they are quite good at this you might wantto simply circulate the paper bag around the circle. During the second round, you can add a verbal clause.

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FriendsThis session aids group members to realize what they hope for and expect in a friend, as well as what they have to offer as a friend. Participants brainstorm alist of ten qualities they want in a friend. The facilitator writes the ten qualities down. The group members will then list the ten qualities on their own paper in their OWN order of importance, the most important (number 1) to the least important (number 10). The group then shares their lists with each other. Allow s

ome time for the group to discuss why they value these qualities in this order and what they can do to possess these qualities.

Guess Who?This is an exercise that can be used as an ice breaker, an energizer, or an enticement back from break. Have people seated so they face each other (circle, hollow square, etc) and pass out strips of paper. Have people write down something the group does not know about them on the strip of paper. Instruct them not to sign it. Place all the strips in a brown paper bag. Shake up the bag. Hand a person the bag. Ask them to draw a strip and read the information aloud. They will have two opportunities to guess who the person is. If they dont guess correctly, the rest of the group is allowed to guess. Continue around the circle until the ex

ercise is complete or use it to get people back from break.

How I Got My NameForm a circle and have each person share how they got their name. This is a great way to hear family stories and to find out about cultures. It is also a wonderful way to remember names.

M&MsPlace M&Ms into a bowl. Ask each person to take some. After each person has taken their M&Ms, explain that they will need to share one fact or idea for each M&Mthey took. This might be personal items or information concerning a topic of choice. Variation: Since many people have seen this, you might want to place numbers on index cards. Have each person draw a card during their turn and subtract t

he number of M&Ms from the total.

Story TimeThe object of this game is for the players to get to know each other better. Each participant is to share a story about a certain universal experience (scary story, childhood experience, etc.) to share with the group. After the players havereceived their story cues, they should be given a few minutes to think. The activity is finished when everyone had had the opportunity to share a story. This activity is

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a great way for players to learn how to listen to each other and for them to learn more about each other.

Three Truths and a LieThis activity can be used as an ice breaker and/or to increase personal awareness. Have the group break into groups of two, three, or four. Ask them to get withpeople they have not traditionally worked with before. Ask each person to take

a moment and identify three truths and a lie they are willing to share with thegroup. Instruct the small groups to have one person at a time share their information and the other members of the group will guess what is the truth and what is fiction.

Toilet PaperPlace people in a circle and hand a roll of toilet paper to someone. Ask them totake some and pass it along. After everyone has their paper, explain that theywill be playing an introduction game. Each person will need to state their nameand share one thing with the group for each toilet paper square they have.

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AffirmingAppreciation CircleThe group stands in a circle with arms around each others shoulders. Each membervoluntarily shares something they appreciate about the group. For example, Jim, Iappreciate you sharing that story about your friend because Ive had the same thing happen to me and it helped to hear you talk about it. Or, I appreciate you guysgive me, it helps a lot.

Koosh GameAsk the group a question about the group or event such as one thing you value about the group or event. Toss the Koosh and have each person share their thoughts.

Secret PalHave participants write their name on a slip of paper and place it in a brown paper bag. Each person draws a name and is that persons secret pal for the durationof the event. Each day they send their pal a note, thought, little trinket, orpoem to let them know they are special.

One Thing I Admire About YouProvide each person with a large sheet of paper. Ask them to decorate the borders (if time permits) and write their name on the top of the sheet. When they havefinished writing, ask them to tape their paper to the wall. With music playing,have members circulate and write comments about one thing they admire about theperson. Ask the members to initial their comments. When you are finished writing, please sit down and wait for the group to complete the task. Ask the membersto retrieve their own sheet. Give people the opportunity to ask other members for clarification. Allow the group to discuss how the activity made them feel.

Picture PeopleThe name of each member of the group should be written on individual slips of paper. The object of this activity is to create a collage, representing the person

whose name was drawn, using cut-outs from old magazines. Each player should sort through magazines looking for images which represent the person whose name wasdrawn. The pictures should be cut out and pasted to a piece of construction paper. When the group has finished their collages, have participants present them to the group, explaining what images they picked and why.

Value CircleHave the group stand in a circle. Ask for a volunteer to hold the Koosh. Have three volunteers share something they value about the person holding the Koosh. After

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three ideas are shared, toss the Koosh to another person. If time is available,have each person share an appreciation.

