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Engaging Young People– 30 Videos

30 Videos to help you engage with young people.

This series of 30 videos will give you activities you can use to engage with young people, connect with them and build a relationship so that together you can then begin to discuss matters that are important to them. They are conversational and interactive activities you can use with individuals, groups and when there is a third party present.

I invite you to take a look at these strategies, and to share your experiences either with other members of this site or just with me if you prefer, and let me know if the videos and the activities are helpful to you. Go well!

To view the videos, please select the links under the heading Lessons to begin watching the entire course. Or you may use the following categories to watch the videos that may apply to you and your young people.

Categories

Each of the videos are useful either with individuals, groups or when there is a third party present.

Working with Individuals

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Working with Groups

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Working with a Third Party Present

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Lessons

Video 5: How ya doin’?

Length: 5 minutesAuthor: Pete

A strategy, or really..more an idea, if the young person you are going to be talking with has been around the system for some time…and/or is grumpy about being here, maybe doesn’t want to talk with you…

Video 6: Park it and Talk

Length: 4 minutesAuthor: Pete

An activity when you need to have a tricky-sensitive chat with a young person. It suggests that you ‘park’ what you need to talk about, and spend a few minutes getting to know each other – that is, building a relationship so that you are able to have the important chat.

Video 7: Alert… Advise…

Length: 4 minutesAuthor: Pete

This strategy suggests that before you tackle a ‘difficult’ topic, you consult the young person you are going to be talking with, and get some advice as to how to tackle this subject, and what to do if it becomes hard for the young person.

Video 8: Colour, Shape, Sound…

Length: 3 minutesAuthor: Pete

This activity really asks a young person: how motivated are you to do ‘x’? And secondly, do you know all you need to know, and can you do all you need to do…to make it happen?

Video 9: Willing and Able

Length: 7 minutesAuthor: Pete

An interesting activity for the right person – kind of creative and a bit unusual…and really helpful when a third person is present.

Video 10: I Noticed

Length: 5 minutesAuthor: Pete

An intimate activity where you ask a young person if they would like to hear what it is that you have noticed about them.

Video 11: I See The World

Length: 5 minutesAuthor: Pete

This is an exercise in the development of curiosity, empathy and compassion. An extremely versatile activity you can use in a classroom, a counselling room or walking down the street. It invites a young person to wonder about ‘the passing parade’ of people; who they are as people, where they might have come from, and the circumstances of their life.

Video 12: The World Sees Me

Length: 6 minutesAuthor: Pete

An activity that encourages a young person to think about the tricky balance of being true to their feelings and embracing these, while being mindful of what they are projecting to the world around them, and the impact this will have on how the world will respond to them. A physical activity, both playful and serious.

Video 14: Yes, No, Still Thinkin’…

Length: 5 minutesAuthor: Pete

A great activity for individuals or groups. The example here is of a group of boys saying where they are in response to the question: ‘Do you want to stay at school?’ With three possible responses: Yes. No. Still thinking about it…

Video 17: Would You Rather…

Length: 4 minutesAuthor: Pete

‘Would you rather…’ makes use of childhood playfulness to ask a young person if they would prefer to travel through a pit of scorpions? A pit of spiders? Or a pit of snakes?

Video 18: Life is…

Length: 5 minutesAuthor: Pete

This activity, ‘Life is…’, asks a young person to respond to four questions/statements about four elements essential to wellbeing: belonging and connection, sense of self, relationships and a sense of… Read More »Video 18: Life is…

Video 20: Symbols

Length: 6 minutesAuthor: Pete

‘Symbols’ is a powerful activity, which, while embracing the ideas offered in the previous video ‘Inside-outside’ of asking a young person to identify their internal and external resources to manage… Read More »Video 20: Symbols

Video 22: Three Words

Length: 5 minutesAuthor: Pete

A really good activity for families or where a third person is present. Asking each person to describe themselves and each other…and then do some comparing…can be very powerful.  

Video 23: Snippets

Length: 7 minutesAuthor: Pete

An activity of imagination. As playful or as serious as you would like it to be. ‘Snippets’ are snatches of conversation overheard while jogging. ‘How would you finish this sentence?’… Read More »Video 23: Snippets

Video 26: Frames

Length: 7 minutesAuthor: Pete

‘Frames’ shows footage of a real – life conversation with Dylan; and demonstrates how a Frame, which contains and focusses a conversation, can, if used creatively and carefully, result in… Read More »Video 26: Frames