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Coping SkillsHelping OthersBuilding on the answers generated in the Personal Coping exercise, ask the groupto generate a list of ways we can help others. Record the groups ideas on a large piece of paper. Post and tell members to add to the list. This list could be made into a bookmark and distributed to the club or it could remain posted on thewall for a period of time allowing the group members to periodically add coping

ideas to it.

Personal CopingAsk the group members to think about the questions you are going to ask them andto write down their answers. Give them the following instructions, allowing enough time between each instruction for them to think and answer. - Think about atime in your life when you experienced a problem or stressor. Give examples of kinds of stress moving, friends death, divorce, an award or athletic accomplishment, etc. - What feelings did you experience? - What did you do to cope with thisproblem or stressor? - Did anyone support you and help you get through this period? How? - How did you grow from this experience? Ask the group to generate a list of coping techniques that they might use when they encounter another stressfu

l situation.

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ListeningGroup InterviewShare with the group members three helpful listening skills. - Focusing is giving your attention to the person who is speaking. Not only should you be listeningto what they are saying, but also your body language should show that you are paying attention to what the person is saying. If a person should enter the roomand could not hear the conversation, they should be able to tell by just looking

at he group who is on focus. - Accepting means not making a judgment. We accept what other people say as true for them. We do not necessarily have to think or feel the same way, but we do not criticize another person for their thoughts or actions. This skill can be extremely difficult if you are talking with a person who is very vocal on an issue about which you feel the exact opposite. - Drawing out means asking questions that clarify, gain for information, or lend support. This valuable tool used in a conversation includes types of questions that make people think about how they feel and act. Drawing out statements can also be perceived as an invasion of privacy. Therefore, be thoughtful and allow people the right to pass. Divide the participants into groups of no more than four or five.In each small group, one person volunteers to be the focus person for five minutes. Another volunteer is needed to keep time and tell the group when five minutes

is up. During the allotted time, the group is to ask questions of the focus person then spends one minute giving feedback to the group members on how well they used the three skills. Ask the focus person to be as specific as possible when giving the feedback. When the feedback session is finished, new people volunteer to be the focus person and timekeeper. Always remind members that they have the rightto pass. You may want to demonstrate, as the leader, in a mini-session.

Listening ExerciseThis is an exercise to aid participants in separating feelings, the content (facts or thoughts), and values. The group will be divided into teams of four. The first person talks about an upsetting situation or people who annoy them. The second person listens carefully for feelings; the third person listens for content;and the fourth listens carefully for any values expressed or inherent in the sh

aring. After the first person speaks for three minutes, the others, in succession paraphrase and check for accuracy.

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TelephoneHave the group form a circle or line. Whisper a message into the first persons ear. They have the option to ask for the operator to repeat the message. When theythink they have heard the message correctly, the message is passed on to the next person in line. The last person to get the message repeats it aloud to the group. Notice how the message changed from its original form by the end of the activity.

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ReflectionCirclesForm a circle and ask people to respond to a question or statement. The group can either go around the circle or volunteer randomly.

DrawingProvide participants with paper and markers, paint, or crayons. Ask them to draw

how they are feeling, where they will be in a year, or what a crime free community would look like. The drawings can be shared or kept private.

Gratitude JournalProvide participants with journals and encourage them to keep a gratitude journal over the training and beyond. They need to include five things they are grateful for each day or entry.

JournalsDaily journals can be an effective method to get to know group members and findout what they are thinking. Pass out five to seven questions on a single page and have participants complete the journal page. Make comments and return them to

participants the next day.

Reflection QuestionsHave the participants go around and answer the following questions. In doing so,they will be able to reflect on their participation and what their involvementmeant to them. - How did you feel about being a member of this group? - What wasthe worst thing that happened to you today? - What was the best thing that happened to you today? - How do you feel about sharing your thoughts and feelings with other members of this group? - What did you learn about the group (yourself)through this activity? - Name one thing you learned today and how you plan to use it.

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Teaching GamesDiscussion Wheel/Concentric CirclesThis exercise can be used as an ice breaker, to energize the room, to introducea topic, or to process things learned. Have the group form two circles an innercircle and an outer circle. The inner circle members are turned so they are facing the outer circle, and the outer circle should be facing in to the inner circle. Advise the groups that they will have a time limit to share certain informati

on. At the end of this time, announce that the inner circle must move X spaces to the right and discuss the following question or statement. At the end of the discussion, instruct the outer circle to move X spaces and discuss the followingquestion or statement. Sample Questions - Introduce yourself and tell why you came to this group. - Introduce yourself and tell the other person about your Youth Crime Watch program. - What is the biggest problem facing young people today?- How are young people solving community problems? - How do adults help or hinder young activists? - Have you persuaded a decision maker to change something?

Three Things/Thirteen ThingsHave people find a partner. Ask them to observe the partner and then instruct them to turn their backs to each other. Ask them to change three things about thei

r appearance. Next, have the participants turn back to facing their partners. Have each person observe the other and try to come up with what has changed. Thengive everyone a chance to turn around again and change thirteen things. After the participants have changed, have them face their partners again and try to guess the thirteen changes.

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ClosureBrown Bagging ItSometime during the time together give participants an opportunity to decorate and place their name on a small brown paper bag. Make sure each person has a bag.Distribute strips of paper and have participants write a note to each person and place it in the appropriate bag. Participants cant read the contents of the baguntil they are en route home.

Full PlatePass paper plates out to everyone with a strip of masking tape. Ask each personto take out a pencil or pen. Have participants help each other in attaching thepaper plates to each others backs. Allow people time to circulate and write positive affirmations, observations, or feedback on each plate. This is a positive activity which laves the participants feeling good about themselves after ready what was written on their plates. It is often helpful to play music during this activity.

Letter to a Key Decision MakerPass out paper and a pen or pencil to each member of the group. Ask each member

to write a key decision maker about what he/she learned during the group meeting. He/she can also explain how they will further use the knowledge gained from the group outside of the meeting. The writer also might include ideas for additional activities or meetings that would be helpful. Variations include writing to afriend, parent, or sibling.

Letter to SelfGive each participant an envelope and ask him or her to self-address it. Ask them to write a letter that will be mailed to themselves in the next six months. Tell them that they can write about anything; it might be a goal, something they learned, or what they value about themselves. When everyone is finished, gather the letters and mail them after six months.

Letter to PalHave participants write their name on a slip of paper and place them in a bag. Have each person draw a name from the bag. Tell the group to write their pal a letter that will be mailed in 60 days. Use this letter to tell the person how muchyou appreciate them. After the letters are finished, collect them and mail themafter 60 days. A variation on this activity is to have the participants write to the pal after they leave the group.

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Look MagazineThis activity allows participants an opportunity to identify how they are planning to take action. Divide the group into teams wherever possible use pre-existing teams. Tell the participants to imagine that it is one year later. Their action plan was so successful that the community has totally changed for the better.In fact, their favorite magazine has decided to devote an entire issue to theirwork. Tell the participants to create the cover for the magazine including infor

mation on the proposed project, how they plan to implement it, who will be involved, and how they think the community will change.

My Cup Runneth OverGive each participant a cup and have them write their name on the cup. Provide slips of paper for each person to write notes to individual participants to be placed in their cups. The notes should all be positive and affirming.

The Name ExchangeThis activity works best early on the last day of a conference, summer program,or something similar. Doing the activity early in the day will provide enough time for the sheets to be reproduced. It also might be helpful to announce this ac

tivity ahead of time so participants have time to formulate their answers. It isalso helpful to prepare copies of information or you can simply write the headings on a flipchart. Include space for name, address, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. Other headings might include: - Remember Me As/For: Participants writedown what they would like to be remembered for - I Need: Write down some resource or are that needs resolving. Later on, a participant may come across an idea or resource that can be sent to the person in need. - I Can Give: List skills, resources, or talents that would help others. Allow time for participants to complete the form. You also might want to include time for a discussion.

Spider WebHave the group form a circle. Hand someone in the circle a ball of yarn and askthem to answer the question posed. After they answer the question, tell them to

toss the yarn to another person in the circle. Remind them to hold onto the yarnas they toss the ball around. This exercise will form a web. Talk about how each person here can support the others. After everyone has spoken, have the groupplace the web on the ground and cut it into pieces to distribute to each member.Questions might be During the last week I learned or During the last week I changedr I plan to take this information and

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Action Projects

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Action ProjectsFor those groups with extra periods of time in which to complete an activity, anongoing project is a perfect thing to do. Service learning, or action projectsenable students, over a longer period of time, to get to know each other and help out the community in the process. Longer projects and activities are perfect for long breaks from school such as summer, spring break, and winter/Christmas vacation. The purpose of each project is to help out the community in some way. Yo

uth Crime Watchers are already helping the community by watching and helping out, but action projects provide a more hands on approach. The projects can range from anything from a canned food drive to benefit the less fortunate, to a playground restoration day. When beginning an action project, there are a few steps totake before starting. The first thing the group needs to do is to assess the needs within the community. In this step, students should first identify the community and select a problem within the community they wish to address. The best way to do this is to figure out how much time you have to complete the project (one day off from school is not enough time to plan and complete a community wide trash pick-up day). Once the time available has been established, look around your community and see where your help would be most effective. Is the neighborhoodlittered with trash? Is there a local family in need of assistance? Once a proj

ect has been decided upon, you should move on to the next phase. In the next phase of the action project, the YCW group should plan the project. What are the goals of the project? Who do you plan to help in completing the project? What strategies will you use to complete the project? Try to answer all of the questionsas specifically as possible. The more detailed your plan for completion is, theeasier it will be to follow. Once most questions have been answered and a plan of action (or a road map) has been created, the group can move on the next phaseof the action project, utilizing resources. In the utilizing resources phase ofthe action project, the action group should figure out how to attain resources from the community. One of the most valuable resources a community can provide isvolunteers. In recruiting volunteers, one of the best things to keep in mind isthat volunteers should represent a cross-section of the community. A good way to accomplish this goal of diversity is to advertise the project in wide range of

places and languages in order to reach the entire community population.

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In addition to human resources, the group should attain support from community organizations such a local government, law enforcement, and cultural centers. Toaddress the funding needs of accomplishing an action project, financial resources can be attained. Community centers listed above may also be great places to solicit donations for your project. Fundraising for the project can take many shapes and forms from a bake sale or magazine subscription drive, to an event or grant. How your group decides to raise money is up to you, just be creative and pla

n the project well. Be sure that when you are trying to get funding, that you are very organized in presenting your project and plan. Be ready to answer any questions the organization might gave about where their donation will go and how itwill be used. Once the group has received all of the necessary resources for the action project, the next step is action. In this phase, all of the participants in the project should be trained and prepared for the event. Try to make surethat all of your volunteers know what to expect from the event and know what isexpected of them. Make sure that everyones roles are clearly defined and that everyone feels comfortable with the project before action begins. The leader of thegroup has a special responsibility in this phase of the project. As the leader,this person is responsible for encouraging, motivating, and putting confidencein every project participant. Once participants feel comfortable with the upcomi

ng project, you might want to get a little publicity for the action project. Ingetting publicity, the there are many different types of publicity available. The

Action Project Manual published by YCW has some good suggestions for attainingthe publicity your group wants. Public Service Announcements (PSAs) describe upcoming events, contacts, and requests for volunteers/donations on radio and television stations. Announcements dont need to be on TV to be effective; in fact, many people can be reached by using your schools PA system or by making announcements in class. Once a bit of publicity is out in the community, it is time to go toaction with your project. This is the part of the project when all the planningand resource securing pays off. Be sure to confirm the logistics of the event and provide a sign-in location for volunteers upon arrival. Be sure to provide su

pport and encouragement for all volunteers and be sure to pair new volunteers with experienced persons whenever possible. See the Action Projects Manual published by Youth Crime Watch of America for more detailed information on dealing withvolunteers. After the completion of the project, the next and final phase of the action project experience is review and evaluation. This phase may actually beone of the most important as it allows the group to wind down and give feedbackto the leaders and

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organizers of the project. The evaluation also lets group members focus on the positive and negative aspect of the event and to figure out how to better executea future action project. Another aspect of this phase of the project is the event review. Who did the project benefit? How was the project received by the community? How did the project go over with the volunteers? Did the project follow the original road map, or did the event go astray? Did you succeed in accomplishing your project goals? If not, what would you do differently? After the entire g

roup has discussed the action project, be sure to thank all volunteers and supporters. Then congratulate yourselves on a job well done! For further informationon action projects, see the Action Projects Manual published by Youth Crime Watch of America or contact your local YCW site advisor.

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For further information contact:

Youth Crime Watch of America 9200 South Dadeland Blvd., Suite 417 Miami, FL 33156 305-670-2409 (tel) 305-670-3805 (fax) [email protected] www.ycwa.org

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Documents

54620131 Games and Energizers